Step 1

[Pythonpappy]

We had a 1st timer at tonight's meeting ... this fellowship(group) did a 1st step meeting as we usually do in this circumstance ... For those of you out there who are trying to decide if you have a problem with alcohol or not, this may help you to decide ...

Basically;
We cannot or will not tell you that you're an alcoholic ... Only you have the power to make that judgement! ... This is a program based on 'total honesty' and it starts with your being 'honest' with yourself first ...

I compiled a little self-questionaire to help you decide:


If you've ever felt it necessary to hide some alcohol somewhere in the house (or at work) for easy access, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever driven across state (or county) lines to buy alcohol on Sunday, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had a couple of drinks prior to going to a party to loosen up, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever helped clean-up after a party and found it irresistable to not pour the half full glasses of booze down the drain and drank them instead, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever looked in the mirror in the morning and couldn't recognize who was staring back at you, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had to start the day with a drink to stop the 'shakes', you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever gotten behind the wheel of a car to drive after a few drinks because you knew you weren't impaired, you might be an alcoholic.

If you wake up in the morning with no memory of what happened the night or day before, you might be an alcoholic.

If you,ve ever found it necessary to take a piss in a very strange place, you might be an alcoholic.

I think you can see where this is going ... the list is endless ... and it doesn't take a 'rocket scientist' to clearly tell if one has a problem with alcohol or not ... If you think you do, then you're in the right place and you should seriously consider finding out what AA is all about ...

Get an AA Big Book and go to meetings ... find someone that's been around a while and sobriety looks good on them, and ask them to be your sponsor (men stick with men, and women stick with women) ...

If you stick around long enough, then you'll find a spiritual connection with God that surpasses that of most 'church-going' people ... You'll come to know a 'peace and serenity' in your life you never thought possible ... Situations you have difficulty handling now, will suddenly have clear solutions ... and the list goes on ...

AA and Al-Anon has not, never has, never will, impossible to, and cannot fail ... Provided you do what we tell you to do, the way we tell you to do it ...

Welcome to the open door of a new and fulfilling life you never knew existed ...


Love to all and God Bless,:42:
Pythonpappy

[Pythonpappy]

If you've ever felt it necessary to hide some alcohol somewhere in the house (or at work) for easy access, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever driven across state (or county) lines to buy alcohol on Sunday, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had a couple of drinks prior to going to a party to loosen up, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever helped clean-up after a party and found it irresistable to not pour the half full glasses of booze down the drain and drank them instead, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever looked in the mirror in the morning and couldn't recognize who was staring back at you, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had to start the day with a drink to stop the 'shakes', you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever gotten behind the wheel of a car to drive after a few drinks because you knew you weren't impaired, you might be an alcoholic.

If you wake up in the morning with no memory of what happened the night or day before, you might be an alcoholic.

If you,ve ever found it necessary to take a piss in a very strange place, you might be an alcoholic.

Love to all and God Bless,:42:
Pythonpappy


I invite YOU to add to the list .... Might be interesting to see how many we can come up with, huh! ...

If you've ever woke up in the morning with bruises that you can't explain or remember how you got them, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever tried to brush your teeth in the morning and just can't get your hand to cooperate, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever got up to go to the mailbox to get your mail and had to turn around and go sit down for a while cause you just were too tired to walk the 150 feet to get there, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever woke up and discovered you had to use the bathroom NOW and about killed yourself trying to get to the toilet and sometimes didn't make it, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had to fart and were afraid to because you might 'follow-thru' with more than just gas, you might be an alcoholic.


Let's keep it going ... I know you have something to add ...

God Bless,:42:
Pythonpappy

[schell08122008]

If you ever woke up in a pee soked bed you may be an alcoholic
If you had to carry a big cup around in the car to pee in you might be an alcoholic
If you had to stop your commute while driving to stop at a gas station to buy more liquor to make it the rest of the way home or down some in the bathroom you might be an alcoholic.
If you carried a stash in the morning in your carry bag to work to make it through the day you might be an alcoholic
If your breaks at work involved drinking in the bathroom, brushing your teeth, and thinking you still didn't reek like booze you might be an alcoholic

Peace Schell

[Pythonpappy]

A little self-questionaire to help you decide: (cont.)


If you've ever felt it necessary to hide some alcohol somewhere in the house (or at work) for easy access, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever driven across state (or county) lines to buy alcohol on Sunday, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had a couple of drinks prior to going to a party to loosen up, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever helped clean-up after a party and found it irresistable to not pour the half full glasses of booze down the drain and drank them instead, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever looked in the mirror in the morning and couldn't recognize who was staring back at you, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had to start the day with a drink to stop the 'shakes', you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever gotten behind the wheel of a car to drive after a few drinks because you knew you weren't impaired, you might be an alcoholic.

If you wake up in the morning with no memory of what happened the night or day before, you might be an alcoholic.

If you,ve ever found it necessary to take a piss in a very strange place, you might be an alcoholic.


If you've ever woke up in the morning with bruises that you can't explain or remember how you got them, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever tried to brush your teeth in the morning and just can't get your hand to cooperate, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever got up to go to the mailbox to get your mail and had to turn around and go sit down for a while cause you just were too tired to walk the 150 feet to get there, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever woke up and discovered you had to use the bathroom NOW and about killed yourself trying to get to the toilet and sometimes didn't make it, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had to fart and were afraid to because you might 'follow-thru' with more than just gas, you might be an alcoholic.


If you ever woke up in a pee soked bed you may be an alcoholic
If you had to carry a big cup around in the car to pee in you might be an alcoholic
If you had to stop your commute while driving to stop at a gas station to buy more liquor to make it the rest of the way home or down some in the bathroom you might be an alcoholic.
If you carried a stash in the morning in your carry bag to work to make it through the day you might be an alcoholic
If your breaks at work involved drinking in the bathroom, brushing your teeth, and thinking you still didn't reek like booze you might be an alcoholic

Peace Schell

If you've ever woke up in the morning with your mouth feeling like you just ate your pillow but your pillow is still there, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever got up off the couch to go fix something to eat and then decided it would affect your 'buzz' and decided to have another drink instead, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever got to the point that 'all' food tasted like 'cardboard' and checked your tongue in the mirror to find it pure 'white', you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever gone to the store for 'milk & bread' and couldn't remember why you were there and brought home a case of beer instead, you might be an alcoholic.


Let's keep it going!

[admin]

If you ever woke up in the morning and said, "What the he!! happened?" you might be an alcoholic.

If you ever drank on the job you might be an alcoholic.

If you ever threw cans of beer in the trash while you were drinking because you wanted to quit drinking and then dug them out the next day and drank them you might be an alcoholic.

If you ever came out of a blackout while driving your car and then totaled your car you might be an alcoholic.

If you ever made instant mash potatoes while you were drinking and added some more instant mash potatoes to the mix to make more but instead you added instant rice and figured nobody would notice you might be an alcoholic.

