"Rules" First, Then Flexibility

A disclaimer that the first bit of this post does talk about faith and religion. If reading about religion bothers you, replace religion/faith with academia/school as the concept will still apply. 

Years ago, someone once told me, “every now and then, you need to empty out your religious cup to figure out what you need to put back into it”. Essentially, not everything one learns will continue to have meaning, apply, or hold true as time goes by and one matures in their faith or understanding. Many people have a tendency to throw the baby out with the bath water. Take the time, do the work, to sort out what is important to intentionally take with you.

Fast forward to this past summer. I found myself having a conversation with someone about my frustrations of black and white thinking that religion can sometimes bring, and did bring for many years of my life. They then reminded me that one cannot simply be in the grey right off the bat.  There’s a need to learn the “rules” first. Then, after having a good foundation, one can learn to sift through the complexities of life, which will ultimately challenge rigid thinking. This made sense. 

Another way to think about it is thinking about our school experiences growing up. We start off in elementary school.  Then, we graduate and go into high school to build off what we’ve learned in the years prior. Some continue to post secondary education where critical thinking is fostered and encouraged, and an even more in-depth study and diversification on subject matters occurs. Each stages of learning builds off the learnings prior. You can’t go on to do quadratic equations without first knowing about the rules of addition or multiplication, right? Right!

Recovery is similar. There is a learning (or re-learning) that must occur around building a healthier relationship with food, weight, exercise, relationships, body-image, family dynamics, coping mechanisms, and so on. This period is important, and the specifics around implementation can look different amongst individuals. There is, however, life past the intense treatment regiments that are often needed to help you get back on track. It’s hard to learn how to be flexibility when building a foundation for recovery when the eating disorders is quite sneaky and slippery, never mind sorting out who’s motivation/values/thoughts is who’s, etc.

In faith, recovery, and many other facets of how this concept can apply, people can stay stuck in the early teachings and rules. There is a degree of freedom there. I don’t want to deny that. My early days/years of recovery, and the periods where I needed to be particular about what and how I ate were way better and more flexible than when I was in the throws of my eating disorder. There is, however, greater freedom past this. Sometimes, there is a need to return to the foundational pieces, and that’s okay too! Recovery, faith, life are not linear experiences. Everyday we make decisions that either move us towards or away the values we hold within these experiences. As scary as it can be to dip your toe into the unknown or flexibilities of greys, it can also be rewarding (remember, both things can be equally true!)

Take a second to think about where you could or would like to grow in your recovery (or faith). Then, try talking to your therapist about what you could do or how you could experiment with getting to know the greys. 

Thoughts on Exercise

Exercise, in everyone's life, is an important component to building a healthy lifestyle. When I say that word, what comes to mind? 

Running? Sweat? Dread? Calories? Being toned? Hard work? Compulsion? Mandatory? Fun? Social? Movement? Distance? Time? Lack of time? Boredom? Pain? 

I've written about exercise before; there are a few points I wanted to hit home a little harder. As always, talk with your doctor about how much and what kinds of  physical activity is right for you, especially when you are in early stages of recovery from an eating disorder, illness and/or injury!! 

#1 - Exercise is movement. And I mean any kind of movement. Walking, sex, gardening, stretching, swimming, mowing the lawn, yoga, lifting weights, getting groceries and so on. I often hear people say, "Oh, I only did 'X', that's not really exercise". It is. You are exercising a muscle when it is moving it. Have you ever sprained your ankle or hurt your back? You become very aware of how you used that muscle once you can't use it like you also did.  

#2 - Build exercise (movement) into your life that is fun.  #2 and #3 go together. Hate the gym? No worries, you don't have to exercise/move solely in that location. The same is true if you hate being outside to exercise. The important thing is to find something you enjoy doing (or at the very least can tolerate). For some it might mean exercising with friends while others may prefer to take a class with strangers. It might mean being on a sports team or participating in a solo activity. Whatever it is, life is too short to not at least find some enjoyment in what we do (especially if it is hard to do in the first place!). And, you are not very likely to participate in something you don't at least get some enjoyment out of.

