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.

Some of you know what this is and some of you don’t. Involuntary rehabilitation, or “gooning” is when parents (normally) hire individuals (I call them bouncers) to take their child without the child’s consent to a rehab of one sort or another. This is a controversial debate since a minor is being removed from their home, involuntarily and subjected to some type of program without choice. Of course, as parents we make many choices for our children, from the type of food they eat, the home they live in, schools, activities and much more, but when it comes to “gooning” it becomes tricky.