If you ever came out of a blackout and found yourself laying on the living room floor and found SP's (Security Police) all in your house and you didn't know why, you might be an alcoholic.

If you ever got stopped by the police in the middle of the night while drinking and driving, got taken to the police stationed, blew .17 and got a DWI, had your aunt, uncle and mom come pick you up and when you got home you got in your car and drove again while still intoxicated, you might be an alcoholic.

[schell08122008]

Going on your honeymoon to a dry county..(just great for an alcoholic)and having to drive 60 miles to Bowling Green to pick up a huge supply of booze to make it through..you must be an alcoholic.

Partying in the backyard with 18 year old neighbors cause it was so cool, passing out by the tree and coming to with chigger bits all over..you must be an alcoholic

Coming home at 4am and finding your cloths dumped in the driveway..wondering why someone would do this...you must be an alcoholic

Driving your car over a speed limit sign..flatening it..and then being thrilled your car still drove..you must be an alcoholic.

Peace Schell

[Pythonpappy]

If you've ever woke up in bed with someone, and couldn't remember their name, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever driven yourself to Rehab and they tested you at .38, you might have a drinking problem.

If you wake-up and your bedroom suddenly has steel bars for walls and you have 20 other people watching you go to the bathroom, you might be an alcoholic.

If you get up to go do some work and then think, I'll grap another beer and see if the urge(to work) passes, you might be an alcoholic ...

[admin]

If you've ever ridden with someone while you were drunk and you kept trying to jump out of the car while they were going 55 miles per hour and they had to stop and put you in between them and your mother to keep you from jumping out of the car then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever tripped and cut your head and were bleeding and kept on drinking and your boyfriend took you to his sister's house (you took your fifth with you) to try to get help convincing you that you need to go to the hospital but you leave walking on the road only to hear an ambulance coming down the road and yep they are coming for you then you might be an alcoholic. (Had to have 9 stitches.)

If you've ever broken your hand while you were drinking and you waited 8 days to have something done to it because it was turning a purplish blue color and swelling you might be an alcoholic. You drank all those days in between to the point where you felt no pain and then some.

If you've ever had someone color your hair while you both were drinking and you woke up and looked in the mirror and said oh my God, I am bald then you might be an alcoholic.

[Pythonpappy]

Bluidkiti, ... You were a BAD Mamajama ... (I'm in good company)

OKAY, I'm being reminded of some I'd forgotten ... Keep'm comin' ...

If you've ever speeded up the 'morning puking'(you know what I mean), so you could, get it over with, and then quickly wash out the taste by having a drink, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you have an allergy like, when you drink, you break-out in 'hand-cuffs', then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever gotten a DUI while riding your 'lawn-mower' you might be an alcoholic.


I know there's at least a couple hundred more(some of these are hilarious .... well uh ........ now that I'm sober I mean!) ... Love Ya'll,
Pappy

[Laura]

Have you ever "slept " outside waking up in the bushes, on the porch, in your neighbor's yard, or in another state without your vehicle? You might be alcoholic.

Have you ever fallen and hurt yourself but congratulated yourself that you didn't spill a drop of booze? You might be alcoholic.

Have you ever sucked spilled alcohol out of a bedspread before it drys? You might be alcoholic.

[Pythonpappy]

If you've ever spent four days in jail and got out and were drunk before you could get home, you might be an alcoholic.

If you ever reduced your car insurance to 'liability only' and within a month, totalled your vehicle, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever run-out of excuses as to why you couldn't come to work, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever backed your boat trailer on the ramp to take your boat out of the water, only to look over and watch your boat sinking below the water line, because you left the water running to fill up your 'live well' tank, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever been to a party and gotten on the table or a diving board, and yelled out, HEY EVERYBODY, watch this! ... You might be an alcoholic.


God Bless,
Pappy

[rjm]

If you have ever awaken with a poorly shaved head, laying in your own vomit, you might be an alcoholic.
If you have ever dropped a baby, you might be an alcoholic.
If you have ever had your wisdom teeth removed and drank double margaritas while on demoral to numb the pain, you might be alcoholic.
If your stag party turns into a three day bender, you might be an alcoholic.
If your wedding turns into a three day bender, you might be an alcoholic.
If your childs birthday party turns into a three day bender, you might be an alcoholic.
And to say we weren't a little insane? God bless AA.

[MajestyJo]

If you couldn't get to your appointment, although this time you promised.
If you called into work and said you were sick, only you didn't tell them it was the Legion Flu.
If you promised to be home for dinner, and you came home to a cold offering at 10 p.m.
If you came home and the door was locked and if you were lucky there was a pillow with the blanket on the front porch
If you got home and you had a coat on and it was your own, you were lucky.
If you came home and you had $20. of the weeks budget left in your pockets, there is a good chance you just might be an alcoholic.
If you got home and your wife and kids were still there, you were a very fortunate alcoholic.
If you woke up in the morning and you knew where your car was, you knew you stayed home last night and drank in the basement.

It isn't how much you drank, where you drank it, or what you did when you drank it, it was about what the drink did you you when you drank it, not what you did with the drink.

[Pythonpappy]

Ooooh, ooooh, ooooh, ... I thought of some more!!!


If you've ever found yourself tearing the house apart looking for that bottle you know you hid last month, but can't find it, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever hidden a bottle outside in the bushes or a nook in a tree, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever taken empty 'store bought water' bottles and filled them with clear liquor so that people driving up next to you will think you're just having a sip of water, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever been caught drinking 'mouthwash', you might be an alcoholic.

[admin]

If, after you quit drinking, you found alcohol hidden in your house that you had forgotten about, you might be an alcoholic.

If you, while drinking, decide to go to the liquor store to get more booze during a blizzard at night and discover that you can't get your car out because of the snow and your drinking buddy suggests you both walk to the liquor store and you both think this is a great idea, then you both might be an alcoholic. (Our husbands came outside to see what we were up to and wouldn't let us go.) LOL

If you, while drinking, tell your boyfriend you want out of the car and he lets you out and you wind up in the wrong side of town and after hours of walking trying to find the place you wanted to go to, you stop in a store only to be told that you shouldn't be in this part of town because you could get raped and/or killed then you might be an alcoholic. (Somewhere along the way I also bought some coke from some girl and did that.)

If no one invites you to their parties anymore even though you will bring your own booze then you might be an alcoholic.

If, while drinking in the middle of the night, you make phone calls to anyone that pops in your mind, then you might be an alcoholic.

If, while drinking in the middle of the night, you walk outside your apartment complex and anyone who has a light on at their house, you go knock on their door to visit because hey, they may be up and want to party, right? and you may not even know them then you might be an alcoholic.

[admin]

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired of drinking but can't seem to stop yourself from drinking then you might be an alcoholic.

If your husband asks why can't you just drink 1 or 2 beers and you say what's the point of that then you might be an alcoholic.

If you drink beer and start off with drinking a couple of 40s to get a good head start and hide the empty cans because you don't want anyone to know how much you are drinking and start drinking your regular 12 oz cans saying that is all you have had then you might be an alcoholic.