#3 - Exercise (movement) doesn't have to take place in a gym. Expand your perception of where movement occurs. It could occur in a forest, a basement, on a sidewalk or trail. It could be occur in chlorine, fresh or salt water. It could be in hot or cold temperatures. On sand or on cement. One could be parallel or vertical to the ground when moving. Sky is the limit :) 

#4 - Exercise/Sport isn't in and of itself 'Bad'. Sometimes, when working on recovery from an eating disorder, there's this mentality that exercise is bad. For some, exercise has been a major piece in the development of their eating disorder, or something that has easily led them into relapse. And, if this is the case, you will need to learn how to re-build a healthy relationship with exercise (this is where I would strongly encourage you to seek professional assistance when doing so).  It is not exercise that is good or bad in and of itself as with most things in life, it's the relationship we have with it that is important. 

#5 - Sometimes we do things in life because it's good for us, not because we love doing it. And, just because one loves it, doesn't mean its beneficial to do all the time. We know that exercise is a part of a healthy lifestyle. There are also many benefits that come with moving, such as positive affects on mood. Not everyone loves sports or moving.  This does not mean one gets a 'pass' on needing to exercise. Sometimes, we move for the sole reason we know it is healthy to do so. 

Resting is also important. So, just because you love moving does not mean it's healthy to move all the time either. Know your body and when it is telling you "I need to stop". It's also okay to stop even when your body tells you it still has more to give. 

#6 - Practice mindfulness while moving. Take some time to notice what you are touching, smelling, seeing, feeling and hearing when you are moving. This will help to keep you grounded and more in tune with what is going on around you. You may even notice a few things around you that you never noticed before!

#7 - Know your "rules" around exercise, build cognitive flexibility. You are allowed to stay inside even on sunny days, just like rain doesn't mean you are bound to stay inside. You don't have to exercise just because you ate "X", nor do you have to feel bad if you took a day off to rest or would rather catch up with some friends instead. What I mean by "rules" is thinking that is rigid or inflexible, such as black and white, or all or none thinking. Take some time to be aware of what your "rules" are around exercise and see whether or not they are interfering with your enjoyment of the activity itself or your quality of life in general. Building cognitive flexibility into your life will help you navigate life more freely. It you notice you have some of these "rules", I'd encourage you to chat with a therapist or recreational therapist about ways to incorporate more flexibility. 

Thoughts, Selective Attention and Confirmation Bias

Lately, in session, I’ve been talking with numerous clients about whether or not thoughts define us, as well as various biases humans are susceptible to that often keep us stuck cognitively. I thought it could be useful to address them both today. 

Do our thoughts define us? 

I’ve been quite open about the fact I have obsessive compulsive disorder. Simply put, one experiences obsessions (intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (behaviours to manage the obsessions). Thoughts of killing my family would flood my mind. At the time, I had no idea what was happening, or that it was a mental illness. I thought because I was experiencing these thoughts, they must say something about who I am. I thought I was a horrible human being, a daughter who should never be trusted, evil, and so on. 

It took a long time in therapy, to get to the realization that my thoughts didn’t have to define me. That thoughts could just be thoughts. That I didn’t have to put a “value” on them as either good or bad. My being didn’t have to be in question just because something popped into my mind. Every thought did not need to be an internalization of who I was or am. 

Capability also doesn’t define one’s worth or value. I wanted to believe that I could never be capable of hurting/killing the one’s I love (or other humans around me). I used to think that because I “thought” it, this somehow made me more capable. The truth is, we all have the ability to cause harm. Capability, just like thoughts, however does not automatically mean one will do it or that they want to do it. 

Now, let’s just say, I have thoughts about myself that I don’t like. Perhaps, it’s a worldview or core belief. It is possible to change the way one thinks. Neuroplasticity is real! It’s helpful to take stalk of what drives our behaviour as well as how we think/feel about ourselves and others. With practice, we can go from changing negative self-worth into positive self-worth. From not believing recovery is possible, to having hope that it is and so on. 

Okay, so, let’s agree that thoughts don’t have to define us. That one can let them come and go (I know this is easy to say. Practice is needed.) without having a value attached to them. The next part of this blog will explore are ability to take information in and the biases that shape our perceptions.

There are many different biases and cognitive theories that shape how we take in informaiton. I’m going to focus on two: selective attention and confirmation bias. 

Selective attention occurs all the time. There’s a lot of information/stimuli out there, that we can’t take it all in at once. So, we have to filter the information, and usually, it’s the most relevant information. 

