The ABCs of Recovery

[caressa]

A is for Anxiety. Stress was one of the excuses I used for using. The Twelve Steps took that away. My fear were replaced with faith.

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A is for Attitude. What do I need to change in my attitude to bering about spiritual healing.

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A is for Awareness. I need to be aware of my defects in order to change them. That is why I need to do an honest Step Four and Five.

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A is for Admittance. Admit to God, to myself and another human being the exact nature of my soul.

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A is for Atonement. Atonement is said to be the process of forgiving or pardoning a transgression. It is a process that allows me to heal and not make the same mistake again.

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A is for Acceptance. Accepting what is in the moment, knowing that it is always subject to change. I don't have to like it, I just have to accept and the change, the grieving and the processes will pass.

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A is for Alternative. I had to find an alternative way of dealing with my problems. Using was no more an option. I had to learn to deal with life's problems as they arose instead of stuffing them, burying them, or acting them out.

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B is for Beautiful. Through clean and sober eyes, I can see that I have a beautiful soul and can see the beauty in others.

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B is for Blessings. The blessing you receive from working the Steps is well worth the effort. No pain, no gain they say, yet the gifts are boundless.

[Lin]

B is for BIG BOOK. I'm ALanon, but reading the Big Book of AA really enlightened me.

LIN

[caressa]

B is for Boundaries. I need to set them, define them, and respect them for myself and others.

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C is for Caring. I share because I care. It is okay to be a caretaker as long as I remember to take care of myself first. I have nothing to give if I am running around on empty. All I have is a lot of hotair and fumes. You have to have it within to give it away.

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B is for Beginnings. Each day is a new beginning, so have a great one. Make it the first day of the rest of your life. Today is a new beginning for me. I am expecting new and better things after my operation.

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C is for Choices. I am given freedom of choice. How healthy are your choices? Do you do them for the good of the whole?

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C is for Character. We build stronger characters by working on our character defects. We turn them over to our Higher Power the same as we do our addiction and ask that they be removed.

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C is for Clairty. It is amazing how clear ones vision can be when we stop using. This is a disease of perception. When I clear away the wreckage of my past, I can see my life for what it was rather than the way I would have it be.

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D is for Denial. The blanket of denial comforts me until I can take it off and deal with the situation at hand. It doesn't mean I don't know it's there. It means that I acknowledge it and am saying not now, maybe later, but not in the moment I am not prepared to deal with it.

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D is for Detachment. This doesn't mean I don't love someone, it means I allow them to live their life and their choices, and I live mine.

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D is for Do. Easy Does It!....But DO It! I don't always have to be doing, it is alright to just be but I can't use that as an excuse to procrastinate. If the doing needs to be done, I often have to pray for the willingness to be willing to do!

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D is for Dilligent. I must be ever watchful of this disease. It is cunning, baffling and powerful and the only defense is a connection to my HP.