Sanctuary Blog
Latest Sanctuary Post
Learning About Depression. And Fighting Back.
Forty percent of Americans will suffer a major depressive episode at some point in their lives. Five percent of the world’s population is suffering from it at any given time. It’s a disease that’s too often misunderstood—when it’s not overlooked entirely. Recovery writer Annie Highwater offers this primer on the many forms depression can take, and the variety of paths available for dealing with it.
Sanctuary Posts
My AA Story
Growing up as an only child in an alcoholic family was the perfect incubator for an isolated, selfish, self-centered life. My father shared his alcoholism with his mother, and with many family members before her…
Try, by Mandy Harvey
Sometimes a performance is about so much more than the actual piece being played. Watch this woman's soul shine through as she performs an original song, Try, and shares her story with the world.
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
I was never told about the sorrow/
How can you mend a broken heart? /
How can you stop the rain from falling down? /
Please help me mend my broken heart /
And let me live again
Up the Mountain
X-factor judges praised Brandie Love, a 21-year-old orthodontist assistant, for her sincerity, and the way she allowed the music to "set her free". Incidentally, her voice isn't bad to listen to either!
They Opened Their Hearts & Their Home
They opened their home to dozens of young people. Then he learned he could give one more thing: A kidney.
Does Worrying Prove I Love You?
What's the antidote to worry? Where does it show up in your body? How is it connected to love? Can worry ever be helpful? When does worrying cross the line and become destructive, or self-destructive? What does Allies in Recovery have to offer when worrying about your Loved One is taking over your thoughts?
Create a Clearing in the Dense Forest of Your Life
Postlewaite's poem urges us to create a clearing in the "dense forest" of our lives, then "wait there patiently" … I see a real parallel with the work our members do as you are going through our program and integrating the principles of CRAFT into your daily lives.
Jumpin’ Jive!
Fred Astaire said this was "‘the greatest dancing he had ever seen on film". We hope you'll find this to be 5 uplifting minutes of joyful entertainment. Take a tiny break from the heavy stuff and let the joie de vivre of these performers carry you.
I Won’t Give Up
I have ultimate admiration for families learning and practicing the CRAFT method with their addicted Loved Ones. To me this song is not only beautiful and harmonious, but also beautifully encompasses the spirit of CRAFT, and the labor of love it requires.
Orphaned Street Kids’ Electrifying Choir Performance
Give yourself the gift of three electrifying, uplifting minutes. Watch this performance by a remarkable choir made up of orphaned former street kids from Africa.
I Know I Should Do This…But What A Struggle!
In a recent discussion with AiR Editor Isabel Cooney for the Coming Up for Air podcast, Laurie MacDougall responded to the question: "Why do we have so much resistance to self-care, even though we know it's a good idea?" (sound clip: 1 min 27 sec)
You Matter (and so do your acts, big and small)
Allies in Recovery collaborator Annie Highwater filmed a short explanation of something she does in her hometown that can have astonishing results. It can even save lives. And it certainly spreads hope around where it's most needed.
The Snow Day
An unexpected snow day and a poem by Tess Gallagher remind us that every day brings new choices.
The Peace of Wild Things
Has negativity or hopelessness become the norm in your life? Wendell Berry's poem "The Peace of Wild Things" reminds us to pause and seek inner peace on a daily basis.
The shame of addiction turned my life into a lie. Here’s what saved my family
In this short video, a mother speaks about the feelings of shame that paralyzed her and kept her from taking action or even speaking to her friends, during her son's addiction to painkillers.
Coming Back to Earth
Earthing feels similar to those unexpected moments when you find yourself running through the rain and stop, hold your hands up to the sky and allow yourself to feel heaven rain down. Healing. Freeing. Alive.
Madame Sherri’s Magical Castle Ruins
Explore the mysterious ruins of Madame Sherri's castle, tucked away in a quiet corner of Southwest New Hampshire.
Finding Gratitude in the Shadows
How well can you separate the illness of addiction from the person you love? Can you find the light of their humanity when their shadow side is staring you in the face? What if you could shift your catastrophic thinking? Could compassion change the destructive dynamic in your relationship?
Young Men with Passion
5 young men with passion, tap shoes and the Beatles!
Kindness & Sorrow: The Deepest Things
A poem by Naomi Shihab Nye is a poignant reminder of the ways in which hardship can soften us and open us to acts of kindness.