Try this exercise. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

The potential problem with selective attention is that we might miss some really important information (or gorillas!) that may be beneficial in moving us forward in recovery.

Confirmation bias results when we only pay attention to information/stimuli that confirms what you already think. An example would be if you have an eating disorder, and don’t think you’re sick. You might only pay attention to, and take in, the information that confirms or is consistent with this belief. It does not mean that there is not information out there that challenges this belief (ie: medical complications, social limitation, anxieties around food/weight/body image, ED behaviours, etc), but you aren’t giving it much thought/weight as it challenges your belief. 

How does talking about bias and selective attention relate to the piece about thoughts defining who we are? If we don’t think highly of ourselves, we will continue to selectively pay attention to information and stimulus that confirms this belief, despite there being a plethora of information to the contrary. If we don’t think we can recovery, we will constantly take in information that keeps us stuck. If you think no one loves you, you might look past the positive relationships in your life.

So, what to do? As always, I’d encourage you do connect with a therapist in trying to figure some of this out. Experiment with being mindful of what goes on in your day, as well as your thoughts and reactions. Take stalk of what people are saying and how many people are saying it. Do you react more to one piece of information than another? When someone gives you a compliment, instead of brushing it off, take a second to hear it and recognize that your need to discount it might be you falling into confirmation bias. In some ways, this is what CBT thought records, or DBT’s Wise Mind, is trying to get you to do. To see another perspective. Experiment with opening the door a little. There just might be another angle to see. 

Healthy Menu Choices Act Misses the Mark

I knew the Healthy Menu Choices Act was being implemented as of January 1, 2017.  However, I was caught off guard when I stood in line, waiting to order a burrito and saw the calorie count beside menu items glaring back at me. I was acutely aware of the sick part of my brain, reminding me that even after all these years, I am not immune to the triggers that wreak havoc on many who have, had or will develop an eating disorder. 

I’ve heard the argument that people who struggle with the display of calories should ‘just not look’. It’s not that easy. It’s like trying to read a paragraph and having to stop part way through, not knowing if you received all the necessary information, yet don’t want to risk over reading. Or, driving past an accident while continuing to only look forward. Let’s also not forget that eating disorders are a mental illness. Those who struggle aren’t thinking about food in the same way you may be. It’s not easy for them to simply order what they want. It’s real, it’s a struggle. Mental gymnastics occur, contemplating every angle of each menu item. Is it pro-recovery or will it keep me sick? If I order ‘A’, will people think I don’t have an eating disorder any more and think everything is back to ‘normal’ when it’s not?  Throw people with eating disorders or in recovery into a society that is largely distorted around food, weight, body-image, exercise and so on, and the battle becomes that much harder. It’s just one more thing to face, making it that much more difficult for them to maintain a healthy relationship with food. 

Even if you don’t or haven’t had an eating disorder, the calorie display is not helpful. When we look at ‘health’, we need to move past the idea that it is simply physical. We must learn to also have a heathy relationship with food mentally, emotionally, spiritually and socially.  Decisions solely based off of numbers take away from our ability to eat what we want instead of what society says we ‘should’ have. We need to learn the skills necessary to help cope and tolerate our emotions, instead of using food as a method to numb, stuff or comfort. We need to learn how to eat mindfully. We need to start trusting that our bodies will fall within a weight range that it likes to be in (aka set point), rather than choosing a range we think is right based on what society tells us is ‘best’. We need to understand how our bodies work when we eat higher or lower amounts of calories in a day.

I’m all up for people being aware of what and how they are eating, if they are seeking to become educated and self-aware. I understand that some people have to make very conscientious menu choices due to medical or specific dietary needs. I would suggest that the information be made available, but in its entirety. This would involve showing all nutrients, as opposed to just calories, and have them listed somewhere more discrete. Simply putting the calorie count on the menu does not paint the whole picture. It’s a poor attempt to teach people about healthy choices, and I would argue it’s more harmful than helpful. 

Andrea LaMarre, who sits on various committee to promote healthy relationships with food, weight and body-image, started a petition to repeal the Healthy Menu Choices Act. Let the Ontario Government know your thoughts on this matter.

