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15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

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    #1

    15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

    Hi guys,

    I've shared earlier today that I went to my first AA meeting today after being to close to slipping yesterday for comfort. After 3 months AF my sobriety is my highest goal and I need to throw everything at it I can to stay sober.

    I got one pamphlet in particular and had suggested to share some of it with you as it's highly relevant, interesteing, helpful and important. As it's quite an extensive pamphlet I though I'd post little bits at a time. Bite size Please feel free to comment and perhaps contribute towards this topic as well. I will post one or two points every day or so.

    I will today post the introduction to the flyer and the 1st point.

    THE UNAPPIEST person in the world is the chronic Alcoholic who has an insistent yearning to enjoy life as he once knew it, but cannot picture life without alcohol. He has a HEART-BREAKING OBSESSION that by some miracle of control he will be able to do so.

    SOBRIETY, THE MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION, is the most important thin in your life without exception. You may believe that your job, or your home life, or one of many other things come first; but consider, if you do not get sober and stay sober, chances are you won't have a job, a family, sanity, or even a life. If you are convinced that everything in life depends on your sobriety, you have just so much more chance of getting sober and staying sober. If you put other things first you are only hurting your chances.

    1. Cultivate continued acceptance of the fact that your choice is between unhappy, drunken drinking and doing without just one small drink.
    AF since 15th March 2010

    The journey is the goal. As long as you're fighting the good fight and you're not giving up on giving up, you're winning. It's not about how often you get knocked down, it's about how often you get up again. Sobriety the goal for sure. But striving to get to that goal is what it's about. Not getting there. Because the journey never ends. The journey is the goal.
    Tags: None
    #2
    15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

    thanks, great idea. i look forward to reading
    Today is the tomorrow i worried about yesterday and it turned out fine
    Keep passing the open windows

    Comment

      #3
      15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

      I actually wanted to type it all up. then actually only realised how extensive it is. Let's just say the first point is by far the shortest I would be sitting here for the next 2 hours and probably too much for most ppl's attention span to read through anyways Well I'm one of those ppl that likes things bite sized
      AF since 15th March 2010

      The journey is the goal. As long as you're fighting the good fight and you're not giving up on giving up, you're winning. It's not about how often you get knocked down, it's about how often you get up again. Sobriety the goal for sure. But striving to get to that goal is what it's about. Not getting there. Because the journey never ends. The journey is the goal.

      Comment

        #4
        15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

        Point 2

        Ok. ONe more point. IT's actually past bed time

        2. Cultivate enthusiastic gratitude that you have had the good fortune of finding out what was wrong with you before it was too late.
        AF since 15th March 2010

        The journey is the goal. As long as you're fighting the good fight and you're not giving up on giving up, you're winning. It's not about how often you get knocked down, it's about how often you get up again. Sobriety the goal for sure. But striving to get to that goal is what it's about. Not getting there. Because the journey never ends. The journey is the goal.

        Comment

          #5
          15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

          Thanks Johnny! I'm liking it already. I think it's an interesting idea to post a couple points a day so we can discuss them.

          While it took me a very long time to see and admit this truth, DRINKING had become my highest priority every day. I put drinking before my job, my marriage, my family, everything. For much of my drinking career, I started each day thinking about drinking. My day would either start with promises to myself that I WOULDN'T drink (hangover / guilt / remorse) or started with thoughts of when I would drink, what I would drink, etc. that day.

          I finally figured out that if I didn't want drinking to be my #1 priority any more, then sobriety has to be my top priority, period. The very hardest part was admitting to myself and eventually to others that drinking really HAD become that important to me.

          I really like point #1. A guy at a meeting one day said something that really stuck in my head. "I can either drink a little and give up EVERYTHING else, or I can give up one thing - alcohol - to HAVE everything else."

          It is still so hard for me to believe that I was well underway of giving up EVERYTHING for alcohol. That just shows me how insane this affliction / disease / obsession / addiction / whatever-you-like-to-call-it really is.

          DG
          Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
          Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

          One day at a time.

          Comment

            #6
            15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

            johnnyh;885436 wrote: Ok. ONe more point. IT's actually past bed time

            2. Cultivate enthusiastic gratitude that you have had the good fortune of finding out what was wrong with you before it was too late.
            Good one Johnny, thanks, Goodnight buddy :l
            "In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer ."
            AF - JAN 1st 2010
            NF - May 1996

            Comment

              #7
              15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

              johnnyh;885436 wrote: Ok. ONe more point. IT's actually past bed time

              2. Cultivate enthusiastic gratitude that you have had the good fortune of finding out what was wrong with you before it was too late.
              AMEN. I posted in the Weekly AA thread about a homeless man I have been lending a hand to this weekend. It is only by luck and God's grace that I am not in his shoes. He WILL die on the streets if he can't get sober. The odds are not stacked in his favor. But as a fellow alcoholic, I have to believe that as long as he is still breathing, there is a ray of hope.

              That could be any one of us. The elevator WILL go all the way to the bottom, regardless of who is on it. I am enthusiastically grateful that I stepped off in time. One day at a time.