If you volunteer to make everyone's drinks and you chug the liquor bottle while doing so and no one is looking then you might be an alcoholic.

If you change from drinking liquor to drinking beer because you figure you can handle the beer better then you might be an alcoholic.

If you stub your toe while drunk and your foot turns black and blue and swells and you never go to a doctor then you might be an alcoholic. (I did this about 30 years ago and found out a few years ago that yep, I actually did chip a bone in that foot from stubbing my toe. I had to have an xray done for something else for my foot. The foot doctor the other day also saw this on the xray he did.)

[dwmoeller]

If you put on your winter coat for the first time of the winter season and find a bottle of booze in the pocket from last winter, you might be an alcoholic.

If after a night of partying, you wake up laying in your yard with rain hitting you in the face because you passed out before getting into the house and you are mad at your friends for not making sure you made it into the house, you might be an alcoholic.

If you pour whskey into a Coke bottle to hide that you are drinking, you might be an alcoholic.

If you drink peach flavored vodka (that was all there was to drink at the time) even though you hate the taste of peaches, you might be an alcoholic.

If you go to a party determined to drink socially and not get drunk, but end up drunk, you might be an alcoholic.

If you have a beer in the morning to get rid of your hangover, you might be an alcoholic.

[Pythonpappy]

Oh man, ... I'd forgotten some of these ... and I want to thank all of you for sharing ... I think it's good for me to remember the stupid things I did while drinking so as to keep in mind that part of my life I don't wish to return to ... Great stuff, keep'em coming when you think of them ....


If you've ever cut the end of your finger off with a 'box cutter' at work and had to have it 'burnt' to stop the bleeding, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever gotten impatient for a frozen brick of gumbo to 'boil-in-the-bag' and tried to fold it into the boiling water, only to have it 'snap' and douse your chest and abdomen with 'boiling water', and send you to the hospital with 2nd degree burns, you might be an alcoholic. (I almost lost a nipple in that one!)(yet I continued to drink ... hey, they gave me a lot of pain pills to boot!!!)

If you've ever been fishing and you set your pole down to get another beer and you turn back around just in time to watch your favorite 'rod-n-reel' take a nose dive off the boat, then you may drink too much.

If you've ever woke up on the couch and looked over at your 'coffee table' and the inlaid glass top is shattered and glass is everywhere and you have cuts and bruises on your arms, you've no memory of what happened, you definitely drink too much.

[admin]

If you ever tried setting the timer for like 30 minutes to an hour between your drinks/beer and you didn't even make it to 5 minutes after your last drink/beer then you might be an alcoholic.

If you ever drank your alcohol in a coffee cup hoping others wouldn't know you were drinking then you might be an alcoholic.

If you ever hid your alcohol in the bathroom, bedroom, or garage and chugged a few because you didn't want anyone to know you started back drinking then you might be an alcoholic. You suddenly have to go to the bathroom, in the bedroom or garage alot. I had tubs in my bedroom that I had clothes in and took the clothes out and hid my beer in there. To keep my beer cool, I would sit it on the vents for the AC. LOL I had stuff in front of the vents so no one could see the beer.

If you ever had your family get concerned about your drinking and get into your sh!t about your drinking and you denied that you didn't have a problem then you might be an alcoholic.

[Pythonpappy]

If you ever tried setting the timer for like 30 minutes to an hour between your drinks/beer and you didn't even make it to 5 minutes after your last drink/beer then you might be an alcoholic.


Bluidkiti,
Tell me you didn't actually do that!!! ... Well I never!(as my Mom would have said) ... You really ARE insane ... HeeeHeee (sorry, 'were')

After spending most the afternoon with my 'newbie', I was reminded of some early adventures in the sea of alcohol ...


If you've ever used a 'fake' I.D. to by beer, you might be headed for trouble.

If you've ever gotten drunk on 'Boones Farm' wine, you might be headed for trouble.

If you've ever went to bed and had to hold on for dear life for fear of falling off into the abyss (usually followed by emptying your stomach), you might be an alcoholic in the making ...


Love Ya and God Bless,:42:
Pappy

[Pythonpappy]

Just heard this on the late news ... This guy called his 'On-Star' service and told them he was too drunk to drive .... 'On-Star' gave the police his exact location!!!

The story prior to this one was a guy had a wreck, left his vehicle on foot, 'On Star' couldn't talk to him because he'd left the car, then 'On-Star' called and told the police about the accident and gave his exact location ... You guessed it, they found the guy close by and he was arrested for DUI ...


Boy ain't it great to be sober ???

[admin]

Bluidkiti, Tell me you didn't actually do that!!! ... Well I never!(as my Mom would have said) ... You really ARE insane ... HeeeHeee (sorry, 'were')

Yep - really did that.


When I first saw the word sanity in Step Two - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. - I thought well that would mean I was insane. I next thought to myself - I am NOT insane. I came to believe differently later on.

If you've ever gotten drunk on 'Boones Farm' wine, you might be headed for trouble.

If you've ever went to bed and had to hold on for dear life for fear of falling off into the abyss (usually followed by emptying your stomach), you might be an alcoholic in the making ...

Did both of those when I was in my teens.

If drinking is interfering with your work, you’re probably a heavy drinker. If work is interfering with your drinking, you’re probably an alcoholic. ~ Author Unknown

[admin]

Signs You Have A Drinking Problem...

You lose arguments with inanimate objects.
You have to hold onto the lawn to keep from falling off the earth.
Job interfering with your drinking.
Your doctor finds traces of blood in your alcohol stream.
The back of your head keeps getting hit by the toilet seat.
Sincerely believe alcohol to be the elusive 5th food group.
24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case - coincidence?? - I think not!
Two hands and just one mouth... - now that's a drinking problem!
When you can focus better with one eye closed.
The parking lot seems to have moved while you were in the bar.
Every person you see has an exact twin.
You fall off the floor...
Your twin sons are named Barley and Hops.
Hey, five beers has just as many calories as a burger, screw dinner!
The glass keeps missing your mouth!
Mosquitoes catch a buzz after attacking you.
Your idea of cutting back is less salt.
The whole bar says 'Hi' when you come in...
You think the four basic food groups are caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and women.
Every night you're beginning to find your roommate's cat more and more attractive.
Hi ocifer. I'm not under the affluence of incohol.
Don't recognize your partner unless seen through bottom of glass.
That damned pink elephant followed me home again.
You have a reserved parking space at the liquor store.
I'm as jober as a sudge.
You've fallen and you can't get up.
Hangovers become an attractive alternative lifestyle.
The shrubbery's drunk too, from frequent watering.

Found while surfing the internet

[admin]

When you can focus better with one eye closed.

Late at night when I would be drunk, my husband would go to bed and hand me the TV remote. Why? I don't know. I would be having double vision and have to close one eye to try to see the TV. Forget trying to use that TV Guide and seeing what was on TV. LOL

Hey, five beers has just as many calories as a burger, screw dinner!
If you would rather drink instead of eating, you might be an alcoholic.

