Larry Winter

Sometimes I come to the end of my day full of activities rolling around in my head. I neglected to hold the door open for a person entering the grocery store, when my daughter left our home I did not tell her I love her, I was impatient when helping my father, and remaining silent […]

I think healing and Recovery are similar to creating a new heaven and earth within my soul. My past will no longer hold me back from becoming the best version of myself. I experienced darkness and suffering for several years. These two traits dominated my mood. Today I experience some joy and happiness which was

If you are not engaged in a 12-step program or another similar format now is the time to develop a relationship with something greater than yourself to help you along the path of wellness. I am learning the fine art of developing a relationship with the 12 steps, drawing me closer to a Higher Power

How do we know if healing is available to us? We are assured of unconditional love by practicing the 12 steps of Recovery. The 12 steps are a gift we have received on our quest to manage our mental health condition, addiction, and trauma. These steps run counter to our belief that this is a

I am sitting in one of my favorite chairs in our living room. The sun is shining on my upper body as the sun penetrates a large window overlooking our backyard. During the past week the word, “Humility” continues to penetrate my heart. Healthy humility is important for spiritual growth. According to Christine Valters Painter,

Healing occurs at different levels. There is physical healing after an accident or illness. Mental healing due to brain chemistry. Emotional due to trauma. Finally, there is spiritual healing due to feeling abandoned by God. In the early 90s, I was driving on the highway returning from a trip to the grocery store. I approached

What happens when we leave healing from a mental health condition, addiction, and trauma? My lived experience with a mental health condition is the greatest teacher. Ten years ago my heart was all in as I engaged in several activities to manage my condition. I participated in therapy, support groups, ate relatively healthy foods, exercised,

How do we reflect on our plan of Recovery? When we take action to Recover it is like, “Rain coming down from heaven, and it does not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed (This is adapted from the retreat I completed on Tuesday).”

This morning during meditation time I cleared my mind to listen for the whispers of my heart. During the silence, the word “Ambition” entered into my consciousness. Ambition was a significant motivator for several years of my life. I allowed it to drive me to be a good student, basketball player, coach, and social worker.

I am participating in a 3-day retreat. The topics that are being presented do not directly focus on mental health but have some alignment with our mental health conditions, addiction, and trauma. The purpose of this blog is to reflect on the 12 steps of our program. I ask myself whether I accept the demands