Cigarettes! Wow, that's great that you're kicking it. I had more trouble quitting those in some ways than in quitting drinking. I smoked at the very least 2 packs a day and that was on a good day. And I did that for about 30 years. I think part of the trouble quitting those is that with alcohol, I could hit bottom and know I was going to die for sure quicker than with cigarettes.

There were some old-timers in the meetings I was going to that told me not to worry about the cigarettes, sugar, coffee----just concentrate on staying sober. They suggested to me to tell my Higher Power that I couldn't quit on my own power and to turn it over to Him entirely. That if He wanted me to quit smoking, He'd have to take it because I couldn't do it myself and then to just puff 'em down and not worry about it. A couple of them said that's what they did and it worked for them. Following their suggestions about how they had stayed sober was working for me so I thought I'd try that, too. Well, sure enough, at 4 years sober, I had gone to my son's wedding, chain smoking just like always, then came home and laid down on the bed to read a book. All of a sudden, the thought entered my mind that I wasn't going to smoke anymore. Don't know where it came from other than my Higher Power because I sure didn't think it up myself! That was Nov. 12th, 1989 and I haven't smoked since! Not that I didn't want to---God knows I did want to for awhile! But I just didn't. You know how people have drinking dreams? Well, I have smoking dreams, but I know if I don't light up, I won't start smoking again, just like if I don't pick up a drink, I won't start drinking again.

I've always told that story to other people in the program who are talking about quitting and one of my good friends decided he'd try it, too. He did quit smoking alright. He sincerely told his Higher Power that he couldn't quit on his own and turned it over to Him to take it when and if He wanted him to stop. But his Higher Power allowed him to have a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery and that's how it was taken from him! We laughed about it later----you know how us alkies laugh at the worst things sometimes because we're not a glum lot-----but don't let my friend's experience scare you into not trying that method yourself if your patches don't work. I've shared it with a lot of people and nobody else who tried it had a heart attack so you're probably pretty safe.

As for sponsoring, the way I was taught was that you wait for someone to ask you. I guess it's not done like that in other places, maybe. But that doesn't mean you don't work with other alcoholics and give out your number. You do. You stay after meetings and talk to newcomers and get involved with service work and such----just make yourself available and interested and hand out your number. When your Higher Power is ready to teach you another lesson, He'll bring you someone to sponsor. LOL

I was also taught that you don't say "no" if asked to do something in AA and that's been real interesting in sponsoring people. Handing out your number can be a little disappointing till you find out how it works. I found it was a lot like handing out business cards. Most times nobody called but if I kept on doing it, sooner or later someone would. It wasn't that anything was wrong with me, though. It's just that either they never came back to meetings or else they didn't think they needed a sponsor yet. I don't know if my sponsees all stayed sober or not but I know I did and that's what we do it for, bottom line.

Helping someone quit smoking works also.  At my two year sobriety point I was ready to quit smoking.  I ended up volunteering with the American Cancer Society and I facilitated stop smoking clinics.

I do not know if anyone else was helped but it sure helped me.

Larry,
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"Change only happens when the pain of holding on is greater than the fear of letting go."

-- Edited by Larry_H on Sunday 28th of March 2010 04:44:05 PM