Hi. My Name is......

[justanobserver]

just posting a "hey" to all. still looking for a job. still clean and sober. some days are better than others but still still hangin in there!

wishin sobriety and sanity to all.

 

[Angeldove97]

just posting a "hey" to all. still looking for a job. still clean and sober. some days are better than others but still still hangin in there!

wishin sobriety and sanity to all.

I'm so proud of you!!!
Keep up the hard work and you're still very much in my prayers!

 

[MarkChristopher]

Good luck with your job search.

Keep up the good work on your aobriety.

MarkChristopher
(187 Day Sober!)

just posting a "hey" to all. still looking for a job. still clean and sober. some days are better than others but still still hangin in there!

wishin sobriety and sanity to all.

 

[Lily76_]

Am Ella & Am an Alcoholic

i stopped drinking about 3 years ago on my own
then 2 years ago i sliped and drank once
then i was free for 2 years
then last week i started to drink again
i was stressed due to moving house and upset about the flashback of abuse i was having

at the moment am 2 days sober

Ella x

 

[justanobserver]

Am Ella & Am an Alcoholic

i stopped drinking about 3 years ago on my own
then 2 years ago i sliped and drank once
then i was free for 2 years
then last week i started to drink again
i was stressed due to moving house and upset about the flashback of abuse i was having

at the moment am 2 days sober

Ella x

Hi Ella!!! welcome to the Recovery forum.

so, you got 2 days sobriety?? thats great! are you going to any meetings or have a sponsor/accountability partner you can talk to when the urge hits?

in the "Sticky" section in the Aclholc Abuse section here, there is several threads with info, links, etc that may be of use to you. the one with the links has web sites of different recovery sites, one which Celebrate recovery - i really recommend if you have one where you live, go check it out!

http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=6080657

I will be praying for you. My name is Norm and I am a recovering alcoholic.

 

[Lily76_]

I havent been a meet in the last few days as i have been feeling ill with other medical problems
i have

Ella

 

[devonian]

Hi, My name is Dev and I am a recovered alcoholic.

I often hear people say they are recovering, and seldom hear someone say they have recovered.

I just wanted to poll this group:
Of those who admit they are alcoholic and have any amount of sobriety, are you recovered, or are you recovering? If you are recovering, what is holding you back from being recovered?

 

[kanga22]

So you can casually have a drink with friends and not want more or eventually go on a binge? If this is true than maybe you abused alcohol, but you never had the disease of alcoholism. By saying you are "recovered" you are either fooling yourself and getting ready for a fall, or you are not an alcoholic.

I have been sober for one year, 5 months, and 3 days. I don't have the desire to drink (most of the time). And when I do wish that I could drink I know that I would fall into my old habits, and next time I might not make it through. Alcoholics are allergic to alcohol. It does something to our brains that it doesn't do to people who are able to take it, leave it, and drink it socially.

My name is Monica, a recovery alcoholic.

 

[kanga22]

How are you doing Ella? Hope all is going well. Do you have some support? People you can call if you can't get out of the house? I hope so. God bless.

 

[devonian]

Kanga,

I am not fooling myself. I know that I cannot have even one drink without having the "alergy" kick in and sending me on a binge, but alcoholism isnt only an alergy. It is also an obsession to want the first drink. This obsession can be overcome, the alergy cannot.

I am sure there are many people who have the alergy, who for religious or other reasons, have never had a drink and never will. I doubt anyone would consider this person an alcoholic - a potential alcoholic maybe - but not an alcoholic. If a person can overcome the obsession to drink, why wouldnt we also be willing to say that they have recovered.

I refused to admit that I was an alcoholic for 10 years because I thought I would always be recovering. This was too depressing to consider, so I tried to beat the obsession through willpower, and inevitably failed. Some of the first AA meetings I went to, I was told that I would always be recovering. It was again so depressing that I almost quit going. It wasnt until someone showed me that AA teaches that I could be recovered, and that the condition of recovering is a temporary condition, not a permenant one. This is the hope that I was looking for, and since then, I have gone throught the 12 steps of recovery, and I now believe I have recovered.

 

[justanobserver]

So you can casually have a drink with friends and not want more or eventually go on a binge? If this is true than maybe you abused alcohol, but you never had the disease of alcoholism. By saying you are "recovered" you are either fooling yourself and getting ready for a fall, or you are not an alcoholic.

I have been sober for one year, 5 months, and 3 days. I don't have the desire to drink (most of the time). And when I do wish that I could drink I know that I would fall into my old habits, and next time I might not make it through. Alcoholics are allergic to alcohol. It does something to our brains that it doesn't do to people who are able to take it, leave it, and drink it socially.

My name is Monica, a recovery alcoholic.

I agree with what kanga sais but I also know those that have been cured/healed from alcoholism by God but they are the exception more so than the rule. Like christians that God has healed of cancer but there many that He did not and they passed on.

