no words Monday

things to keep

My friend Mike sent this today.
what a powerful message for anyone;
and especially for us in recovery.

Though not always easy, it is becoming
simpler to see the glass as half full today.

Outlook is paramount when dealing with
life's ups and downs.

gratitude was the topic today;
I shared that I am grateful for
the patience to walk as far out
of the forest of addiction, that I
had progressed into.

it's uncanny that my last post
was titled, "things to avoid".

things to avoid

things for me to avoid;

romancing the high...or euphoric recall,
remembering only the fun, and exciting times.

negative nellies...those who just can't stop whining.

extremists...anyone too gung-ho on any cause

the "always happy" people...life just isn't that great all the time for anyone!

outbursts...the old reactive method of instantly lashing out

rushing...causes big trouble on the road(see above)

self-pity...just when you think nobody is worse off than you,
you watch the evening news.

egomania...a big problem for some alky's, and very self-destructive

over dependence on anyone...that includes spouses, sponsors, therapists, & clergy.

My keys to recovery

These are the keys I use to augment and reinforce my recovery;

1. Admitted I had progressed from moderate to heavy, to abuse
and finally to dependence on alcohol, resulting in my behavior to
become irrational and irresponsible.

2. Came to believe I could resist the impulse to drink, and
develop the ability to refrain from drinking.

3. Strove to maintain a balance between free will and
dictates of my conscience.

4. Took stock of my personality traits and habits and
how they related to the progression of my drinking.

5. Commenced to take whatever means necessary, to
address any underlying psychological or emotional issues,
that may have contributed to my addiction.

6. Having experienced gradual psychic and emotional
progress, I continued to address any traits which
needed improvement.

The use of these keys has yielded many positive changes
in how I view myself, and interact with those around me.

a snowbird in Arizona

its been since 2/4 that i have been away from connecticut
and the joys of freezing cold temps and slippery roads.
myself and those vacationing from michigan, iowa, Minnesota and
canada are labeled "snowbirds".

I do have the advantage of driving cars with arizona plates,
so i am spared the looks of disdain from some of the locals.

while i do experience some guilt that i am here and Deb
is back home running the sober house; I know Roger is
there as hands-on manager.

there is no shortage of meetings either; though the average
length of sobriety is over 20 years!

april 3rd we have a wedding to attend in las vegas.
gee, not too much drinking, gambling or showgirls there!

just another chance to observe those who can drink
safely; hopefully do just that, & without embarrassing
themselves in the process.

celebrity DUI

Dawn Wells, the actress who played Mary Ann on the television show "Gilligan's Island," has been sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation after police found marijuana in her car during a traffic stop. The 69-year-old actress will also have to pay a $410.50 fine under a plea agreement that dropped driving under the influence and possession of a
controlled substance charges.

famous folks never cease to amaze me with their antics.
so many rich celebs who can afford chauffeurs, insist on driving
drunk and high.

every day there is an athlete, actor, singer or politician busted
for endangering their life or the lives of others.

just another example of the non-discriminatory aspect of addiction.

honesty

honesty is among the most important facets of recovery.
in my many attempts at sobriety, I prided myself at the
level of veracity I came in with.

I guess much of that came from my upbringing and
having a good conscience.
the problem arose in the fact that my level of honesty
was clouded, when it came to being true to myself.

"little by slowly", as my friend Molly shares, is how the
alcohol haze dissipated, allowing me to see the deception
involved by omission, or selective memory loss.

being truthful in all my affairs is gratifying and calming.
there is no need to remember to tell the truth.

12 rewards of the steps

1. Hope instead of desperation.
2. Faith instead of despair.
3. Courage instead of fear.
4. Peace of mind instead of confusion.
5. Self-confidence instead of helplessness.
6. Self-respect instead of self-contempt.
7. The respect of others instead of their pity or contempt.
8. A clean conscience instead of a sense of guilt.
9. Real friendships instead of loneliness.
10. A clean pattern of life instead of a purposeless existence.
11. The love and understanding of our families instead of their doubts and fears.
12. The freedom of a happy life instead of the bondage of an alcoholic obsession.

friday

today the topic was step 3.
there were at least 50 people in the room.
in the time allotted, a majority of them were
able to share.
it occurred to me that back home in Ct.,
less than 20 would have been able to speak.
i surmise there is a level of fairness here among
the mostly retired group, that we don't have.

as for the step; i have no idea what God's will
is for me.
what i do know it is not to be unfaithful
unreliable
irresponsible
unhealthy

all the things i became, as the result of excessive drinking.
today i am able to balance free will with God's will, to the
best of my ability.

to be free

from glenda of "my sobriety space";

To Be Free This Day,
From the sickness of consumption
To Be Free This Day,
To think, feel, and function
To Be Free This Day,
From it's cunning control
To Be Free This Day,
To replenish my soul
To Be Free This Day,
Not to burden or blame
To Be Free This Day,
From the sorrow and pain
To Be Free This Day,
Is a blessing indeed
To Be Free This Day,
Is mine only need

a little inspiration and a reminder of the freedom
we can have today.

I am learning how to live in the present...
learn from the past,
and prepare for the future.

new cures for addiction?

from stanton peele;

Newsweek’s March 3 cover announces that new drugs are changing the way we fight addiction. This follows Time’s July 5, 2007 cover story on the same topic and New York Times Magazine’s June 25, 2006 story. We know two things – we haven’t licked addiction yet, and by the time the same story is repeated each year, everyone seems to have forgotten the previous one.

once again a media frenzy dispensing misinformation about the futile "war on drugs"

i'm unaware of any new drugs on the horizon that show any promise in combating
the ever increasing substance abuse problem in America.

now that 1 of every 100 Americans is in prison; a large percentage due to drug convictions,
is anyone in charge aware that incarceration is not the answer.

simple economics prove that for every dollar spent on treatment,
we save greatly on the reduced costs of crime, medical and enforcement outlays.

the future depends on proactive education and treatment; reduce the demand
for drugs by offering help rather than punishment.