How to Overcome 

1. Trauma 

Trauma stays in the body and mind long after the event. For someone in recovery, unprocessed trauma can trigger cravings, guilt, shame, and relapse. 

What Trauma Feels Like:  
Sudden emotional flooding 
Avoidance of memories or people 
Physical tension 
Reactivity (anger, fear, numbness) 

How to Overcome Trauma (Action Steps) 

1. Recognize the Impact  
Write this statement every day for a week: 
“I am safe right now." "What happened to, me is not happening now.” 
This reinforces the difference between memory and present reality. 

2. Practice Grounding When overwhelmed: 
Breathe in for 4 seconds Hold for 2 seconds 
Exhale for 6–8 seconds 
Repeat 5 times. 

3. Name It to Tame It 
When a feeling rises, pause and say out loud: “I am feeling __________ (fear, anger, sadness).” This reduces overwhelm and brings control back to your nervous system. 

4. Safe Processing, Join trauma-informed support (therapy, group, counselor). 
Recovery from alcoholism is strengthened, not weakened, by processing trauma with a professional. 

5. Build a Safety Script Create a one-page reminder of: 
Why you are in recovery 
Who you trust What to do when symptoms flare (grounding steps, support contacts) 
Post it where you see it daily.

2. Grief

Grief isn’t just about loss of life. It includes: 
Loss of relationships 
Loss of identity 
Loss of what your life “should have been” 

In recovery, grief can hide behind irritability, depression, or turning back to alcohol to numb the pain. 

How to Overcome Grief (Action Steps) 

1. Acknowledge the Loss Write:  “I am grieving __________ because __________.” This helps face what’s been avoided. 

2. Feel It in Chunks Grief hits in waves:  Instead of trying to “get over it,” 
schedule: 10 minutes daily to feel and reflect 
After that, return to your day. This prevents overwhelm. 

3. Name the Invisible Losses Often we grieve:  “I lost who I thought I was” “I lost control” “I lost time” Name these to release their grip. 

4. Ritualize the Goodbye Write a letter to the thing you lost. You don’t have to send it. Say: “I release you with compassion for what it meant to me.” 

5. Ground in Support Talk with a sponsor, therapist, or trusted group. Saying the loss out loud reduces its power.

3. Disappointment

Disappointment comes from unmet expectations—especially in recovery when progress isn’t linear. How to Overcome Disappointment (Action Steps) 

1. Reframe What Success Is 
Write: “Success in recovery is not perfection; it is persistence.” 
Read it every morning. 

2. Evaluate What YOU Control 
Ask: What part of this outcome was in my control? 
What was not? 
Focus your energy only on what you can change. 

3. Adjust Expectations 
Break big goals into small actions: 
Instead of “I must never feel cravings,” 
Try “When cravings come, I practice grounding and reach out for support.”  
Small wins build confidence. 

4. Practice Gratitude 
Each evening list 3 small things that went right today. 
Even minor positives strengthen resilience. 

5. Act on Disappointment Rather Than Dwell 
Choose one concrete step: 
Call a sponsor 
Attend a meeting 
Journal your thoughts 
Do a physical reset (walk, stretch, clean a space) 
Take as least one of these steps above within 1 hour.

Key Themes for Sustainable Recovery 

Name what you feel — don’t bury it. 
Move emotions through the body — don’t let them fester. 
Reconnect with purpose — recovery is a direction, not a destination. 
Use support consistently — isolation feeds relapse.
Find somebody to talk to, friend, AA member, therapist, online support group, etc

Emotional Support
Free Online Meetings

Free Online Zoom Support Resources 2.
Trauma, Grief, Disappointment  

We have provided several links below to Online Meetings.

It is your responsibility to review and engage as your comfort level permits. 

We do not endorse any group below they are provided as a reference only. 

May God Bless you on this recovery journey. 

1.       VITAS Bereavement & Grief Support 
2.       My Grief Angels – Virtual Grief Support   
3.       Weekly Virtual Grief Support 
4.       Trauma Survivors Network – Virtual Groups 
5.        7 Cups – Free Emotional Support
6.       More Support Groups Download List Here.