              DG
              Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
              Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07

              One day at a time.

              Comment

                #8
                15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

                Thanks for the thread JohnnyH. Although sober over 13 months now, I still feel like that unhappiest person in the world. My heart keeps wishing I could drink like normal and be ok. I hope I can grieve and let go, but at this point I cannot.
                I am not thinking about drinking today, or tomorrow but sometime in the far off future. I know I have to let that go, but can't come to grips with it yet.

                I do go to AA, so I'll continue to go and take it ODAT.

                Looking forward to your continued sharing of the 15 points.

                Winefree

                Comment

                  #9
                  15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

                  Johnny H,

                  I love this thread. I will be following it closely. Love the first point especially.

                  Doggy Girl what you said above really struck me. I must re-read these posts. Great points.
                  "I can either drink a little and give up EVERYTHING else, or I can give up one thing - alcohol - to HAVE everything else."
                  That could be any one of us. The elevator WILL go all the way to the bottom, regardless of who is on it. I am enthusiastically grateful that I stepped off in time. One day at a time. So True!!!!!

                  Comment

                    #10
                    15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

                    Loving this Johnny, has the makings of a great thread whether or not you go to AA.

                    Fair Play x
                    "It's not your job to like me, it's mine!"

                    AF 10th May 2010
                    NF 12th May 2010

                    Comment

                      #11
                      15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

                      Doggygirl;885437 wrote: I really like point #1. A guy at a meeting one day said something that really stuck in my head. "I can either drink a little and give up EVERYTHING else, or I can give up one thing - alcohol - to HAVE everything else."
                      Wow. That's a great one. I might just adopt that into my signature

                      And how easy to fool ourselves into: but I just want that one drink. We've all had plenty experience with that. it's that very one drink that's the problem. Because it's what triggers all the other drinks that follow.

                      REgarding your second post. Absolutely. That's the most important point an Alcoholic can grasp. It is never too late. Never, never, never.

                      Winefree, that's exactly the point. It's not the future you got to worry about but today. To quote some further thing I've pickedup in AA litereature but a principle that is all to familiar to us.

                      Just for To-day I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do something for twelve hours that would appal me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
                      I might just copy paste that into todays ODAT thread as well.

                      Thanks hOney, Meech, Chillgirl and Spud
                      AF since 15th March 2010

                      The journey is the goal. As long as you're fighting the good fight and you're not giving up on giving up, you're winning. It's not about how often you get knocked down, it's about how often you get up again. Sobriety the goal for sure. But striving to get to that goal is what it's about. Not getting there. Because the journey never ends. The journey is the goal.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

                        3. Point

                        1. Cultivate continued acceptance of the fact that your choice is between unhappy, drunken drinking and doing without just one small drink.
                        2. Cultivate enthusiastic gratitude that you have had the good fortune of finding out what was wrong with you before it was too late.

                        3. EXPECT as being natural and inevitable, that for a period of time (and it may be a long one), you will recuringly experience.

                        (a) The conscious, nagging craving for a drink.
                        (b) The sudden, all but compelling impluse just to take a drink.
                        (c) The craving, not for a drinks as such, but for the soothing glow and warmth a drink or two once gave you.
                        AF since 15th March 2010

                        The journey is the goal. As long as you're fighting the good fight and you're not giving up on giving up, you're winning. It's not about how often you get knocked down, it's about how often you get up again. Sobriety the goal for sure. But striving to get to that goal is what it's about. Not getting there. Because the journey never ends. The journey is the goal.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

                          Great stuff Johnny. Thank you.

                          'I am part of all that I have met, yet all experience is an arch wherethro', gleams that untravelled world whose margins fade, forever and forever when I move'

                          Zen soul Warrior. Freedom today-

                          Comment

                            #14
                            15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

                            Great Johnny Please keep this going its so valuable for new ones like me

                            Comment

                              #15
                              15 Points to consider when confronted with the urge to take a Drink!

                              johnnyh;885766 wrote: 1. Cultivate continued acceptance of the fact that your choice is between unhappy, drunken drinking and doing without just one small drink.
                              2. Cultivate enthusiastic gratitude that you have had the good fortune of finding out what was wrong with you before it was too late.

                              3. EXPECT as being natural and inevitable, that for a period of time (and it may be a long one), you will recuringly experience.

                              (a) The conscious, nagging craving for a drink.
                              (b) The sudden, all but compelling impluse just to take a drink.
                              (c) The craving, not for a drinks as such, but for the soothing glow and warmth a drink or two once gave you.
                              point (c) is definately where my thoughts come in. itis very much in the past as all i get now off one or two drinks is the craving for more. one or two made me feel good so four or five will make me feel better. i think once yuo pass a certain point those days are gone for ever. so many times i really thought i just wanted one drink for that feeling and it always ended in a drunken binge. i think this is one of the big mourning issues for me.
                              Today is the tomorrow i worried about yesterday and it turned out fine
                              Keep passing the open windows

                              Comment

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