Prepping For the Holidays

It's that time again! Holiday time. For some, this brings feelings of excitement and anticipation. While others, stress and a longing to go into a slight hibernation in hopes of by-passing the whole thing is on par. For the former, rock on and see you in 2017. For the latter, read on and hopefully, some of the strategies below will help make this time a little easier, or perhaps, even enjoyable.

#1 Plan Something You Like To Do: It's okay to make plans to do something you like. This can help balance some of the holiday activities you may not have much say about. Maybe it's going for a winter walk, or watching movies by a fire place. Explore the downtown shops or the local cafes you've always wanted to try. Whatever you like to do, plan time to do it or else you run the risk of time slipping by and another holiday season that you did not really enjoy will result. Remember, you don't have to do anything big or expensive in order for it to be fun, enjoyable or peaceful... or whatever it is you want it to bring into your holiday. 

#2 Intentionally Create Positive Experiences: You know that Christmas function at Aunt Gertrude's you attend every year with reluctance? Spice it up a little by intentionally creating a positive experience. This could be anything from wearing your favourite ugly sweater to bringing a game everyone can play. Maybe you invite your best friend to help ease the awkward yearly questions asked by family members or you make it your mission to sit beside your most liked cousin whom you can chat up a storm with over dinner. Whatever it is, putting some thought and effort into how you can make the best of the event has to be better than doing nothing and expecting the worse! Maybe it still won't be the best time you've ever had, but maybe it's slightly better than you anticipated. 

#3 Find Balance Between Social and Alone Time: This could go either way. Maybe you tend to isolate over the holidays, or perhaps you have difficulty saying 'no' to people.  Try to find time for social and alone/down time. This way, you don't run the risk of being lonely, or over booked to the point of exhaustion! Isolating will only make the time go by slower and over booking will leave you worn out and needing a holiday from your holiday. 

#4 Don't Forget to Take Your M n M's (Meds and Meals): Your routine and schedule will likely be nudge off track over the holidays. Maybe you're staying up later or going out of town more often than usual. Try to continue maintaining some of the basics in your recovery and wellness. Set an alarm to take your medication and meals so you don't run the risk of forgetting. Keep doing the necessary basics to help maintain your recovery instead of slipping backwards.

#5 Prepare for High Risk Situations: Don't go into the holidays thinking you can wing it. Take some time to know what activities or situations you are going into that are likely going to be stressful, or potentially triggering. This way, you can come up with a plan for how to manage them successfully. Write up a list of counter statements you can use when Uncle Mickey starts making unhelpful comments about weight or when Cousin Mildred gets on about calories. Use opposite action when presented with a food your E.D. is telling you not to have but you know you use to really enjoy. Know who you can call or text in times of trouble or stress. Go to your calm or safe place when you feel unsafe or distressed. In some ways, preparing for high risk situations is like fire drills. They help prepare you in case there is ever a fire to maximize safety and minimize harm.   

And remember... regardless of how the holidays go... they will not last forever. Hang in there. One meal at a time, one day at a time, one event at a time. Be gently with yourself, and ease off the perfectionism a little. Allow yourself to say, 'no', when you need to, and 'yes' when you want to. Look at cat pictures of the internet.... like this one. Take time to smile every once and awhile and just 'be'. 

(I couldn't resist this little guy... love hairless cats!)

Accessed from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2_weekold_Female_Sphynx_(Suki).jpg Dec.12, 2016

Container and Safe Place

Last year, I completed training in Eye Movement Reprocessing and Desensitization (E.M.D.R.) and was introduced to the skills of 'container/containment' and 'safe/calm place'. Other therapy modalities also use these skills. I love them! Especially safe place. Both involve visualization and can help decrease anxiety. Give them a try!

So, container/containment. Close your eyes for a moment. Think of some sort of container that is strong and sturdy. Something that you can put things into that you know won't be able to get out. When I close my eyes and do this, I see a treasure chest box. Black/grey-ish, with rusted metal trim on its seams. There's a latch with a key hole to keep it locked. It's a special kind of chest in that it is a bottomless container... sort of like Hermione's bag (for all you Harry Potter fans) that contains endless amount of things. When I'm feeling distressed, or have too many thoughts roaming around in my head that keep me from falling asleep or focusing at the task at hand, I put them in this container. I visualize every worry and painful feeling I can't attend to in this moment flying into this container. I shut the lid *thud* and slide it to the back corner in the basement, where it's dark and dingy... cobwebs in the corners and ceiling. It sits there until I allow myself to pull it out.