If you see an insect in your drink and you drink it anyway thinking hey - protein! then you might be an alcoholic. I know I probably drank plenty of insects that I didn't see. LOL

[admin]

~ Alcohol Warnings ~

1. Consumption of alcohol may make you think you're whispering when you are not.
2. Consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like an idiot.
3. Consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell the same boring story over and over again.
4. Consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that people are really dying for you to telephone them at 4:00 in the morning.
5. Consumption of alcohol may cause you to roll over in the morning and see something really scary (whose species and/or name you can't remember).
6. Consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.

[Pythonpappy]

Bluidkiti, ...Will you slow down your posting ... or wait til a decent hour??? ... it's 1:21am here and I really need my beauty sleep .... Oh Lord, ................................It's just dawned on me that I'm addicted to your posts ..................

God, please grant me the power to hit the 'off' button ......:kiss:

[admin]

Bluidkiti, ...Will you slow down your posting ... or wait til a decent hour??? ... it's 1:21am here and I really need my beauty sleep .... Oh Lord, ................................It's just dawned on me that I'm addicted to your posts ..................

God, please grant me the power to hit the 'off' button ......:kiss:

:lol:

What can I say? I was asleep then the phone rang about 11pm last night and woke me up. I laid on the bed and I could hear someone talking very lightly. I thought it was the answering machine but it wasn't. It was my oldest daughter talking on her phone very loudly in the living room. I am half deaf so if I can hear them talking in my bedroom in the back of the house then they are talking way too loud. My husband was talking on our phone to his mom. That was who called. I did go back to bed sometime after 2am. So I took a break. :1: LOL

[schell08122008]

Relating again...my first drunk was on Boones Farm Wine...drank that like it was going out of style....beginning of alcoholism at 15.

Hiding beer in the bottom of the recylcing bin..great in fall beer stayed at the right temp.

Can relate going out to the garage to "do something" beer stash hidden in a box...shot gun a few get rid of the empties when nobody is home.

Went upstairs to pass out..and had to pee so bad I went into our unremodled bathroom where there was a hole where the toilet used to be..and peed in the open hole...when someone downstairs said they heard pee coming down the pipe and confronted me..I said not possible...must be an alcoholic!

Getting hired for a great job...drank Sparks every morning on my communte..ended up passing out at my desk and coming to having my supervisors surronding me! Got fired ..walked out for drinking on the job...definitely an alcoholic.


When everyone thought I stopped drinking, I was at a wedding..how could I not drink...I talked the bar tender that when I ordered a non alcoholic beer //that was a signal to pour me a real beer..I did get very drunk...must be an alcoholic.

Still on the non alcohol beer kick here....dumped out the stuff and filled the bottles with the real stuff! I thought I was being so cleaver...We alcoholic sure do have imagination.

Talking to people who are not there..I lived alone in a basement apartment and would wake myself up shouting at people...it scared me, but I would pass out again and in the morning had only vague rememberances of this occurrence...definitely an alcoholic.

As Bluidkiti said, work got in the way of my drinking...so I drank at work until they fired me...lost 6 jobs in a year due to this. Insane ...how could I even think I could last on a job drunk!

[marlene damore]

If you find yourself sitting in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous wondering how you have ended up here...congratulations, no doubt you are an alcoholic. And welcome to the solution.

[MajestyJo]

LOL! Sure wouldn't be there if I wasn't. I told myself I wasn't an alcoholic but knew I didn't want to go back to where I came from and alcohol was a part of it.

[Pythonpappy]

I Listened to an AA tape on the drive up to Nashville yesterday and got a couple more to post:



If you ever shot a .22 semi-auto rifle toward your family members just to scare them, because they were outside having 'fun' while you were drinking and depressed, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever given up on making breakfast, because you kept dropping the eggs on the floor, and decided the heck with it 'cause the eggs were squishing between you toes, and got another drink instead, then you might be an alcoholic.

If your spouse and kids won't let you shoot them and have removed all the 'firing pins' from all the guns in the house, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you go to the liquor store and are there waiting for them to 'open', more than once a week, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've lost the desire to bathe and find yourself being forced into the shower and soaped up and cleaned by your spouse or friend, then you might be an alcoholic.

If your spouse has to go get 'ice cold' water and douse your face with it to get you to wake up, you might have a problem with alcohol.

If you've ever jumped off a 40' cliff into a swimming hole without protecting your uh ......... uh ...... 'family parts', and find your uh .... 'jewels' somehow wound up in your throat and you had to be pulled out of the water by a friend in a boat, then you might be an alcoholic.(then spend the rest of the day barfing)



I know there's more to be added ..... think ....:162:

[admin]

If you always make sure you are stocked up on your alcohol of choice and it is only because you don't want to run out of booze for yourself to drink then you might be an alcoholic.

If your family asks you to at least please wait to start drinking each day until after your kids get home from school then you might be an alcoholic. It was very hard to do that and I was not always successful in doing that.

If you loose stuff while you're drinking and you don't want to ask anyone for help finding it because of what they might think and say then you might be an alcoholic.

If you drink alone alot then you might be an alcoholic. (I use to love George Thorogood's song I Drink Alone.)

If you don't have many clothes because you just don't care about what you wear because you only care about drinking then you might be an alcoholic.

[Pythonpappy]

Oh, bluidkiti, you reminded of another one or four:


If you are looking for something you need and run across a new tool, T-shirt, pair of shoes, or anything in a bag, where you bought something a long time ago and don't remember buying it, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you start accusing your spouse of hiding what your looking for, just to make you mad, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever thought, man, I've only got one case of beer left, better go pick up a few more cases for insurance, you might be an alcoholic.

If the Park Ranger taps on your truck window at 2am and says the park's been closed for hours and you have to leave, you might be an alcoholic.

[dwmoeller]

Here is a couple of scary driving in a black out incidents:

If you wake up the morning after a big drunk, look outside to see if your car is in the driveway because you can't remember driving home, you might be an alcoholic.

If you get lost driving from a party and don't realize that you are going the wrong direction until your 35 miles out of town out in the middle of nowhere, you might be an alcoholic.

[saved1]

We had a 1st timer at tonight's meeting ... this fellowship(group) did a 1st step meeting as we usually do in this circumstance ... For those of you out there who are trying to decide if you have a problem with alcohol or not, this may help you to decide ...

Basically;
We cannot or will not tell you that you're an alcoholic ... Only you have the power to make that judgement! ... This is a program based on 'total honesty' and it starts with your being 'honest' with yourself first ...

I compiled a little self-questionaire to help you decide:


If you've ever felt it necessary to hide some alcohol somewhere in the house (or at work) for easy access, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever driven across state (or county) lines to buy alcohol on Sunday, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had a couple of drinks prior to going to a party to loosen up, you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever helped clean-up after a party and found it irresistable to not pour the half full glasses of booze down the drain and drank them instead, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever looked in the mirror in the morning and couldn't recognize who was staring back at you, then you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever had to start the day with a drink to stop the 'shakes', you might be an alcoholic.

