What Do I Accept?

[caressa]

What do I Accept?

1. Do I accept I have an addiction to substances?
2. Do I accept my addiction is a disease, that cannot be cured?
3. Do I accept that all mood altering substances are all equally bad for me because of my disease of addiction?
4. Do I accept I cannot change past events that happened to me or my past actions?
5. Do I accept I cannot control other people?
6. Do I accept that I am responsible for the effort I put into my recovery and my life, but I cannot control the outcomes?
7. Do I accept that bad things do happen to people in recovery?
8. Do I accept that there is no situation, good or bad , that a drink or drug won't make worse
9. Do I accept that if I do not change my thinking and my attitude, my recovery may be at risk?
10. Do I accept that if I keep doing what I did, I'll keep getting what I got?
11. Do I accept that when I am drinking or using I become a slave to the alcohol or drugs and it is my master?
12. Do I accept that I can learn something from every situation good or bad if I am open to learning?
13. Do I accept that recovery is hard work and requires rigorous honesty?
14. Do I accept that the 12 steps (of any of our programs) work if I work the steps?
15. Do I accept suggestions?
16. Do I accept I cannot control situations or people , but I can control how I respond to them
17. Do I accept that recovery needs to be the number 1 priority in my life?
18. Do I accept that I have choices today and I need to accept the consequences of my choices?
19. Do I accept there are always excuses to use or drink but they are all lies I tell to myself
20. Do I accept that when I was drinking or using my Higher Power was drugs and alcohol (gambling, sex, food etc)
21. Do I accept that if I continue to drink or drug my options in life are" insanity, jail, or death?
22. Do I accept that I am responsible for my own recovery, others may help , but the responsibility is mine?

by. Del Larkin

I had to accept that I used people, places and things, and that the substance was but a symptom of my disease, the problem was me. It didn't matter what I picked up or what or who I used, it was me who had the dis-ease and it was me looking outside of myself, trying to make me feel better. I am grateful for the 12 Step programs that allow me to heal from the use of ALL substance and aspects of my dis-ease.

I had to accept that ALL substances cause the same defects of character and shortcomings, no matter what I use(d), I have to accept my powerless and turn it all over to the God of my understanding, surrender and through my Higher Power, I am empowered to stay clean and sober just for today.

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[caressa]

My denial was always about alcohol. This helped me to see that I used alcohol the same as I used other substances in my life.

From Alkie Speaks:

I realized I had a body which can't tolerate alcohol, which is OK. except that I had a mind that can't leave it alone. I'd always said that I could take it or leave it alone - I couldn't do either.

- Doug D.

Because I had a high tolerance for alcohol, I thought I wasn't an alcoholic. I labelled my dad and my ex-husband as alcohlics because they passed out, fell down, staggered, were violent, couldn't walk or drive a straight line. I once said to my dad, "You drove in that condition?" He had just come from his girlfriend's. He looked at me and said, "Well I certainly couldn't walk and proceeded to fall flat on his face and I had to help him to bed.

The reality was that I could match them drink for drink, drive them home, function and resented them for drinking all the booze, before they passed out. I wanted to party and there wasn't much for me. That is when I started hiding my booze. I couldn't have consumed all that liquor and been sober although I never saw myself as drunk. There was only a couple of times that I recall taking the stairs on my hands and knees.

My son says he never saw me drunk, which means he never saw me sober for most of his early years. He was 25 when I came into recovery.

When I saw myself in my dream, because I was wearing red high-heeled shoes and walking a straight line, I was sober. Then I saw myself in living color and saw the person I changed into when I did drink. It wasn't what or how much I drank. It was what it did to me when I did drink it.

Like all drugs, I had the fear of running out, once I had some, I wanted more, thought of living without my crutch and my coping tool was too much to contemplate. I couldn't imagine not having a man in my life. I stayed in abusive relationships when I should have been long gone; yet I didn't feel I could be on my own and cope with life. I was waiting for the right moment to leave, and it never came.

I had to accept that I was an addict. I was always at dis-ease within myself and always looking for some person, place or thing to make me feel better.

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[caressa]

November 11th

From Surrender To Acceptance

"We surrender quietly and let the God of our understanding take care of us."
Basic Text p. 26

Surrender and acceptance are like infatuation and love. Infatuation begins when we encounter someone special. Infatuation requires nothing but the acknowledgement of the object of our infatuation. For infatuation to become love, however, requires a great deal of effort. That initial connection must be slowly, patiently nurtured into a lasting, durable bond.

It's the same with surrender and acceptance. We surrender when we acknowledge our powerlessness. Slowly, we come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can give us the care we need. Surrender turns to acceptance when we let this Power into our lives. We examine ourselves and let our God see us as we are. Having allowed the God of our understanding access to the depths of ourselves, we accept more of God's care. We ask this Power to relieve us of our shortcomings and help us amend the wrongs we've done. Then, we embark on a new way of life, improving our conscious contact and accepting our Higher Power's continuing care, guidance, and strength.

Surrender, like infatuation, can be the beginning of a lifelong relationship. To turn surrender into acceptance, however, we must let the God of our understanding take care of us each day.

Just for today: My recovery is more than infatuation. I have surrendered. Today, I will nurture my conscious contact with my Higher Power and accept that Power's continuing care for me.

pg. 329

Doesn't get much better than that. Surrender to win! Surrender isn't giving up, it is giving over to the God of our understanding. When I turn it over, I know that comes my way is from my God, and I can accept it in the moment. It is always good to remember that I don't have to like it in order to accept it.

[caressa222]

Unless I find some kind of acceptance, I stay stuck. I don`t have to like it, I just have to accept it. Accept what is in the moment, knowing it is subject to change.