SHiFT – Recovery by Acorn

The closet was small and dark but there was just enough room for a chair and most of all, there was privacy from her family.

For the past three years since treatment, breakfast had been the same. On this day, there would be a different but abstinent protein. The store was out of the regular one.

She couldn’t take it anymore. Her life was out of control and she needed help. But, with most of the nation under stay-at-home orders, what could she do? 

These three people have one thing in common – they got creative during extraordinary times and they got or kept recovery.

All across the country, we are hearing from food addicts who are coming up with creative ways to stay in recovery. In the case of the first woman, she needed privacy to attend a virtual Twelve-Step meeting while the second person needed to find a different breakfast protein due to food shortages and the third one attended our first virtual SHiFT To You Intensive last month and is now in recovery.

There’s no denying that times are challenging and it can be easy to think about giving up or putting off recovery. Doing this only adds to our grief and pain intensifying the anxiety and misery we are feeling. We were always willing to go to any lengths to get binge foods. Now, we need to be willing to go to any lengths for recovery.

Not only do sanity and peace of mind depend on staying in recovery but so does our health. In addition to the many health-related problems that come with food addiction such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc., studies have shown that those who are obese are at a much greater risk of contracting and dying from the coronavirus.

Now, more than ever, we all need to be motivated by the three people mentioned above and get creative so that we can get recovery!

Take care of yourself and let us know if you need help!

As we approach a holiday week, we need to acknowledge that though our celebrations this year may be different, they are still important.  More than that, we are important. This year, many of us may be alone due to social distancing and quarantines. Or, we may connect with family and friends virtually rather than in person.

Whatever our holidays look like, we need to take time to celebrate those things that are meaningful to us. While it may take a little creativity to shift the holiday activities that we’ve always enjoyed, it is possible to continue with some of the traditions we have come to love.

Now is not the time to throw away those things that are important to us whether they are holiday traditions, people in our lives, or, most especially, our recoveries. Celebrating the holidays, if that’s what we like to do, needs to continue as does our recovery from food addiction.

For many of us when first getting into recovery, re-inventing our holidays so that they didn’t revolve around food presented a special challenge. Now that we’ve done this, we can further re-structure our holidays so that they work for us during this time.

On the other hand, if the upcoming holiday doesn’t mean anything to you then it’s important to acknowledge that as well. No one should be forced to celebrate if that’s not something that matters to them.

The bottom line is that we need to honor ourselves and our lives in a way that works for us and supports our recoveries.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to everyone who chooses to celebrate!

Can you be serene in the middle of chaos?

I can hear some of you saying no!

Read this before you make a final decision. Even though the world is a chaotic place right now it is possible to be serene during this time. We do this by focusing on each minute and not letting the voices inside our head carry us away to a fearful place.

Of course, no one is denying that this is a frightening time. And it’s perfectly okay to feel the feelings that come up around this. There is a difference, however, in feeling our feelings and obsessing about them or the events going on in the world.

Once we feel our feelings, they are done and most times we are left feeling serene and maybe a little exhausted. Obsession is much different. It’s that tightness in our chest that says we must do something; that we must take action now. The thoughts that tell us nothing will ever be okay and we must make things better now.

The truth is that we have no power to change anything going on outside of us. We can only change our own attitudes and behaviors.

Serenity in the middle of chaos comes from knowing that whatever happens, things will be okay. Events may not turn out the way we’d like them to, or maybe they will, but either way deep down inside we know that we will have what we need to deal with what is put in front of us.  That’s serenity in the middle of chaos.

Together we can get through this SHiFT Strong! If you’re having a hard time finding serenity in the chaos, join us for our free daily SHiFT Strong Support Calls. You can find the schedule here. And most of all, know that we are in this together.

Wishing you abstinence and serenity!

As we move through this unprecedented time in the history of our nation, it’s important for everyone but especially food addicts to remember that where we put or attention not only matters but can make a big difference in the quality of our lives.

Will we focus on the fights erupting over supplies or the acts of kindness taking place across the world? Is our attention riveted on the number of sick people or the growing number of those who have recovered?

In our recoveries, we make these same choices on a daily basis. Will we focus on the foods that aren’t on our plans or how healthy we feel from eating abstinently? Is our attention drawn to our flaws when we look in the mirror or to the beauty of our individuality? Are we paying attention to the people we hurt in our past or focusing on making living amends day by day?

Will we look at all of the things we have given up to change our lives or will our attention be drawn to the miracle that is recovery?

Pay attention to the gifts in your life and life gets better. Focus on the negativity and life becomes so.

What will you pay attention to during this time?

What a busy and challenging week it’s been! For us at SHiFT, the world-wide quarantines have provided us with an opportunity to re-think the format of some of our programs. In the weeks to come, we will be introducing several new virtual support options for both food addicts new to recovery and for our alumni.

In the meantime, we are hearing from many food addicts that being at home without support from other food addicts can be challenging. I cannot stress enough the need to keep connected to your support network during this time. If you have yet to develop a support network, now is the time to find one.

Many Twelve-Step meetings have moved online. You can find online OA meetings here. Online Food Addicts Anonymous Meetings are listed here. Grey Sheeters Anonymous video meetings are listed here and Food Addicts Anonymous phone meetings are listed here.

Keeping in touch with a sponsor if you have one, is important as is reading recovery books.  Here’s a suggested reading list.

If you’re still unsure about what food addiction is, there’s some information about that here.

Whatever way you choose to connect with other food addicts in recovery, be sure to be consistent.  Home alone in your head is not a good place for any food addict.

Remember, we are practicing social distancing NOT isolation.

We’re here to help if you need us.