If you've ever gotten behind the wheel of a car to drive after a few drinks because you knew you weren't impaired, you might be an alcoholic.

If you wake up in the morning with no memory of what happened the night or day before, you might be an alcoholic.

If you,ve ever found it necessary to take a piss in a very strange place, you might be an alcoholic.

I think you can see where this is going ... the list is endless ... and it doesn't take a 'rocket scientist' to clearly tell if one has a problem with alcohol or not ... If you think you do, then you're in the right place and you should seriously consider finding out what AA is all about ...

Get an AA Big Book and go to meetings ... find someone that's been around a while and sobriety looks good on them, and ask them to be your sponsor (men stick with men, and women stick with women) ...

If you stick around long enough, then you'll find a spiritual connection with God that surpasses that of most 'church-going' people ... You'll come to know a 'peace and serenity' in your life you never thought possible ... Situations you have difficulty handling now, will suddenly have clear solutions ... and the list goes on ...

AA and Al-Anon has not, never has, never will, impossible to, and cannot fail ... Provided you do what we tell you to do, the way we tell you to do it ...

Welcome to the open door of a new and fulfilling life you never knew existed ...


Love to all and God Bless,:42:
Pythonpappy

:281:

[saved1]

I like to think about the 3rd step as a contract we sign with God. If you really want to get into the business of living this way of life, you’ve got to sign on the dotted line. And that involves agreeing to some rather hard terms and conditions. In the bit that follows, I’m going to describe these terms and conditions as plainly as possible.

I guess there are a lot of people who rush through step 3 and turn out alright anyway. They figure all you’ve got to do is repeat a few words out of the book and get on with the program. I’m sure this approach has worked fine for many alcoholics and addicts, all of whom get into the fine print of this thing later on. After all, you can’t stay sober too long without running into some trouble, and running into trouble means you got something more to learn about the terms of your contract with God.

I guess I’m the type who likes to know what he’s getting into on the front end.

Here’s the text of the 3rd step prayer as it appears in the Big Book:

God, I offer myself to thee
to build with me and do with me as thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do thy will.
Take away my difficulties that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of thy power, thy love, and thy way of life.
May I do thy will always.

Let’s take it a line at a time:

God, I offer myself to thee

The first line names the parties involved and establishes the relationship between the two. There is a God. And there is us. The relationship proposed is one of unconditional surrender of the second party to the first. We are to give ourselves over completely to God without hesitation or reservation.

There’s some fine print here, too: if we turn our selves over, then, by extension, we also turn over all the claims those selves make on the world. Anything and everything attached to the self we surrender becomes the property of God. All our time, relationships, money, possessions, health, habits, ambitions, choices, work, authority, intelligence, autonomy, freedom, creativity, free time, and anything else we got—all of it gets handed over.

God gets everything. We keep nothing.

to build with me and do with me as thou wilt.

This line extends the rights and powers granted to God. The first line gives God everything; this line gives God freedom to do whatever the hell he wants with what we turn over. More specifically, we agree to let God build with us, changing our attitudes, personalities, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs; and do with us, changing our behaviors, relationships, and routines. If you are fond of a particular idea of yourself, better give up on it now. Once you sign on to this way of life, everything will change.

Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do thy will.

This one describes what we get out of the deal: If we give God everything we’ve got, let God turn us into new people, and do whatever God wants us to do, then we will be freed from ourselves so that we can do an even better job of giving God everything, letting God change us, and doing whatever God wants.

Maybe this sounds like a tricky way of saying that we don’t get anything at all, but consider this: Either you really are trapped in yourself, in which case you will want the freedom of doing God’s will, or you really are not trapped, in which case you won’t.

Those of us who are trapped in ourselves know it because following our own will always leads to pain and loss and misery but we’re stuck following it anyway. So for us, it is a relief to know that we can surrender to God’s will and get a different result. Even if it does mean we’re going to change dramatically in ways we can’t predict or control.

Take away my difficulties that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of thy power, thy love, and thy way of life.

Many an alcoholic reading this prayer has heard and sincerely felt only four words: “Take away my difficulties.” By which they mean: “God, get me out of this one!” But the 3rd step is not a simple cry for help.

The “difficulties” here are not our broken families, our absent friends, our poverty, our legal problems, our health problems, and so on. Nor are these “difficulties” our drinking and drugging and lying and stealing and screwing around and whatever else we were up to. All these are only symptoms of a deeper problem. We really ought to read this line like so:

“Take away my self-will and selfishness, so I can show people that you have enough power and love to change their lives too.”

In this contract, we agree to let God fix us. And he’s going to do it by changing us so we aren’t ourselves anymore. And he’s going to do that so we can enjoy spending the rest of our lives inviting other people to experience the same change.

May I do thy will always.

This last line repeats our request for all of the above and adds one new twist: always. This contract is not a temporary arrangement, designed to help us get back on our feet. It is binding for the duration of our natural lives, and probably on beyond that if there is such a thing.

And so, the plain language disclosure version of the 3rd step ought to read something like this:

God, you can have me and you can have everything I’ve got.
You can change my life inside and out in anyway you want.
Please take my selfishness and self-will away, so that I can show people how powerful and loving you are, and how good your way of life is.
Help me stay surrendered to your will and active in the work of helping others for the rest of my life.

If you can say all that and mean it, you’re on the program. If you can’t, you ain’t. Simple as that.:162:

* God is not what you think :confused:
The via negativa is the “negative way” of getting to know God. It is the way of letting go. :undecided:

The basic assumption of this method is that God is much greater than anything we can imagine. As human beings of limited intelligence, we have a tendency to get attached to ideas of God that are far inferior to the reality of God.

Once we have an idea that works for us, we get lazy. We hang onto our idea, fixing it in place, and we start taking God for granted. We assume that our idea is good enough for practical purposes and do not bother to look any deeper into the truth.

Fixed ideas of God are like tranquilizers to the spiritual life—they slow everything down to a crawl and inhibit normal functioning. As soon as we think we know what something is, we stop paying attention to it. It is the same with our relationship to God.

Via negativa suggests that we be proactive and dump our intellectual baggage as soon as possible. Think of it as a third step for your concept of God.

Surrender to God all your ideas about God.
Once the mind is clear, we can experience God directly. No more big ideas getting in the way.

In via negativa, also called the apophatic tradition, people often create “definitions” of God that are simply a list of things that God is not. In these lists, the authors place ideas that the members of their faith tradition hold dear. The idea is to shake things up by poking at those ideas that are the most fixed in our minds.

What follows is an attempt to phrase an apophatic definition of God for Big Book folk. It’s short, and stands to be expanded, but it probably contains enough to get you started on the negative way. :undecided:

Take a deep breath.

Get centered.

Read out loud, if only in a whisper.

Read s-l-o-w-l-y.

If you find yourself wanting to defend a fixed idea, give it up.

