# 341 Anchor In Recovery# 341 Anchor In Recovery
A2D - From Addict to Disciple
David Hain uses the image of an anchor to talk about what keeps someone steady in addiction recovery, sharing both the benefits and drawbacks of stability. He looks at tools, routines and support systems that hold people in place, while also warning how staying too anchored can limit growth.
13:16•13 Apr 2026
Anchor in Recovery: What’s Holding You Steady—And What Might Be Holding You Back?
Episode Overview
- An anchor in recovery can be anything strong and stable, such as a programme, book, faith practice or curriculum that helps stop drifting toward relapse.
- Support systems—sponsors, coaches, counsellors, mentors and recovery groups—act as part of the anchor, offering safety, honesty and non-judgemental listening.
- Daily routines like journalling, quiet time, meditation and regular fellowship help create stability and a sense of safe harbour.
- Taking notes in groups and in personal reading, then revisiting and applying them, is a practical way to see tangible progress.
- Anchors can have downsides: they can keep someone stuck, fearful of change, focused on the past, or attached to unhelpful people and patterns.
“"Drop anchor and get stationary. Find a way to rest and take a deep breath."”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? Episode 341 of **A2D – From Addict to Disciple** zooms in on a simple image with big meaning: the anchor. Host David Hain talks through what keeps someone steady in recovery, using the practical definition of a ship’s anchor to unpack both the benefits and the risks of what holds you in place.
David breaks down the idea of an anchor as a “heavy metal device” that digs into the seabed and stops drifting. He relates this to recovery tools such as the A2D curriculum *From Ashes to Destiny*, the 12 Steps, the Bible, daily readings or devotions, and strong support systems like sponsors, mentors, coaches and recovery groups.
If you’ve ever felt pulled by cravings, temptation or “that strong magnet drawing you back to relapse,” you’ll recognise the need for something solid to hold on to. He also looks at routines: journalling, quiet time, meditation, responsibilities and regular fellowship with “other guys in recovery” as part of that anchor.
David encourages people to take notes in groups, write in their journals with different coloured pens, and track “tangible progress” so they can see how they’re applying what they learn. But it’s not all comfort and calm seas. David is honest about the downsides too. An anchor can keep someone stuck on a plateau, afraid to move forward, blind to changing currents or upcoming storms.
It can even be tied to the wrong thing—like people who only talk about the “good old days” of using or stay stuck in shame and guilt. This first part sets up a key question: how do you know when your anchor is helping you rest, and when it’s keeping you from growing?
Part two promises to look at the “winds in recovery”, but for now, this episode invites you to ask: what’s really holding you steady today—and is it still working for you?
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