I had a chance to have a farewell chat with our client who completes treatment tomorrow. I talked with him about many things but it boiled down to choices and the freedom to make them. Our addiction robs us of the freedom of choosing the right path. Sobriety is no guarantee of a good life but it does allow us to deal daily with life on life’s terms, without having to resort to any external stimuli. Although he understands this, he is still worried because he continues to have thoughts about getting right back into the booze.

When I arrived on site everyone was having a round table discussion on Step 1. This had piqued everyone’s interest in the program. This tied in well to my intended plan to explain my interpretation of the 12 Step Program. Everyone gathered round the 12 Step Board and I gave a brief explanation of the steps and how I have worked them and how they have impacted upon my life. This explanation took about 25 minutes. Upon completion there were several questions. I believe that this group has already achieved a nice level of cohesiveness.  The idea that there is no one right way to work the steps appeals to our clients.

We are very pleased to have two clients who are eligible to receive 30 day chips at the Tuesday AA meeting. We have recently been running in-house AA meetings, and Client G again expressed his enjoyment for the in-house format that was used Thursday evening. He found that having Mark and Patty attend this meeting and discussing Step 4 was very beneficial.

The mood in the house was incredible this evening. Our program assistant Patty made a decision to hold an in-house AA meeting and it went wonderfully. The primary topic was an in-depth look at AA’s Step 2 (Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity). When I arrived at 2105hrs, everyone was still on a high from the meeting. Each person shared and each felt that they gained a lot from the meeting.

Check out went well, with all clients stating that it had been a very good day. J’s Life Story went well and the other clients said they enjoyed it. As always, the Peer Evaluation will tell the true story. After check out, B and C had a little blues jam session. It was fun to watch them play.

Everyone seemed to be in a great frame of mind and went off to bed with smiles.

Check out this evening was one of constant laughter. Everyone was in a good mood. They are all willing to work on their recovery and are supportive of each other. It appears to be a very healthy, healing group.

Our new client A took the opportunity to initiate a 35 minute one on one session with me this evening. We discussed a wide range of topics including but not limited to: why she is here and what does she want from her stay; what part honesty plays in recovery; attainable goals; spirituality; and the value of a 12–Step program. A stated that she is sick of living the deceitful life that has led her down dangerous and embarrassing paths. She is not sure what she believes in but acknowledges that there must be something greater than herself. We talked about the three questions – Did I lie to anyone today? Did I hurt anyone today? Did I use today? If the response to each question is no, it has been a pretty good day so give thanks to whatever you believe in (gratitude). We read the chapters on Acceptance and the Promises from the AA Big Book. A said that she intends on reading the book. This was an enjoyable session.

I found this evening very pleasant for me. I only had an hour with the clients but they were all cheerful and in a great frame of mind.

I watched the World Junior Hockey game this evening (Canada vs. Norway) with Client C. Almost without it appearing to be, this evening was very productive in terms of positive recovery dialogue. C received considerable affirmation and motivation to continue on his journey. He seemed to enjoy the evening as much as I. So much of the good work that happens here is in the everyday discourse between staff and clients, and between clients themselves.