Peace of mind or being 'Grounded'

To be 'in touch' with ourselves is necessary and difficult. To feel what is actually going on inside especially deeper more subtle feelings is how we stay 'grounded' or have more inner peace Checking in with others through therapy, 12 step meetings, friends etc. are very necessary to be in recovery. Not just, as recoverying people, because we are commited to being accountable but because it gives us 'feedback' from others and a conscious way of sorting things out.

Checking in with just oneself through journaling, meditation/prayer or just being quiet is also very helpful. We drill down into our deeper feelings by trying to consiously feel them. Feelings are very important pieces of information about ourselves and how we perceive things. Feelings are the 'go between' between the environment and ourselves. If we lose 'touch' with ourselves our lives will be joyless and without passion.

This inner world of feelings is what some call our "inner child" The precious, vulnerable center of our being....where passion, creativity, spirituality and intuition come from.

Don L. Mathews MFT

Developing intimate friendships

Recovery calls for deep friendship. Friends we let see deep inside us....the "real" self.....and we can see deep inside them. We can't do recovery by ourselves. Many have tried. We have to risk looking bad. Breaking shame/guilt takes taking the risk to let others see where we have fallen short. Recovery is about breaking the old family patterns of looking good and secretly getting our needs met thru meaningless sexual behaviors.

Don Mathews MFT