There are hundreds of Mutual Aid groups around the place, all working to the same principle, namely ‘put a bunch of people with the same problem in a room together and see what happens’. This week, we’re looking at how powerful groups can be, and at how they can become dysfunctional. Also, we look at how all 12-Step groups have the same purpose but approach it differently, and we consider how easy it is to spend so much time bothering with other people’s business , that we can forget our own.

Can we go too far and forget ourselves when helping others? While altruism plays a critical part in our recovery, is there a point where it takes over and we forget what we need to do for ourselves? This week, we’re talking about trying to maintain that delicate balancing act, whereby we are able to help other people without sliding into co-dependency, resentment or neglecting our own wellbeing. Also, we’re looking at how we have to ask for help and be honest about it!

It’s not me, it’s everybody else! Sometimes we say this in spite of ourselves. Are we always aware of what we look and sound like, particularly when agitated? How big does an entertainment system in a vehicle need to be? What is AI really for? This week, we’re talking about these questions and more, including the many faces of volunteering, experiences of school and our attitudes towards our former jobs in recovery.

What do we do when everything changes? How do we respond to sudden changes in circumstances? Are we inclined to make mountains out of molehills? (Surely not!) What have horror films got to do with early recovery? We look at the process of change, how we negotiate everyday problems and challenges, without having our heads fall off completely. Of course, some of us can still get angry over the mechanics of changing address, changing doctors or other such mundanities!

On January 26th 2024, Changes UK went into insolvency. This week, I’m talking to Anthony Cokeley and Steve Hatch about their longstanding experience with the organisation, about how it evolved from being a small and close-knit operation into one of considerable size and about the many positive effects of Changes UK’s work over the years. We discuss the challenges that arose and how we were ultimately unable to negotiate them successfully; however, there can be no doubt that we gave it our best shot! We also touch briefly on the future and what that might bring…

In the fourth of a series of interviews with Service Users who have recently completed treatment and engaged in an Aftercare Programme, we are talking to Robin about his experience of the process and how he has used it to maintain recovery.  He talks about the importance of compassion and of forging new, meaningful connections. We discuss the value of community, finding new habits and a new way of living, accessing mutual aid and finding a sponsor, highlighting how an Aftercare Programme supports this.

What do I do with days off and days spent at home? How do I avoid reverting to old habits? I can see that I’m powerless, but how am I unmanageable? And why am I still unmanageable now? This week, we’re talking about how we handle days we take to ourselves and what we need to do in order to protect ourselves from returning to our previous behaviour at home. Also, we’re looking at powerlessness and unmanageability and how they manifest themselves, both in addiction and in recovery. And lastly, we address what we mean by overdose, that it’s not quite as simple as perhaps it seems…

In the third of a series of interviews with Service Users who have recently completed treatment and engaged in an Aftercare Programme, we are talking to Karl about his experience of the process and how he has used it to maintain recovery.  We discuss the importance of community, finding new habits and a new way of living, highlighting how an Aftercare Programme supports this. We also look at how a Dry House system can support people in the first stages of recovery following detox, and why both are of equal importance.