Recovery Made Simple is a blog for people struggling with addictive or compulsive behaviors who are tired of being told there is only one right way to recover.
Addiction is often discussed as if it only applies to drugs or alcohol. In reality, compulsive patterns show up across many areas of life, including spending and debt, food and overeating, gambling and digital overuse, high-risk behaviors, sex and love, work, and achievement. While the behaviors differ, the underlying dynamics—compulsion, avoidance, loss of control, and escalating consequences—are often remarkably similar.
Recovery is also frequently framed as a choice between rigid programs on one end and vague encouragement on the other. This blog exists in the middle. It offers clear thinking, practical guidance, and respect for individual differences—without denying the real challenges addiction presents.
The focus here is not on ideology, identity, or perfection. It is on helping recovering persons make simple, workable changes that reduce harm, increase freedom, and can be sustained over time. You will not find ultimatums or miracle claims. You will find calm explanations of different recovery approaches, honest discussion of what tends to help and what often doesn’t, and encouragement to choose paths that fit your life rather than forcing your life to fit a theory.
Recovery Made Simple also takes seriously the social and cultural dimensions of addiction. We live in a society that normalizes excess, rewards distraction, and profits from compulsive consumption. Many people are trying to recover within environments that quietly undermine attention, self-regulation, and well-being. Ignoring this context places an unfair burden on individuals and obscures important sources of suffering. This blog will explore addiction at both the personal and collective levels, without assigning blame or offering simplistic explanations.
About the Author
Tim Z. Brooks is a recovery coach and educator with decades of experience across a wide range of recovery approaches, including twelve-step programs, moderation-based methods, religious and spiritual frameworks, secular and scientific models, psychological approaches, and treatment-center rehab programs.
The name Tim Z. Brooks is a pseudonym. Anonymity has long been a recovery principle that protects humility, safety, and focus on the work itself rather than the personality behind it. For the same reason, this blog does not include client stories or examples drawn from private recovery settings.
Tim’s approach is practical and non-dogmatic, shaped by long-term observation rather than allegiance to any single philosophy. While complete abstinence from alcohol and other mind-altering substances proves to be the most stable solution for many people with substance use disorders, this blog also recognizes that people arrive at that understanding in different ways and at different times.
Recovery Made Simple is part of a broader effort to support people in recovery through writing, coaching, and future tools designed to make recovery more accessible, humane, and sustainable.
You don’t need to have everything figured out to begin. You just need a place to think clearly about your next step.