In the heat and sunshine of summer, it can be difficult to navigate socializing and sobriety. With all the barbeques, live music, pride parades, and pool parties, there are many challenges for people in recovery. While it is always an option not to attend some events that may be too triggering, it is equally important to find a way to gather and celebrate life. A helpful tip that people often learn early in recovery is to always have your own transportation and bring your own beverages.

When we talk about recovery, we talk about higher powers, reconciliation, mental health, and even root causes. One thing we often neglect is the importance of bodily health. This is something addicts think about as a negative often times. The phrase I heard myself saying was “Well, I don’t expect to live to 30 anyway”. But that’s not realistic. Not only statistically, but even if it were true, quality of life is very important, and entirely tied to physical health.

Harm Reduction Is More Than Just Narcan Harm reduction isn’t limited to Narcan—it includes something as simple and powerful as breathing. And by breathing, we don’t just mean in moments of crisis when someone needs another person to breathe for them. We also mean the kind of breath someone takes when they’re pausing, grounding themselves, or just trying to make it through the day. Harm reduction is broad. It’s peer support and honest conversation, education and connection.

With Easter just around the corner, I thought I would talk about one of the key components of recovery: a higher power. Now, I’m not going to get all preachy and tell you what I believe. Instead, I’d like to discuss the concept of a higher power and how it is important to recovery. If you’re an addict, which we all are to some extent, then you are aware that you have your limits.

From my childhood and early adolescence, a foundation had been laid for outdoor adventuring. Backpacking, rock climbing, paddling and mountain biking were staples of my summers spent in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. However, as did most other aspects of my life, these hobbies took a back seat to the pursuit and use of drugs and alcohol. In the deserts of Utah in a wilderness therapy program, I rediscovered the rewards that could be gained from stepping out of my comfort zone into nature.