AMENDS THAT WERE IGNORED

jonijoni1 · MIP Old Timer

AMENDS THAT WERE IGNORED

Tipsy McStagger · Senior Member

"ambulance rides when I had no insurance"

See, if you married me and moved to Canada you would never have to worry about that again smile

You are a chick right?

soccermomusa34 · Member

I have not read the 12 steps just yet....but I did not realize the "credit" part i.e., paying off bills from the past were one of them. I was just thinking the same thing yesterday....I was laid off from corporate america and have been staying home with my son every since. I let MANY of my credit cards just go....without paying a penny. I have been considering how to crunch numbers to atleast attempt some resolution to my financial stress sitting on my shoulders...sort of haunting Me...

I realize I am new here, but your post was great and please know..you are not alone with the financial burden of guilt...

hmm

Jerry F · MIP Old Timer

Aloha Joni...Right on! The morning meeting is extended for me...on the 10th step
with the word "promptly" becoming the operative word for me as I gained distance
in recovery. I love to listen to justifications and compare them to the ones I used.
Soooo funny how they supported my procrastination and attempts to be "different"
than others...Actually I had come to the understanding working with my sponsor
what was actually going on and what was important to me...kinda like "having my
cake and eating it too." That ended once and for all when he guided me toward
financial responsibility and honestly (try that one all on the same foot) with one of
the banks I was manipulating. When I had paid what was due and straightened
out our agreement I had two dollars left in my pocket and feeling less than...
(humble?). He told me to give the two dollars to someone who needed it more
than I. "What the he**!! I thought and did that anyway." I found out what
the real lesson was after the two bucks had gone to someone more needy...this
is a spiritual program of recovery, only a spiritual one.

(((((hugs))))) smile

Jason J · Veteran Member

I heard something along these lines Tuesday in a meeting. A member of our group that is living in a sober group home had gotten an unexpected medical bill. Oregon Health Plan had covered his hospital stay but he forgot about the seperate ER visit that landed him there.

This guy who walks to meetings and is unemployed was thrilled when he took $50 he had saved and made his first payment on this debt. He said his reaction normally would have been to get mad, blame "the system" and ignore the bill but he was flying high from the good feeling he got from being responsible and taking care of his debt.

It is really encouraging to see this program at work.

Sobrietyspell · MIP Old Timer

Keep on climbing those spiritual echelons, Joni! We can't do it all at once & I believe some slowly & some quickly as we keep on digging, it keeps on getting better when more stuff comes up to keep us busy. It is progress & not perfection afterall. I'm sure a good chat with a trusted spiritual advisor or two will help you to plan in the best time & ways to settle this one. Keep on keeping on, my dear sister. Loving always, Danielle x

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

Yep. The good thing is you aren't paralyzed with fear by financial debts. It never says the financial insecurity will leave us due to working the program....just the fear of it right?

MDC · Senior Member

"ambulance rides when I had no insurance"

I actually had an ambulance ride, "out of network" (I was hit by a drunk driver, I was sober!?!) I always thought that was kind of funny. I told them next time I "decide to hit a drunk guy, " I'll call first.

There is alot to be said about personal responsibility. If you used the service, and didn't pay, everyone else has to pay more. I also understand many of these services are over priced, partly because other people haven't paid before... Most will settle for less, something is better than nothing, right??

As far as the steps go, you're way ahead of me, I'm still stuck somewhere between 1 and 2, but if you feel led to make amends to an institution, who may be leading you, a Higher Power, maybe? The other side, if I remember, you are in the health care field, (I may be wrong,) but perhaps that is part of your amends? Helping others as you were helped. Give it much prayer, I know you already have, but, more can't hurt...

MDC

Just Toni · MIP Old Timer

Hi There Joni,

Yep those "forgotten financial", and when they rear they head, we are faced with turning around and addressing them, just as you are.

My own experience was that is ver impersonal, well very personal to me, but I did manage to get through them.

And on that issue you mentioned, I had one similiar experience, where I did have the money, took it to the hospital, and attempted to get the finance Department to go back and retrieve those reconds, and they did, however they did refuse to accept the payment, as it was called a "Charge Off" and was washed off the books.
Marin County had this gigantic fund of Money that was just sitting there, from the Hill Burton Foundation, and Marin General owed a debt to this Foundation, they were the Foundation that funded, entirely, the first of two Cat Scan Machines and the Cost of these machines were very, very pricey when they were new to the Medical Profession, and they in turn said, write off the entire debt of $8 Million, with people that come in through the ER, that do not have money to pay for their ER Visit. Things have changed so much in this economy, who knows.

But you never know, if these debts go back a decade or so, you might get a surprise of it being "charged off" in the same manner.

Good luck on this, and coming clean with this financial stuff feels awesome, and let's us live more freely, in our little washed out consciousness, right???

Hugs to you, hope you have a wonderful week end Noodles.

Tonicakes

jonijoni1 · MIP Old Timer

Thanks, all, for telling me as you all see it, and not mincing words. I obviously do owe this stuff still, as it is still appearing and unresolved on my credit report. Time to get busy. Some of these are $200, some $700, and some $75. Think I will call first, and then send the $75 one first. Things could be a lot worse. All told we are talking about maybe $3,000? And to think, people are losing their homes, and tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, in debt.

Time for me to get busy.

And Tipsy, I am indeed a woman, and I now have insurance, but it is CRAP because they try to deny EVERYTHING, like a bunch of theiving bastards. I would much rather have the Canadian system, both from the standpoint of a nurse, and a patient!! Could me AND my hubby come to Canada and marry you, and get some decent medical insurance??? LOL

(Please, no political arguments, not in the mood)

Thanks again, all. I will let you know how taking this "first step in completing the ninth step" goes.

:o)