Via Negativa for Big Book Folk

God is not a Higher Power.
God is not a psychic change.
God is not love, superhuman strength, and direction.
God is not the Great Reality deep down within us.
God is not Creative Intelligence, Universal Mind, or Spirit of Nature.
God is not Creator, nor is God Maker.
God is not Director, nor Principal, nor Father.

God is not a power that pulls chronic alcoholics back from the gates of death.

God is not everything, nor is God nothing.
God is not God as we understand him.

God is not freedom from mental obsession.
God is not a spiritual experience.

God is not a miracle of healing.
God is not the Presence of Infinite Power and Love.
God is not a Fellowship of the Spirit.
God is not the Road of Happy Destiny.

God is not a defense against the first drink.
:162:

1759

[MajestyJo]

Great share. So many people can think they can sit back, and let God or Jesus fix them, they did the work so I don't have to. I knew a young guy in CA who thought He could walk on water and didn't have to do nothing, it was all done for him. Unfortunately, he relapsed just after his one year. His sponsor relapsed at 7 years.

[saved1]

1863

When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice, you have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel the way I do, you are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.

LISTEN! All I asked was that you listen, not to talk or do, just hear me!

Advice is cheap, 25 cents will get me both Dear Abby and Billy Graham in the same newspaper.

I can do for myself, I am not helpless maybe discouraged and faltering, but not helpless.

When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.

But when you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you and get on about the business of understanding what's behind my irrational feeling. When that's clear, the answers are obvious and I don't need advice.

Irrational feelings make more sense when we understand what's behind them.

Perhaps that's why Prayer works, sometimes, for some people, because GOD is mute, and doesn't give advice and try to fix things. GOD just listens!

I already know the Spiritual Truth that the solution to all my problems lies within.

So, if I do hear GOD, it is a still, small voice from within myself, which, if I will but listen to it, gives me the answers that I am seeking.

Please just listen and hear me.

And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn and I'll listen to you.

Author Anonymous

1864

The Problem

Many of us felt inadequate, unworthy, alone, and afraid. Our insides never matched what we saw on the outsides of others. Early on, we came to feel disconnected -- from parents, from peers, from ourselves. We tuned out with drinking and fantasy. We plugged in by drinking in the pictures, the images, and pursuing the objects of our fantasies. We lusted for and wanted to be lusted after.

We became true addicts to our fantasies: drinking for more grandiose fantasy with and about self and/or to escape from our fantasies, leading to promiscuity, adultery, dependency relationships, and more fantasy. We got it through the eyes; we bought it, we sold it, we traded it, we gave it away. We were addicted to the intrigue, the tease, the forbidden. The only way we knew to be free of it was to do it. "Please connect with me and make me whole!" we cried with outstretched arms. Lusting after the Big Fix, we gave away our power to others.

This produced guilt, self-hatred, remorse, emptiness, and pain, and we were driven ever inward, away from reality, away from love and life, lost inside ourselves and the bottle.

Our addictions to fantasy and to alcohol made true intimacy impossible. We could never know real union with others because we were addicted to the unreal. We went for the "chemistry", the connection that had the "magic", because it by-passed intimacy, community and true union. Our alcoholic fantasies corrupted the real; lust killed love.

First alcoholics, then love and life cripples, we took from others to fill up what was lacking in ourselves. Conning ourselves time and again that the next "Big Fix" would save us, we were really losing our lives.

1865

"I'm not where I need to be"
I'M LOST!
I'VE GONE TO LOOK FOR MYSELF.
IF I SHOULD RETURN BEFORE I GET BACK,
PLEASE ASK ME TO WAIT !

Hey, You Drunks ... Do You Remember When??
We died of pneumonia in furnished rooms where they found us three days later when somebody complained about the smell.

We died against bridge abutments and nobody knew if it was suicide
and we probably didn't know either except in the sense that it was always suicide.

We died in hospitals, our stomachs huge, our livers distended and there was nothing they could do.

We died in cells, never knowing whether we were guilty or not.

We went to priests and ministers, they gave us pledges, they told us to pray, they told us to go and sin no more, but go. We tried and we died.

We died of overdoses, we died in bed (but usually not the Big Bed).

We died in straitjackets, in the DT's seeing God knows what, creeping skittering slithering shuffling things.

And you know what the worst thing was? The worst thing was that nobody ever believed how hard we tried.

We went to doctors and they gave us stuff to take that would make us sick when we drank, on a principle so crazy that it just might work, I guess, or maybe they just shook their heads and sent us to places like Dropkick Murphy's.

And when we got out we were hooked on the drugs they gave us, or maybe we lied to the doctors and they told us not to drink so much, just drink like me. And we tried, and we died.

We drowned in our own vomit or choked on it, our broken jaws wired shut.

We died playing Russian roulette and people thought we'd lost, but we knew better.

We died under the hoofs of horses, under the wheels of vehicles, under the knives and boot heels of our brother drunks.

We died in shame.

And you know, what was even worse was that we couldn't believe it ourselves, that we had tried.

We figured we just thought we tried, and we died believing that we hadn't tried, believing that we didn't know what it meant to try.

When we were desperate enough or hopeful or deluded or embattled enough to go for help, we went to people with letters after their names and prayed that they might have read the right books that had the right words in them, never suspecting the terrifying truth, that the right words, as simple as they were, had not been written yet.

We died falling off girders on high buildings, because of course ironworkers drink, of course they do.

We died with a shotgun in our mouth, or jumping off a bridge, and everybody knew it was suicide.

We died under the Southeast Expressway, with our hands tied behind us and a bullet in the back of our head, because this time the people that we disappointed were the wrong people.

We died in convulsions, or of "insult to the brain".

We died incontinent, and in disgrace, abandoned.

If we were women, we died degraded, because women have so much more to live up to.

We tried and we died and nobody cried. And the very worst thing was that for every one of us that died, there were another hundred of us, or another thousand, who wished that we could die, who went to sleep praying we would not have to wake up because what we were enduring was intolerable, and we knew in our hearts it wasn't ever gonna change.

1866

One day in a hospital room in New York City, one of us had what the books call a transforming spiritual experience, and he said to himself "I've got it," (No you haven't, you've only got part of it) "and I have to share it." (Now you've ALMOST got it!) and he kept trying to give it away, but we couldn't hear it. We tried and we died.

We died of one last cigarette, the comfort of its glowing in the dark. We passed out and the bed caught fire. They said we suffocated before our body burned, they said we never felt a thing. That was the best way, maybe, that we died, except sometimes we took our family with us.

And the man in New York was so sure he had it, he tried to love us into sobriety, but that didn't work either. Love confuses drunks and he tried and we still died.

One after another we got his hopes up and we broke his heart, because that's what we do.

And the worst thing was that every time we thought we knew what the worst thing was, something happened that was worse.

Until a day came in a hotel lobby and it wasn't in Rome, or Jerusalem, or Mecca or even Dublin, or South Boston, it was in Akron, Ohio, of all places.