The concept of the container isn't meant for you to be in denial of the painful things you put in there... it's not meant to be locked up forever (because we all know that doesn't work!). But, it gives yourself permission to take a break from it for a bit. Then, perhaps when you are in your  next therapy appointment, or with a trusted support person, you allow yourself to take it out again and work on it. 

Next is calm/safe place. If you prefer the word calmness over safety, that is okay. It is not important which word you choose to reference this place, as long as it is a place where calmness and peace resides. 

Similarly to container, visualize a place that is filled with everything calm and safe. It can be real, or imaginary. Are you alone or with someone? Any animals there? What is in your surroundings? Can you hear anything? Are you inside or outside? Any smells or tastes? What can you feel? 

My calm place has changed over the years. It used to be a remote shoreline of a lake up North, near White Otter Castle, that awaited me after completing a portage. There was a pebble beach with various trees (oak, maple, birch, pine) defining the shoreline. It was summer time, blue sky, warm and no bugs. There is a sense of awe and wonder here, as well as relief. There is no wind, the water is calm, although I can hear it lap up against the pebbles. In reality, there were more people there, but in my calm place, it is just me. It is a first person view. I don’t have a physical picture of this place… but it is so clear in my mind.

I can go there whenever I want. I can go there when I’m alone or in a crowd.  And, if for whatever reason, this place somehow becomes ‘tainted’ and is no longer calm or safe, I can let it go and think up a new place. Same with the container… if when pulling it up in your mind you feel as though it won’t do the job you need it to, think up something new or different. Add things to it or start fresh. So, next time you are needing some ‘calmness’ in your life, try putting your distress in a container and then visually going to your calm place!

Grief and Recovery

I’ve been thinking a lot about grief lately. In doing so, I realized there are many similarities between grief and recovery. Read through this piece, first as it is written. Then, reread it replacing the word ‘grief/loss’ with the word, ‘recovery’. 

It takes as long as it takes: Sometimes people worry that they are taking too long to grieve. They, and often society, push themselves to “just get over it”. It’s not that easy. If it were, they would have done so already, no? Grief takes as long as it takes. You can’t compare grief, because no two lives and experiences are the same. Try to ease off the comparison (and assumption) that others are moving along ‘better’, ‘faster’, or more ‘stronger’ than you. Move through grief at your own pace, and remember, it takes as long as it takes.

Give it time: As much as this may not be helpful to hear at times, there is a measure of truth to this. In time, we develop a different relationship to the loss, than when it first happened. Time doesn’t fix the pain felt, but it gives us space to develop new templates without what we once had. 

It takes effort: Parts of grief are more passive, and other parts require a lot of work. Yes, it takes as long as it takes, and we have to give it time, however, avoidance is not a long term solution. You will have days where every fibre of your being is saying, “just stay down”. Self-care, and then keep going. It is possible, for a variety of reasons, to get prolong or get stuck in grief. Some parts of grief you’ll be able to work through on your own, other parts will require the support of a friend/family/professional/support group or even stranger. It’s okay to let people in on the process. 

You are forever changed: We experience grief for a reason. Some ‘thing’ in our lives, whether it be a hope, a reality, a person, sense of security, innocence, etc. meant something to us. Maybe we didn’t even realize until that ‘thing’ was gone or until it was too late. When we go through loss, when we experience grief, a shift occurs within us. We can never go back to what was, or what was hoped to be. The present and future are altered from how we experienced the reality of what was. And… as much as we might try to bargain to go back to what was, it can’t. Take what you’ve learned as you build a different present and future. 

It’s full of emotions: There are various theories and frameworks to try and explain grief. Some view it in stages, others see it more dynamic that this. Regardless, it is inevitable you are going to feel. Try to be compassionate with yourself, even if it feels unfamiliar or awful. Remember that the feeling you feel right now will pass. You can’t cry forever. And, when the more positive emotions start to surface, allow them to be present. You haven’t done anything wrong by laughing during grief. You haven’t betrayed anyone or anything. Life has to move forward again. It might be a quick reprieve, or maybe a signal of changing times. Whatever it is, it’s there for a reason.

