Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

[okydoky]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Hi Friends,
I have just had a chance to look at this thread and there are definitely things here I needed to hear.
My sponsor gave me the tools to do step 4 over a week ago and every time I sit down to get started, I give up and walk away. But after reading this I know I need to take some ?vigorous action?.
I have also realized that in step 3 I only made the ?decision? to turn my will and life over. Following through with the steps are the tools that bring me to that ?spiritual awakening? promised in step 12.
I wish you all peace and serenity as you continue on this journey and remember, we are exactly where we are suppose to be today

[Kayla]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Hi everyone
Your support has really helped. I spent the morning wondering whether I would drink again today or not, and drawing upon all the reasons not to. Logging on here was one of my 'not to' support systems. I have only 3 more hours to get through before my husb is home so I think I can make it through today now - and the w/e is family time, so I should be okay. I literally had to stop myself going out today just in case ...

Y'day was hard but I feel like I have a bit of renewed hope today to get back on the path. There's a strong meeting tonight that I'll make the effort to go to.

As I said, sticking with you all ...

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Okey: Hi! For me, doing the work on the steps a little each day is a discipline I have to stick to. It's such a small thing that I do for my spiritual health. I must make myself do it...just like getting down on my knees each morning & night.

Kayla: It isn't easy to change that thinking about drinking...especially when there are problems happening. I haven't had any real AL thoughts or desires, but when I do, I just remember the awful part of drinking NOT the very temporary relief I felt when I took that first drink. Keep going to meetings...they tend to improve everything in my life.

Mary

[okydoky]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Mary, thank you for your encouragement!
Hang in there Kayla. I've had some tough times and going to meetings seemed to get me through them. Glad you're hanging in there with us as we all see the promises unfold

[okydoky]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Me again.....I just want to share how wonderful it is to have resentments replaced with love and compassion....

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Hi friends! Kayla I hope you made it through. Sometimes it feels so overwhelming. The struggle is worth it so please don't ever give up!

Mary, thank you for the reminder that AL is TEMPORARY relief only. Very brief. The AL causes whatever problems we are trying to escape from to just get worse. I'm so glad to have AL out of my life. I am determined to keep it that way!

Okey, you sound fabulous!!!! I am so happy for you and the incredible progress you are making in turning your life around. I appreciate your message about love and compassion as a great replacement for resentments. I have to admit I am really struggling still with the brother resentments. I need to do what the program recommends and do more praying for my brother. (funny how it only works if you actually take the recommended actions...... duh......)

The meeting this morning was humbling and truly amazing. One man who I've seen around but usually doesn't come to this particular meeting showed up. It's a Big Book Study so he waiting through all the opening stuff, then the reading of the material around the table, then the group discussion started. When it was his turn, he apologized for not staying on topic and said he really needed to talk about what was going on with him. His 27 year old brother (who has a wife and young child) was in a very serious dirt bike accident yesterday and is laying in intensive care in a coma with much damage to his head. He might die. He might live as a vegetable. The chance of a full recovery I guess is pretty slim at this piont. This man said "I am always told to believe that everything happens for a reason but I cannot possibly imagine the reason for this....." And of course he went on to describe more.

I wish there was some way I could describe the feedback (experience, strength, hope) that many wise people around the table gave him. Nobody gave false hope that his brother will live or die. But they offered HIM hope for getting through this terrible ordeal within himself and his family. The "emotional sobriety" and wisdom and compassion was completely beyond anything I have seen before in a room full of people. To the degree this man may have been considering tossing the towel in on sobriety, I think he left with many reasons not to. Okey it was the epitiomy of love and compassion. These people really are amazing and I will be a much better person walking this earth if I can develop a small fraction of what they have.

Beyond that, I'm left speechless today.

DG

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

DG: Many thanks for the story you told. I feel that in staying sober, I'm committing myself to feeling all my feelings...something I avoided through AL. If this young man hadn't come to this morning's meeting, he would never have gotten such an outpouring of love from all of you. What a gift in the middle of all this anguish. Mary

PS: I go to a small Sat. night meeting whenever I can. It's called "Burning Desire." Topics important to a the members are brought up & discussed. I like it.

[Winefree]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Doggygirl, thanks for that post. It is amazing how AA members support each other. Lots of times they get more from fellow AA'ers than they do their own family or friends.

I'll keep going back.

Winefree

[cpn1004]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Greetings to all. I made it through my first 4th of July AF since...gee....I don't know when.
Now off to the 630am meeting.
Happy Sunday everyone.
Love and Peace,
Phil

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Hi Mary - I hope you will tell us about the meeting last night. Sounds like a good one.

Hi WF! Me too - will keep goin' back.

Phil - :yougo::yougo::yougo::yougo::yougo::yougo: on your first sober 4th since....well....whenever. These are awesome milestones you are racking up! This one is deserving of the entire smilie ration for this post. WE CAN DO THIS!! I'm really happy for you!!

I'm off to the 7AM 12&12 today. Then to the gym. Guess I will save that part for the Daily thread!

Strength to all who might be struggling today with AL or with life or with both.

DG

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Hi Everyone: The Burning Desire meeting was very, very emotional. The topic was independence from AL. I didn't realize what a trigger 4th of July is for alcoholics. Being a solo drinker, my triggers are not as social as other members' triggers are. Anyhow, I can't tell you the depth of the gratitude people had for being sober on the 4th. It's quite a surprise seeing grown men cry tears of joy about their sobriety. Another theme of the meeting: Helping others. 3 of the members had done some important 12th step work & shared about it. It's a responsiblity that AAers take very seriously. I almost feel that this thread works that way a little. It might not actually bring people to AA, but it does explain the program.

Phil: I couldn't be happier for you. Keep going to meetings. That is an excellent way to stay sober. If you hear someone w/years of experience speak, & he sounds like he might gel w/you, perhaps you could ask about sponsorship. You're doing all the right things. Has your family noticed?

Mary

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Week of June 29 - July 5

Hello all!

Mary, that's an interesting point about triggers that may differ depending on whether we drank alone or with others. It wasn't always this way, but through the years I made the transition from always over drinking in the company of others (and going to great lengths to make sure there were plenty of "others" to drink with all the time) to drinking alone. Your post got me thinking about it. In the later years I actually hated holidays. Too many obligatory social events - many with family who either don't drink at all or truly drink normally. That meant I actually had to attempt to control my consumption (which I did an extremely poor job of). I prefered an average weekday with nothing special going on so I could drink in peace starting at whatever time I wanted and as much as I wanted. So that is the reason that a holiday like yesterday is not a big trigger for me. Mean time....it sounds like it was a very good meeting you attended. I too am sometimes amazed at the level of honest emotion displayed by so many of the men. It's a refreshing change from what I'm used to in my family (as one example) where "grown men don't cry" and silly stuff like that.

Today at the 12&12 we read and discussed tradition 5 "Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers." VERY interesting discussion. There were several people there today with many years in AA who have seen attitudes shift a bit about drug addiction / dual addiction and who had plenty to say on that subject. We also talked a lot about how wise Bill and Bob were to recognize the importance of a tradition which keeps the focus on the mission. Very interesting overall. Mary, I too was thinking that on some level this thread is a bit of Step 12 and has the Tradition 5 essence I think.

Anyway, good discussion as always! I really appreciate everyone who contributes to this thread whether it's daily or just occassionally. Looking forward to a fresh week!

DG