SPECIAL PRAISE FOR
Out of the Woods
“Diane Cameron’s stunning new book maps the territory of long-term recovery, acknowledging that the process at its best inexorably promotes the transformation of almost every area of life. Out of the Woods is an important achievement because it systematically explores territory that—remarkably enough—has simply not been mapped in any serious fashion. We’re fortunate that it was Cameron who undertook this important task—fortunate in no small part because she is a superb writer. Her voice radiates the maturity of long-term recovery, never doctrinaire, lively, fun, inspiring, engaging, and nonreactive, but relentlessly challenging stale assumptions wherever she finds them. I predict this book will soon be on the night-tables (and in the purses) of untold numbers of recovery explorers!”
—STEPHEN COPE
DIRECTOR, KRIPALU INSTITUTE FOR EXTRAORDINARY LIVING
AUTHOR OF The Great Work of Your Life
“Diane Cameron has illuminated the special challenges and opportunities that women with several decades of addiction recovery share, and has brought the wisdom of that journey to all who decide to get on that path.
“She shows what it takes to stay in recovery as you weather financial, sexual, professional, and interpersonal challenges, and she shows that while you don’t need to worry about relapse all the time, there are always new things you can explore to become the best version of yourself.”
—CAROLINE ADAMS MILLER
MASTER OF APPLIED POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY (MAPP)
AUTHOR OF My Name Is Caroline AND Creating Your Best Life
“With the clear-eyed view of a woman with over thirty years in recovery, Diane Cameron’s Out of the Woods is like an intimate conversation with a wise and loving sponsor. She shares the tools of the Twelve Steps in ways that speak to women in long-term recovery, who are dealing with life changes, body changes, an evolving spirituality, and an expanding sense of service to a larger community.”
—AMY WEINTRAUB
FOUNDER OF LIFEFORCE YOGA
AUTHOR OF Yoga for Depression AND Yoga Skills for Therapists
Central Recovery Press (CRP) is committed to publishing exceptional materials addressing addiction treatment, recovery, and behavioral healthcare topics, including original and quality books, audio/visual communications, and web-based new media. Through a diverse selection of titles, we seek to contribute a broad range of unique resources for professionals, recovering individuals and their families, and the general public.
For more information, visit www.centralrecoverypress.com.
© 2014 by Diane Cameron
All rights reserved. Published 2014.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
Publisher: Central Recovery Press
3321 N. Buffalo Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89129
19 18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN: 978-1-937612-48-1 (e-book)
Sharon Zukin, Point of Purchase: How Shopping Changed American Culture. New York: Routledge, 2004, p.112. Used with permission.
Publisher’s Note: This book contains general information about recovery and related matters. The information is not medical advice, and should not be treated as such. Central Recovery Press makes no representations or warranties in relation to the information in this book. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter discussed in this book, you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. This book is not an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.
Our books represent the experiences and opinions of their authors only. Every effort has been made to ensure that events, institutions, and statistics presented in our books as facts are accurate and up-to-date. To protect their privacy, the names of some of the people, places, and institutions in this book have been changed.
Cover design and interior design and layout by Marisa Jackson
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE ANONYMOUS PROGRAMS IN GRATITUDE FOR THE MIRACLE OF RECOVERY.
“Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit . . . .”
TABLE of CONTENTS
Mental: Our Thinking Got Us Here
CHAPTER FOUR
Spiritual: Came to Understand
CHAPTER FIVE
Making Meetings Work
CHAPTER SIX
Love and Romance Later
CHAPTER SEVEN
Take This Job and Love It
CHAPTER EIGHT
Aging Dying and Death
CHAPTER NINE
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
CHAPTER TEN
We Keep Saying Thanks: Service and Gratitude
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Way We Do Recovery Changes
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Scary Reality of Relapse and the Rewards of Revitalizing Recovery
Introduction