How Do We Stay Away From Drinking

[majestyjo]

From "How Do We Stay away from Drinking?" 

"We change ourselves, gradually, day 

to day. We help other alcoholics. And, 

by helping, we stay sober, sane and happy. 

For the first time in our lives, we've 

found real freedom. For we have broken 

out of the dim prison of alcoholic 

drinking that was closing in around us. 

Now we are free to discover who we are, 

who we hope to become, who we were meant 

to be." 

c. 1992, Young People and A.A. 

Always a good reminder, when you are hurting, get out of self, and help someone else.  Service was an important part of my recovery. I know I wouldn't have stayed sober without it.

Even if you aren't hurting, if you get a thought of someone, pick up the phone or say a prayer for them. Today, I called friend only to find that she was stressed and worried about her granddaughter who went into labour early.

I called my sister the yesterday who lived about 300 miles away from me, only to find that she had a really bad cold bordering on pneumonia. I try not to pooh who thoughts away these days, I try to offer them up in prayer, and when able, follow them up with action.

Attachments:

[majestyjo]

For me it was, don't pick up just for today, go to meetings, get a sponsor, get a group, and get active in that group. It was important to get phone numbers and build a support group. I couldn't do it alone and I had to learn to pick up the phone in good times as well as in the not so good times.

I had to fill the hours with positive things. Go out in nature. Go to the library. Go to the coffee shop with recovery friends, not hang around with friends who were still using. I even had to detach from family for a while. I loved them dearly but.... My sobriety had to come first. Without that, I had nothing. Using was not an option, for me to use was to die. I had to give up everything, pill (for some of my friends pot) and food maintenance to stay sober didn't work. A drug is a drug and it takes you back to your drug of choice. The drug is but a symptom of my disease, the problem is me. As the slogan in Al-Anon says, "Let it begin with me." When I started looking at my issues, instead of those of the people, places, and things around me, I started to heal.

As the picture indicates, willing to go to any lengths and do what ever it takes to stay clean and sober in today.

[majestyjo]

One of the ways to help stay sober is to read the literature that is available. There is the Big Book, the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, the pamphlets, and other books like Living Sober, Came to Believe, As Bill Sees It, and so much more.

This applies to all fellowships, plus spiritual literature of your own personal faith. One old timer told me that the Big Book was his Bible and he didn't want to hear anything about religion. While others are brought back to the religion that they had left behind as a result of their alcoholism and addiction.

[majestyjo]