New concept.

johnphilip19 · Veteran Member

New concept.

FlyingSquirrel · Senior Member

Limited access? Does that mean you try to avoid alcohol in any form, like having no mouthwash in the house or something?

I have been gone for a long time so I don't know your situation, whether you're going to meetings or have a "big book" - if you're trying to stay sober by avoiding alcohol, that brings to mind a passage in the book, p. 100:

"Assuming we are spiritually fit, we can do all sorts of things alcoholics are not supposed to do. People have said we must not go where liquor is served; we must not have it in our homes; we must shun friends who drink; we must avoid moving pictures which show drinking scenes; we must not go into bars; our friends must hide their bottles if we go to their houses; we mustn't think or be reminded about alcohol at all. Our experience shows that this is not necessarily so.

We meet these conditions every day. An alcoholic who cannot meet them, still has an alcoholic mind; there is something the matter with his spiritual status. His only chance for sobriety would be some place like the Greenland Ice Cap, and even there an Eskimo might turn up with a bottle of scotch and ruin everything! Ask any woman who has sent her husband to distant places on the theory he would escape the alcohol problem.

In our belief any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he may succeed for a time, but he usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed."

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

'Half measures availed us nothing.' Why bother being deceitful at all if you don't want to stop and don't want to commit to sobriety? Go to a meeting every day for 90 days, get a big book, a sponsor, and follow suggestions. Otherwise, this problem is going to continue as it has. My heart goes out to you but that is the way AA works and it does not work any other way. You don't have to continue this insanity.

Mark

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Hey JP,

I see that you're 19.5 years old, and we'd all like you to get sober and of course not drink at all. But I sure wish, that if you're going to drink, that you'd drink real booze and not denatured alcohol, before that stuff damages your brain or worse. Surely you must have a way of obtaining alcohol. When I was 15 I had my friends brothers DL, who's age was 21.
From about 10 years old on we were relying on friends older brothers to buy us beer and wine, which we kept in nearby creeks and enjoyed after school and weekends. I'm probably going to catch some heat for this but if you're going to drink, be smart about it. That denatured alcohol is eating your brain cells, is toxic and can kill you. We have a saying here "if you want to drink, that's your business, but if you want to get sober, that's our business." I think that we're not really sure which one it is for you. Can you explain?

-- Edited by StPeteDean on Wednesday 20th of January 2010 07:06:03 AM

Just Toni · MIP Old Timer

Hi There John,

And I ditto what Dean said, 100%. Even if you have to explain to your Stepmom, that what you are doing is poisoning yourself from a desperate compulsion for alcohol. The lesser of two evils, if you were my Son, for the time being, I would buy you a stash of beer.....then help you find a place to go to dry out, with a rehab stay.....

I went onto the NIH, National Institute of Health website, and did a search for the Poison Control Center: This is one link that you could call very automously, even if you feel safer calling from a phone booth, but what I sense is a real need, MORE than anything else is for YOU to understand the short and long term affects of these two things.....My Goodness, when I am at a Doctors office, and MUST use those hand sanitizers, there are so intense, and you can smell all the chemicals along with the alcohol that goes into them.....not for human consumption, ever~~~

So John, here's that link or hotline phone number, I Prayer that you will call and get the info you need to turn around your preoccupation with this self destructive mode....

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere
in the ... This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. ...

and just like Dean said, I might get booed by folks, just can only tell you how I see it, no one else's view.

I also see a pretty serious need to begin looking for a good therapist......and of course the Meetings, but I dont see you ever talking about getting in the Program. And I wonder at times, you must be screaming for help, I cannot think of any other reason you would be posting.....

Use that 1st Step, I am Powerless over Alcohol, mouthwash, hand sanitizer.....and my life is unmanageable? Does that sound like there might be some truth to the above Step.

My heart and my hands are really stretching out trying to reach you dear, hope some of this came through.....

Every single person on this Site, understands like the back of their own hands the Insanity of this Illness......it is just simply part of the cunning, baffling, and powerful part of continuing to drink when we already know that to continue to drink will lead to complete Insanity or death. And today can say that I have had many, many wonderful years of continuos Sobriety, when I simply surrendered to this AA concept, and the life saving 12 Step Program, just one day at a time, and it can be broken down into hours, minutes, seconds.....

You have heard of the Gift of Desperation, right, and I feel you are really pretty close to that Gift.....
Praying for you, John...

Hugs, Toni

-- Edited by Just Toni on Wednesday 20th of January 2010 01:28:01 PM

Dodsworth · Senior Member

If "limited access" meant anything, it would have manifested its worthwhileness in the fact that your access to REAL alcohol is already limited. Since that didn't work, I don't see the viability in this "concept". I can't imagine anyone really getting a good drunk on with hand sanitizer. Must be a pretty poor tradeoff- taste/effect..

Reffner · Senior Member

I have to agree with what everyone has said so far. It sounds to me like your looking for an "easier, softer way", and I can assure you there isn't one. It seems to me like your willing to go to any length to get your "fix" of alcohol. It's my experience that sobriety doesn't come until we are willing to go to any length to get it. I "dabbled" in AA for 5 years, and it was the worst 5 years of my drinking career. Nothing worse (in my opinion) than a head full of AA and a belly full of beer. AA ruined it for me every time. It sounds to me like your getting pretty close to your "stepping off point", if your not already there. No one can tell you what to do, and no one can do it for you. The place to start is step one.

Brian

Sobrietyspell · MIP Old Timer

*Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely*

Alcoholics Anonymous Pg 58 'How It Works'

Godbless you, John. I hope you will find us & try this program of abstinence. What I have been given in replacement of my alcohol problem is beyond my wildest dreams. I never knew I could be this peaceful for real, consistantly 1Day@aTime. Keep coming back, Danielle x