I been sober almost 4 yrs (this coming Sep), clean for almost 5 and I am still in recovery and unless God heals my disease like He does to some with cancer, etc, I will always be in recovery.

Hi. My name is Norm and I am a recovering alcoholic!

 

[justanobserver]

Hi, My name is Dev and I am a recovered alcoholic.

Hi Dev and welcome to the Recovery Forum!

 

[devonian]

Justanobserver,

Thank you for welcoming me to this forum, and thank you for starting this thread.

I been sober almost 4 yrs (this coming Sep), clean for almost 5 and I am still in recovery and unless God heals my disease like He does to some with cancer, etc, I will always be in recovery.

I wonder if we disagree on the definition of alcoholism. Is it physical only, or a combination of physical and mental abnormality?

I accept the AA assertion that the alcoholics "body is as abnormal as his mind". (The Doctors Opinion, Page xxvi). While AA has done wonders for making alcoholics aware of the abnormal body, too often, its message about the alcoholics abnormal mind has been downplayed.

I also accept their assertion that alcoholics can be recovered by curing the abnormal mind.
The title page of the big book says:
"The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism"

and the forward to the first edition says:
"To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book"

 

[kanga22]

Devonian,

I MAY have "recovered" from my mental obsession for alcohol (since I don't think about it all the time like I used to), and recovered my health from the abuse of it (I hope). But I don't think I want to consider myself recovered from alcohol because then I'll forget that I'm allergic to it. Maybe it's just a mind game I play with myself, but it works for me. If believing that you are recovered works for you, and you can remember to always refrain from it, then great!

Good luck in your non-alcoholic life.

 

[devonian]

Kanga,

I MAY have "recovered" from my mental obsession for alcohol (since I don't think about it all the time like I used to), and recovered my health from the abuse of it (I hope). But I don't think I want to consider myself recovered from alcohol because then I'll forget that I'm allergic to it. Maybe it's just a mind game I play with myself, but it works for me. If believing that you are recovered works for you, and you can remember to always refrain from it, then great!

I agree, and I think we agree in principle. Maybe I can convince you to say that "you have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body" (Forward to the First Edition) This seems to be consistent with what you wrote.

I think how we carry the message of hope to a suffering alcoholic might be a life and death issue for them.

Can you recall how hopeless you felt when you tried to give up alcohol, and repeatedly failed? I can, and some times I thought dying an alcoholic death would be easier than fighting it for the rest of my life. The term, "recovering", implies that they will be fighting alcohol forever. Thankfully this is not true, the obsession can be removed, with God's help. They just need to know what actions to take.

There are too many dying people out there, and I (we) know the solution, I want to make sure they get a message of hope, not a message of dispair. This is why I like to express that I have recovered.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the importance of remembering that we have an alergy, and that there is danger of relapsing if we forget. In Galatians 6:1-2, the bible asks us to carry each others burdens, help restore them, but warns us of the temptation.

 

[justanobserver]

Been sitting on my shame and embarracement that I gotta say it:

2 weekends ago, for every reason, no reason, good reason, bad reason, dont matter reason, I blew almost 4 yrs of being clean and sober.

please keep me in your prayers.

Recovery is truly one day at a time.

Norm

 

[kanga22]

Oh no Norm, I'm sorry that happened. I hope you aren't beating yourself up about it too much - although you did mention embarrassment and shame.

One thing I like about being sober is that I am forced to FACE things that I do, take responsibility for them, and be honest. That's what you need to do. You know I'm right, it's all you can do. Just be honest and accept what you chose to do. This doesn't mean you have to continue to do it.

Are you going to meetings? Have a sponsor right now? It's something to think about if you've slacked off in this area.

I'll be praying for you. I know you'll be fine - you have it in you to pick up and continue on the right path. Lean on God, He's there for you.

 

[devonian]

Sorry to hear that Norm. Alcohol is cunning, baffling, and powerful. When I relapsed, it was a good reminder that although I have recovered from a hopeless state of mind, daily maintenance of steps 10, 11, and 12 are critical for my ongoing sobriety.

 

[vja4Him]

Hey Norm -- You've found a safe haven for support and encouragement .... So, keep comin' back, it works if you work it, so work it cus your worth it! At one of the Celebrate Recovery meetings I attend, we always say either that little saying, or the Lord's Prayer.

I have a friend, L, who recently lost two years sobriety. He is coming with me and my son to Celebrate Recovery, and hopefully to 12x12 with me soon. I'm going to get another birthday card next month!

-- vja4Him (living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace -- James 1:2,3; Isaiah 26:3)

Been sitting on my shame and embarracement that I gotta say it:

2 weekends ago, for every reason, no reason, good reason, bad reason, dont matter reason, I blew almost 4 yrs of being clean and sober.

please keep me in your prayers.

Recovery is truly one day at a time.

Norm

 

[Vehementi Dominus]

Is it just me, or has anyone else ever wanted to go to an AA meeting, or similar, then afterwards, proclaim to the other attendees; "Ok, who's down wit' the pub? First round's on me!"