A day came when the man said, "I have to find a drunk because I need him more than he needs me." (YES, NOW you've got it!!!).

And the transmission line, after all those years, was open. The transmission line was open. And now we don't go to priests, and we don't go to doctors and people with letters after their names.

We come to people who have been there, done that. We come to each other.

1867

“Sacrifice”
A fellow at a meeting was "grousing" about what he had to "sacrifice" to go to meetings to get his court slip signed and how hard it was to take an hour out of each day to do this... How it took time away from his family and the effort required of him to explain to his employer why he had to take time from work to do this. etc...etc.

The first meaning one encounters when looking up this word is from the Latin, to "make holy (sacred)". The second definition is "the surrender of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing value."

We alcoholics have a definite relationship with both meanings. But we must put the second definition first and come to realize that "the thing" we are gaining by "our sacrifice," "our surrender," is of far greater value than what we have "given up".

For alcoholics, it's a spiritual axiom that we must give up the physical to attain the spiritual. And we need to recognize the danger in reversing that process. How many have gone back to the bottle by not sacrificing a little time attending meetings???

In a nutshell, this is why we go to meetings ---- to be of service to others, to work with other alcoholics, to sacrifice a little time from the pursuit of physical things, making the time holy, to gain the spiritual, the much greater value.

Step Zero.
*Gotta plug the jug
*Gotta dump the gear
*Gotta flush the prescription pills
*Gotta leave the ganga if you're anything like me.
Because for me it's not that I can't ever use drugs again - of course I can - it's that I never HAVE TO.
(SHARE)Barefoot.:281:

1868

[Pythonpappy]

WOW saved1, ...

This one post says/has a 'mountain lode' of good info ... it brings into consciousness the observations that so often take us years to see ...

R.e. Listening w/o advice in return .... I heard it stated in a meeting one time that if we'd just spend ONE day, outside the rooms, listening to everyone we came in contact with, for exactly how many times the person or persons we talk to, ASK for our advice ... ??? ... If we were to do this, the average times we are actually asked for advice is usually always zero ... or close to it ... The exception of course, is in the rooms of AA where a lot of us are there to learn and do, in fact, ask for advice ... But I was amazed to see how life outside of AA does indeed go on without concern for how we think things ought to be ... It was one great lesson for me ...

Your section above called 'The Problem' ... I agree ... But simply put, we succumb to the very nature of 'mankind' ... with no regard for our spiritual being ... And then as you posted, we become lost ...

Then you stated that there is a solution by which we work with each other ... You know as well as I ... That the 'Good Book' states that 'where there are two or more of you gathered together in my name, there am I also' ... (i think that's pretty close) ... SO is it any wonder that together when we share a spiritual based conversation on our problems with drugs/alcohol that we find the power and strength to live the day without using? ... I don't wonder about this power anymore, I feel where this power comes from and I've seen it work miracles with hopeless cases, me being one of them ...

Sacrifice ??? ... For me, I feel little actual 'sacrifice' of my time to go to meetings and work with others ... For me, I feel it a privilege in many ways ... Oh, there are times when a 'new' sponsee comes along where I make ever effort to do the 90-in-90 with him, but still, it seems to always do more for me than it does for them ... Sacrifice??? ... I'm at the point in my recovery that I rarely feel that I'm actually giving up more than I will receive by going to meetings ... I mean, so I miss a TV show, or perhaps a dinner with the wife (she loves my sobriety and doesn't feel it a sacrifice either when I need to choose a meeting over some other event) ... so I have to put off finishing a project or reading a book to make a meeting ... big deal, I can resume the next day if I'm blessed enough to get one ...

Overall, your post above, is a great post ... Love Ya man, and for what you do for this site ... :1:

Take Care and God Bless,:42: :11:
Pappy

[saved1]

Pappy,
Thank you for your interactive intuitive post, your loving/compassionate reflections reinforce The Power of community/fellowship. :85:
The Spirit of Hope/prosperity is reflected in your word, despair is only a state or condition of the mind. :15:
The world is full of band-aid concepts, deceit and deception, it is very easy to fall off the path and not even realize it, thanks to a higher power, Wisdom exists "The Good News" is, we can choose to benefit from it. :1:
Their is another way to live in this world after-all, in spit of worldly popular opinion. :281:

1873

[Pythonpappy]

Right back at ya saved1 ...

Pappy

[schell08122008]

These posts were absolutely amazing and really hit hard..thank you for the insights into this disease Saved and Pappy. Saved I am going to archive this in my email account..I don't want to ever forget this. My sponsor once told me , when I made an excuse for not going to meetings: "How often did you drink/drug? Every day, I would answer, Well then, my suggestion is to attend a meeting every day" I have never forgotten that..After all, I always, had time/made time to obtain my alcohol and drugs..no matter what..an hour or so to attend a meeting that will definitely save my life??? That is a drop of water into the pot I used to fill with my addictions. I feel it when I am not in a good place spiritually, i.e. I tend to give advice rather than listen, my head spins, I avoid talking to people in the program, and going to meetings. I never avoid speaking to God, but I find my mind drifting. My disease speaks loud at these times!! I am here!!! I am waiting!! God also speaks loud.."you know what to do, you have seen the miracles I have performed in your life, the only way you will continue to feel my presence in your life is to follow Me" Saved, I have come so close to those things you mentioned in your post..needed to read that part. May I listen today. Peace, and God Bless you , Schell:11:

[Pythonpappy]

These posts were absolutely amazing and really hit hard..thank you for the insights into this disease Saved and Pappy. Saved I am going to archive this in my email account..I don't want to ever forget this. My sponsor once told me , when I made an excuse for not going to meetings: "How often did you drink/drug? Every day, I would answer, Well then, my suggestion is to attend a meeting every day" I have never forgotten that..After all, I always, had time/made time to obtain my alcohol and drugs..no matter what..an hour or so to attend a meeting that will definitely save my life??? That is a drop of water into the pot I used to fill with my addictions. I feel it when I am not in a good place spiritually, i.e. I tend to give advice rather than listen, my head spins, I avoid talking to people in the program, and going to meetings. I never avoid speaking to God, but I find my mind drifting. My disease speaks loud at these times!! I am here!!! I am waiting!! God also speaks loud.."you know what to do, you have seen the miracles I have performed in your life, the only way you will continue to feel my presence in your life is to follow Me" Saved, I have come so close to those things you mentioned in your post..needed to read that part. May I listen today. Peace, and God Bless you , Schell:11:

Very well stated Schell ... I get where you're coming from, cause I've been where you were ...

Wow, that has a nice ring to it, ha! ...

Love Ya and God Bless,:42:
Pappy

[MajestyJo]

It was because I too was told, how often did you use, that I went to two meetings a day for two years. Going back was not an option. I had to fill up that empty space and time with something, I chose meetings. Many hung around coffee shops, but I chose to go home and had recovery friends in my home or visited with the girls who I graduated treatment with. From the very beginning, my life has always been full of recovery and recovery talk.

