Are you working towards a balanced, health-conscious lifestyle? Pursuing a healthy life while drinking is a goal many people have, but they often lack the insight to understand the relationship between alcohol intake and physical activity. This topic is crucial for anyone looking to improve their health, especially those in recovery or aiming for a more balanced way of living. At Tikvah Lake, we believe everyone has a unique path towards wellness. By recognizing the vital impact of alcohol on your exercise routines and overall health, you can better understand how those choices also affect you ..read more

When two men’s paths crossed in 1935, it was the start of the 12-Steps recovery program that has gone on to positively transform and save the lives of millions of people around the world. In fact, it is hard to argue against seeing it as the world’s most successful recovery program ever. One of these two men was a chronic alcoholic called Bill Wilson. He had managed to stay sober for five months when he found himself in a hotel lobby in Akron feeling compelled to have a drink. He knew his only chance of not having that drink was to turn his attention towards trying to help another alcoholic. A ..read more

An article by Renee W. When I first got sober in 2014, I thought that “getting sober” was all I had to do. That meant I simply wouldn’t drink or use drugs, and mission accomplished… or so I thought. Abstaining from alcohol and drugs is part of recovery. But it’s also just the beginning. What I realized after a few years of not drinking was something quite profound and alarming for someone in recovery: I was still miserable. Looking back, it’s obvious why I was still miserable, but I truly didn’t understand it at the time. After all, I had filled my days with recovery-friendly activities like ..read more

On June 10, 1935, something exceptional happened that has gone on to transform and save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. This is the date regarded as the world’s first 12-Steps meeting. The event took place in Akron, Ohio, when two alcoholics first met up as sober men. They are most commonly known today as Bill W and Dr Bob, the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) (as it became known a few years later). Soon, this sort of meeting grew in number and spread across the US, and then around the world. Today, it is believed there are more than two million AA member ..read more

It is obvious that alcoholism directly affects the person struggling with the addiction to alcohol. But it nearly always has a major negative impact on those closest to them as well. This is most often family members, including children of alcoholics when they are adults, and parents of alcoholics. It can frequently also include friends, co-workers and business partners. Being connected to an alcoholic, as with any addict, can cause continual worry and stress. It can certainly play a part in anxiety and depression. But, thankfully, there is help available for anyone who is affected in this way ..read more

Brain shrinkage is a natural part of the aging process. A slow and steady reduction in brain volume begins in our 30s or 40s, and this process accelerates in those aged 60+. However, research shows that people with alcohol addiction who misuse alcohol over a prolonged period of time often have lighter, smaller brains. Some studies have even connected moderate alcohol consumption (14-21 units/week) to evidence of a lower brain volume due to shrinkage. Here, we explore how drinking alcohol affects the brain, including its role in accelerating brain shrinkage and some of the potential impacts on ..read more

It’s a pocket-sized folded card that has helped millions of people around the world to positively transform their lives. This is mostly with recovering alcoholics and addicts, but also – and increasingly – for many people outside of recovery communities too. This is as more people hear about the Just For Today card, read it and immediately grasp its positive benefits to general wellbeing. It is basically nine elegantly written points that if incorporated into someone’s general living every day will enhance that person’s life – and everybody around them as well. Originally found at Alcoholics A ..read more

Many people who realize they have an alcohol problem wonder if they will ever be able to just drink normally, in moderation. For anyone who is addicted to alcohol, the answer will almost certainly be no. I am 21 years in continuous recovery from addictions – and this is my feeling on it from what I’ve heard and learned in that time.  There might be some people, I am sure, who can manage it, but they will be a rare exception.  I have also never seen anyone who tries drinking the “non-alcoholic” versions of beers or wines stay away from going back to alcohol. I’ve certainly seen many t ..read more

Mindfulness is a state of awareness and focus. It has become particularly popular in the past ten years – with good reason. More people are discovering that mindfulness gives excellent results for their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. As well, an increasing number of mental health experts have realized its therapeutic benefits. Most mindfulness techniques that are popular in the West these days originated in Hinduism and Buddhism thousands of years ago. But it was notably introduced to the West by writer and meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s. He developed a program cal ..read more

Attempting to live as an overachiever is an extremely difficult task. It is simply not sustainable – and yet so many people try to live like this. An overachiever is not to be confused with a high performer, although both may appear to be just as successful. A high-performing person will achieve great results but without the anxiety, relentless exhaustion from overwork, and high expectations that overachievers put on themselves. No matter what they accomplish and how much they do, overachievers never feel balanced, content or really happy. They will always be striving to achieve more, with lit ..read more