I am new here just saying Hi with the help of this fellowship I am coming up to my 1st birthday, in 20years the longest I have done is 3 days, I need this message board when times are hard, some days are, but the steps and you get me thru, keep me alive. Thanks. Nick
Wow Nick! Congrats! I certainly know that the 1st year is difficult, but wonderful at the same time (having just passed it a few months ago). It is elating. Only one word of advice...go with the feeling of gratitude and relief and keep it simple in the month after...I felt weird after 1 year...I was so focused on it that after it passed, I was like "now what?" Well, the now what is you continue to have a better life and keep changing and working the steps. That anniversary was awesome, but so is being sober a day at a time! Keep posting here :)
Mark
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
Welcome, Nick W! My boss is really into 'self-help' books and movies and stuff, and she recently netflixxed a movie about the most successful self-help programs and they talked about AA. They interviewed the current director of Hazelden in Minnesota and he said that the key to AA's success is 3-prong; 1) The accepting and supportive nature of the anonymous fellowship 2) The continuous mentorship through sponsor/sponsee relationships and 3) The freedom of the AA member to adopt accept a Higher Power of their own understanding.
Congrats on your first year! I'm in the throes of my first year and I've learned a lot! My longest stretch between re-lapses was 120 days. Now I'm on day 29 again. You're right about this forum being a god-send!
"Only one word of advice...go with the feeling of gratitude and relief and keep it simple in the month after...I felt weird after 1 year...I was so focused on it that after it passed, I was like "now what?" Well, the now what is you continue to have a better life and keep changing and working the steps."
I was exactly the same. I knew I had and can have a tendency to obsess about things and it was my then sponsor who reminded me of my 1 year birthday and bought me some chocolates to "celebrate" which I was pretty annoyed about ESPECIALLY since I had distinctly requested she doesn't make deal of my first year 'date' please.
Yes of course I had a rough idea more or less of the date I got sober (the month) and that's how I wanted it leaving.
We're all differerent and knowing that my AA birthday is sometime around February a day at a time.....just works for me. An exact date for me kind of scared me.
Probably get shouted at by some Oldtimers now! *giggle*
Ayup NIck, good to see another fellow tyke around the place. Sorry I didn't make the meeting this evening - after 4 hours ironing whilst watching darts, my back is complaining like hell, so a long soak in a hot bath with muscle relaxant in it is on the cards for tonight. Might get to Sunday afternoon mtg.
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Serenity is Wanting what you have, not having what you want
Always remember non-alcoholic beers are for NON-ALCOHOLICS
Haole la hanau Nick...That's from the Pacific Nation of Hawaii...Happy Birthday!! and I'm glad you checked in to let us in on it. We survive as others do also...at least that is only one of the reasons I keep coming back. I love the miracles!!
Wow!!!!!! thx to everyone for your kind words and support, I knew when I walked into the rooms of AA I was in the place I had been looking for 25 years. My sponsor, the 12 steps, traditions, the fellowship and the love. People who didnt know me wanted to help they understood they listened. In my first year for the 1st time I have been sober at my childrens birthdays boy at 21, girl at 17 they had their big prezzies but they got what money cant buy a sober dad!!!At xmas instead of being in a room full of drunks talking shite, I enroled to serve up xmas dinners at the local drop in centre and over new year, I had egg an chips for my xmas dinner when I got back, then off to an AA meeting brill.Ok some days are bad but now I have choices and learn to cope without vodka and special brew for breakfast.The band REM said in one of their songs"I will see you in heaven if you make the list" I have a chance now. Nick xxxxxx
I LOVE REM, especially that particular track. REM lyrics amaze me, how on earth can anyone come up with such obscure lyrics?? I think they ought to have had Michael Stipe singing on Cowells charity hit single 'Everybody Hurts'
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Serenity is Wanting what you have, not having what you want
Always remember non-alcoholic beers are for NON-ALCOHOLICS
Thanks for the welcome Carla that nice! I have choices today, a new life away from that hell. If someone told me when I first joined AA that I could do 1 week without a drink I would have laughed in their face, now here I am coming up to 1 year sober, its friends like you that keep me that way.Thanks Nick x
Too right Avril, when I first stopped drinking it was like pushing an elephant up the stairs, but its easy now as long as i do what i know is right every day. Thanks x Nick
Yep, being hugely active in AA does not support a lifestyle of drinking eh Nick? Life outside the rooms thereby becomes a little easier as time goes by. Things do sort of fall into place, even with all the ups and downs that are relatively inevitable. Once again, glad you are with us Nick.
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
which I was pretty annoyed about ESPECIALLY since I had distinctly requested she doesn't make deal of my first year 'date' please.
Won't be a first ! !