[Mountainman]

Liquor ceased to be a luxury; it became a necessity

[dwmoeller]

You may be an alcoholic if you hate peach flavored stuff and the only booze left in the house is Peach flavored vodka and you drink it.

[Pythonpappy]

You may be an alcoholic if you hate peach flavored stuff and the only booze left in the house is Peach flavored vodka and you drink it.

Dave, ...

I believe this stuff is the absolutely worst stuff I ever put in my mouth ... Gee, thanks a lot for making me sit here and gag for a moment ... :eek:

[MajestyJo]

A real remember when, a few months before I went into treatment, I was trying my way. My way was more pills and less alcohol. I met my sister and her husband at the bowling alley. I decided to have a drink while I waited for them. I had a Peach Snappes. I can remember thinking, "Gee I am glad I didn't find this stuff earlier, I might have liked it too much." I always remember the time I got SCHNAPPED on Peppermint Schnaps. There was only two drinks missing out of the 26er before I started drinking it with 7 UP. The guy who owned the bottle always reminded me of the time I got snapped on schanps. I love peach pie. I also liked cherry pie. I hated Cherry Brandy which was my first drink after I got married. Our landlady brought it out to toast our wedding day. In hindsight it was a good indicator that the wedding was a big mistake.

[schell08122008]

Great reminder everyone of no matter how aweful it tastes..its the fact we are getting our booze into us that counts . This reminds me of the days of Sparks..energy drink with high alcohol content..the can was huge and just looked like an energy drink..It was aweful!!!! But I thought, "well, now I can drink on the way to work (driving) and the cops will just think I am drinking an energy drink" boy those messed me up..and I really mean they were awful! So, again, its not what I drank but the thinking that went before it..the ism of this disease is alive and well..Today, I find comfort in my higher power, peace in the fellowship and strength in sharing my deepest thoughts and feelings with someone I trust in the program. Peace Schell

[dwmoeller]

We are describing "Powerlessness" as Step 1 says, We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.

[MajestyJo]

It was difficult for me to understand the word and what it meant. It wasn't until I substituted the word 'control' in place of it after hearing someone say, if you have to control it, it is already out of control. Control is an illusion.

My power over alcohol was an illusion. It spoke for me. It told me lies that I believed. It told me to do things and I did. A lot of justification and rationalization as to why I was right and you were wrong.

It is a disease of perception. It is a disease of reflection. It is a disease that is cunning, baffling and powerful. My life is unmanageable when managed by me.

[MajestyJo]

Posted from another site several years ago, it is nice that recovery never wears out and is just as true in today, with a little bit more awareness as a result of having already been there.

Over the holiday, I have become so aware of how "powerless" I am over so many things. The person who thought she was "in control" and in hindsight, it is really laughable. What an illusion! I can't always control my own feelings, let alone people, places and things.

When I get honest, surrender to the fact that I am powerless (for me I have always substituted the word control because it has always been such a big issue with me), and accept the nature of my dis-ease.

NOT just with alcohol and drugs, but food, friends and family, work, and life in general, just does not go my way, and I don't have the power to change anyone else but myself. Yet, without my Higher Power, I can not even do that, and until I surrender, I am unable to manage my own life.

I have surrender the situation to my Higher Power, and in today, I know He is the Master Physician. He answers my prayer. I went to a Holistic Center, and felt much better.

At the center I go to, they use several alternative medicines and forms of healing. Reiki, Shamanism, Reflexology, Tapping, Accupressure Points, etc. The man I see knows the name of every muscle and tissue in the body, and is a big supporter of naturapathic products. He says doctors have a justification for everything, and he thinks there is a cure for everything if you have a healthy body, mind and spirit.

Like our program, which is mental, emotional, spiritual and physical, he believes wounds, traumas, accidental incidents, etc. all need to be healed on all levels. Each scar has many layers, and I know this is very true for me in regard to a lot of my past issues and experiences.

i.e. Husband #2 trying to choke me and other physical violence during my seven year marriage, including the emotional and mental trauma in both marriages, having a birthmark removed at a year old then back in the hospital because I was badly burnt at eighteen months, our house struck by lightening when I was five, the four rapes and sexual molestation by a doctor, shingles, tonsils, appendix, gall bladder, and other operations I have had over the years, etc.

It seems like the body remembers even if we don't want to and try to shut off or shut down. Mental and emotional baggage can make itself know physical in many ways and in many areas and visa versa.

[MajestyJo]

was sick and tired of being sick and tired when I came into recovery, I was even in denial about being an alcoholic, I just kept coming because I didn't want to go back to where I came from. I just didn't pick up and kept coming.

I haven't had a drinking and drugging problem for twenty years. That doesn't mean I am cured. You can only do the first half of Step One 100%, the second half of Step One can come into play when I don't work the rest of the Steps.

The program applies to all areas of my life. It works for me for all aspects of my life, my chronic pain, my family, my eating disorder, my relationships, etc.

For me, I have daily reprieve, contingent on my spiritual condition, one day at a time. There is also a difference between being sober and having sobriety.

Seven years of recovery was a big spiritual awakening for me. My life changed drastically from that time onward. Maybe it was because I finally admitted men weren't my problem, it was me, and it was safe to pick one up! One is good, more is better. I finished relapse #5 three years ago!

How important it is for me to look at Step One at the start of a new day. Just for today, I am powerless over people, places and things, and my life is unmanageable, when managed by me.

I don't feel like picking up that drink and drug, but I do have a lot of feelings and emotions that have evolved into a big package of stress which has triggered my fibromyalgia.

The biggest issue is my anger. It isn't from in today, but things in today trigger the feeling. I realized that I had been trying to control the emotions and not letting them go instead of expressing them and letting them go. I started shutting down at three years old, so I have had fifty-nine years of stuffing and not feeling. It wasn't until I quit smoking five years ago that a lot of feelings and memories surfaced for me. Along with the anger was abandonment, rejection, hurt and the ability to have fun, to just let go and enjoy myself.

When we stuff we end up shutting down the positive as well as the negative feelings.

I had a friend phone me last night, and as we share she said, "Well you aren't going to want to hear this..." and she was right! There is still a lot of my past lurking over my shoulder, and I won't find freedom and complete forgiveness until I can let it all go.

I have to feel the feeling in order to let it go, and I finally figured out it was I was fighting; mostly myself.

A few days ago I did a Step Seven with the God who I have come to understand and turned the defects of character into His care, and since then the postings I have needed to read, the people who had the help I needed, the e-mails in my mailboxes, and the songs on the radio have all carried the message I needed to heal. One day at a time, I know I will heal and it is in God's time, His care, and in His way.

I have an eye infection so I have been isolated, which I am sure is His way of say, "Take time and deal with this!

Thanks for letting me share.

[tomsteve]

i have to work hard sometimes at keepin it simple. how simple? well, if a newcomer can relate to anything said at a meeting, or, if they decide to pick up the BB and can relate to anything in it. theres a high probability they have a problem amd they might be an alcoholic.