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

[johnnyh]

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

ok. what the heck. let's break the rules :H Number 15 coming up in a minute.

[johnnyh]

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

15. 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.
4. Remember that the times you don't want a drink are the times in which to build up the strength not to take one when you do want it.
5. Develop and rehearse a daily plan of thinking and acting by which you will live the day without taking a drink, regardless of what may upset you or how hard the old urge for a drink may hit you.
6. Don't for a split second allow yourself to think: 'Isn't it a pity or a mean injustice that I can't take a drink like so-called normal people'.
7. Don't allow yourself to either think about or talk about any real or imgagined pleasure you once did get from drinking
8. Don't permit yourself to think a drink or two would make some bad situation better, or at least easier to live with. Substitute the thought : 'One drink will make it worse - One drink will mean a drunk.'
9. Minimise your situation. Others have greater problems, how joyful such people would be if their problem could be solved by just not taking one little drink today. Think gratefully how lucky you are to have so simple and small a problem.
10. Cultivate and woo enjoyment of sobriety.
a) how good it is to be free of shame and guilt
b) how good it is to be free of the consequences of a drunk just ended or of a coming drunk you've been never able to prevent before.
c) how good it is to be free of what people have been thinking and whispering about you, and of their mingled pity and contempt
d) How good it is to be free of fear.
11. Catalogue and RE-Catalogue the positive enjoyments of sobriety, such as:
a) The simple ability to sleep and eat properly; and wake up glad you're alive; glad you were sober yesterday; and glad you have the privilige of staying sober today
b) the ability to face whatever life may dish out, with peace of mind, self-respect, and full possession of all your faculties.
12. Cultivate a helpful association of ideas:
a) Associate a drink as being the single cause of all the misery, shame and fear you have ever known.
b) Associate a drink as bein the only thing that can destroy you newfound happiness, and take from you your self-respect and peace of mind.
13. Cultivate Grattitude:
a) Grattitude that so much can be yours for so small a price;
b) Grattitude that you can trade just one drink for all the happiness sobriety gives you.
c) Grattitude that MWO (AA) exists, and you found out about it in time.
d) Grattitude that you are an alcoholic, you are not a bad or wicked person, but you have been in the grip of a complusion.
e) Grattitude that since others have done it, you can in time bring it to pass that you will not want or miss the drink that you're doing without.
14. Seek out ways to help other alcoholics - and remember the first way to help others is to stay sober yourself.

15. And don't forget, when the heart is heavy and resistance is low, and the mind is troubled and confused, there is much comfort in a true and understanding friend standing by. You have that friend in MWO (AA).

[patrice]

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

Fantastic Johnny
Thank you over and over... so helpful
Patrice

[Beaches]

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

Wonderful, thank you again.

[Meech]

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

Hi Johnny

this has truly been one of my favorite and helpful threads! thank you so much. I will print out all 15 now and try to practice and recite them every day.

Very helpful. :h

[johnnyh]

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

Thank you Meech

How was your trip?!

[Meech]

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

Hi Johnny,

It was very very nice. Saw old friends from public and high school days. My kids played with a tonne of their cousins and had a blast. We had a great time on the beaches of Lake Ontario.

Back home to reality but it's good too. Enjoying a refreshing AF summery drink will read over my 15 points (thanks to you), lay my sober head on the pillow and will wake in the morning fresh and energized. Hope you have a great weekend.
Meechie

[tara1]

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

wonderful !!

this is just what I need at the moment, is it possible or how can I print this out ? so I can read it anywhere anytime I may feel that I am slipping

[johnnyh]

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

Hey Meech, that's fantastic, Glad you had such a fab time
And are happy back at home. I usually get depressed returning from holiday. It just sucks settling back into work ,etc. Then I really got to ask myself, what was the use of the holiday? I mean it's supposed to leave you feeling rejuvinated and happy?!

So glad you had a good time and are still enjoying it and lingering on the memory now

Also so glad the points are helping you.



Hey Tara, I would suggest copying the section, pasting it into a word document, etc?!

Otherwise you can also highlight the section you want to print, right click it and instruct to print, in the print menu that pops up you can select just to print the selection as opposed to the entire page.