Not everyone will understand: Expect to encounter individuals who will put their foot in their mouth. We’ve all done it. Sometimes it happens because they are nervous, or feel helpless… maybe they just don’t know what to say and feel as though they should… maybe they are looking for comfort themselves. And, sometimes, people are just insensitive. Know you are not alone. It’s okay to set up boundaries with people around what you are and aren’t will to do or talk about. Try to find someone to share your grief with. It’s already a heavy load to have to hold… we all need someone to listen to us, cry with us, distract and celebrate with.

Preparation to Action

I’ve written about the stages of change before. You know, the model that includes: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. I want to focus on the important step of preparation today. 

Intention to do something is very different than actively working towards the change one wants to see. I may want to get my oil changed in my car, however, if I don’t make an appointment, or buy the necessary items needed to do it on my own, the dirty oil will not get switched out for clean oil. When working towards making change in one’s recovery, the same principles apply. 

Let’s review a few scenarios. Can you relate?

#1 Viktor and People Pleasing. 

Viktor knows he is a people pleaser and avoids conflict in any way he can, leading him to feeling used, frustrated and lonely. He often tells his therapist how he would like to be assertive and confident as he colleague Trevor. 

Intent? Change? Well, he wants to be confident, however there is no mention or plan of how he will invoke a change in behaviour towards his end goal.

#2 Charlene and Binge Breaking. 

Charlene recently relapsed. She knows if she continues down this path, she will likely end up even more depressed and isolated. She meets with her therapist to discuss high risk situations where she has a tendency to binge. One such situation is coming up this weekend. Her and her therapist come up with a concrete plan filled with skills and alternative options, some of which involve prep work before she goes, such as making a meal plan. The weekend approaches and Charlene realizes she hasn’t done any of the prep work and decides to wing it. 

Charlene has the awareness that if nothing changes, nothing changes, leading to depression and isolation. She wants to choose a different path, and comes up with a plan. She, however, failed to follow through with the prep work needed for the plan to be successful.

#3 Jamie and Restricting. 

It’s cottage season. This is the first summer in years where she has been back to her cottage as it used to be the prime place where restricting would occur. Wanting to be able to enjoy her time away, while knowing it will also be triggering, she asks her support group for ideas on how to stay on track with eating all summer. They suggest that making a 2 month goal may not be realistic and to consider making a S.M.A.R.T. goal, as well as a list of potential barriers. Jamie goes home, writes up a plan and runs it by the group the following week for feedback. Her plan is as follows:

S.M.A.R.T. Goal  

S - specific: follow meal plan while at cottage this weekend

M - measurable: after each meal, I will be able to measure whether or not I have restricted and am on track with my weekend goal

A - attainable: it is possible for me to follow my meal plan, I’ve done it before

R - realistic: it is reasonable to set the goal to not restrict while at my cottage as I’m only there for the weekend this trip

T - timely: by the end of the weekend, this goal will be over

Things to do Before and During My Trip in Preparation: 

• talk to dietician about meal plan, create one together (appointment made for next Wednesday)
• talk with family around what we plan on doing while away so I have an idea on how to plan my meals
• ask a friend if I can call them over the weekend if I need support around meal times
• shop for food/snack items (Markus agreed and will be available)
• ask someone to eat with me at meal times (talked with uncle Bill to have breakfast together, cousin Trish will eat lunch)
• write up cope cards/affirmations to help remind me why I want to stick to my meal plan (ie: I can do this, It’s just one weekend, I’m doing the best I can, I’ve worked too hard to get where I am, This feeling will pass)
• come up with possible barriers (see below)
• bring journal, recovery app, distraction box (things I use when needing to be distracted… ie: colouring book, movies, book, word searches, wool, etc).

Barriers:

• something might up come up unexpectedly while at the cottage delaying or changing my meal plan
• people not wanting to eat at regular times
• being reminded of old patterns/memories while at cottage
• overwhelming feelings emerge, loud ED voice 

Accountability:

• talk to group upon return informing them how it went
•  talk to therapist and dietician

Jamie may still struggle over the course of the weekend. Having a plan in place does not guarantee it will be successfully met. It does, however, enable one to be more prepared and mindful as to what to expect, increasing the likelihood of staying on track. Also, having an accountability partner or group is a great way to follow through on a change. We all need encouragement from time to time, especially when working on recovery.  

What’s your next goal? Have you prepared for it?