Spot on, Flying Squirrel!

Steve

that is awesome, i really like that, thank you

AGO wrote:

 

I have heard many old timers say that when refering to the difference between relapse and "more of the same", or just "more drinking", usually they are diferentiating the difference between a relapse and say a "slip" (sobriety loses it's priority)

The old term for someone who drank after working the steps was "relapse", that term has stuck with us, but was not applied to those who never had recovery in the first place, they were referred to as "slippers"

you can't have a relapse if you haven't had a recovery.

So the people who come in, don't drink and go to meetings, and do the 1 2 3 slip, 1 2 3 slip aren't relapsing, that becomes their drinking pattern, period of white knuckling followed by a spree, which is just "more of the same" as opposed to recovery

---

Ya, I kinda knew what he meant and left out the context - mainly because I wanted to focus on the positive.  If a person believes he/she has had a relapse, then he/she must also believe he/she has had a recovery.  In the case of the chronic slipper, whether or not the average old-timer would consider that to be true, perhaps the thought could give them the extra encouragement they need to finally break through to the next level.  In the case of someone who really did recover for a lengthy period of time, hopefully they can be inspired to begin again and look at the positive - which in this case is that they did recover for a certain period of time and that it can therefore happen again.

 

-- Edited by FlyingSquirrel on Tuesday 4th of May 2010 08:01:05 PM

FlyingSquirrel wrote:

---

 

AGO wrote:

 

I have heard many old timers say that when refering to the difference between relapse and "more of the same", or just "more drinking", usually they are diferentiating the difference between a relapse and say a "slip" (sobriety loses it's priority)

The old term for someone who drank after working the steps was "relapse", that term has stuck with us, but was not applied to those who never had recovery in the first place, they were referred to as "slippers"

you can't have a relapse if you haven't had a recovery.

So the people who come in, don't drink and go to meetings, and do the 1 2 3 slip, 1 2 3 slip aren't relapsing, that becomes their drinking pattern, period of white knuckling followed by a spree, which is just "more of the same" as opposed to recovery

---

Ya, I kinda knew what he meant and left out the context - mainly because I wanted to focus on the positive.  If a person believes he/she has had a relapse, then he/she must also believe he/she has had a recovery.  In the case of the chronic slipper, whether or not the average old-timer would consider that to be true, perhaps the thought could give them the extra encouragement they need to finally break through to the next level.  In the case of someone who really did recover for a lengthy period of time, hopefully they can be inspired to begin again and look at the positive - which in this case is that they did recover for a certain period of time and that it can therefore happen again.

 

-- Edited by FlyingSquirrel on Tuesday 4th of May 2010 08:01:05 PM

 

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Thanks Squirrel

Yeah it's like we hold out 2 hands

"On this path lies madness"

for that alcohol is the great persuader unfortunately, or fortunately, many of us need to be beaten into submission before we surrender and since "defiance is the outstanding characteristic of the alcoholic" it's amazing how much punishment we put ourselves through before we surrender.

and

"this way to happy, joyous and free"

All that is required is we follow a few simple rules, a price had to be paid, it meant destruction of self centeredness

Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness. Sometimes this was a tedious process; we hope no one else will prejudiced for as long as some of us were.

I used to bartend in sobriety and people who knew I had gotten sober would come up to me and explain their drinking, I would just say

"If you want to get sober meet me on these nights, if you want to get drunk, meet me at these nights, I will be equally happy to see you in either place"

People who were afraid I was evangalist didn't quite know what to make of that statement LoL

 

-- Edited by AGO on Tuesday 4th of May 2010 09:27:38 PM

AGO wrote:

---

 

FlyingSquirrel wrote:

---

 

AGO wrote:

 

I have heard many old timers say that when refering to the difference between relapse and "more of the same", or just "more drinking", usually they are diferentiating the difference between a relapse and say a "slip" (sobriety loses it's priority)

The old term for someone who drank after working the steps was "relapse", that term has stuck with us, but was not applied to those who never had recovery in the first place, they were referred to as "slippers"

you can't have a relapse if you haven't had a recovery.

So the people who come in, don't drink and go to meetings, and do the 1 2 3 slip, 1 2 3 slip aren't relapsing, that becomes their drinking pattern, period of white knuckling followed by a spree, which is just "more of the same" as opposed to recovery

---

Ya, I kinda knew what he meant and left out the context - mainly because I wanted to focus on the positive.  If a person believes he/she has had a relapse, then he/she must also believe he/she has had a recovery.  In the case of the chronic slipper, whether or not the average old-timer would consider that to be true, perhaps the thought could give them the extra encouragement they need to finally break through to the next level.  In the case of someone who really did recover for a lengthy period of time, hopefully they can be inspired to begin again and look at the positive - which in this case is that they did recover for a certain period of time and that it can therefore happen again.

 

-- Edited by FlyingSquirrel on Tuesday 4th of May 2010 08:01:05 PM

 

---

Thanks Squirrel

Yeah it's like we hold out 2 hands

"On this path lies madness"

for that alcohol is the great persuader unfortunately, or fortunately, many of us need to be beaten into submission before we surrender and since "defiance is the outstanding characteristic of the alcoholic" it's amazing how much punishment we put ourselves through before we surrender.

and

"this way to happy, joyous and free"

All that is required is we follow a few simple rules, a price had to be paid, it meant destruction of self centeredness

Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness. Sometimes this was a tedious process; we hope no one else will prejudiced for as long as some of us were.

I used to bartend in sobriety and people who knew I had gotten sober would come up to me and explain their drinking, I would just say

"If you want to get sober meet me on these nights, if you want to get drunk, meet me at these nights, I will be equally happy to see you in either place"

People who were afraid I was evangalist didn't quite know what to make of that statement LoL

 

-- Edited by AGO on Tuesday 4th of May 2010 09:27:38 PM

 

---

Now that it's mostly out that I'm sober, while on the job bartending, some co-workers often spend much time justifying and explaining their drinking.  I haven't had anyone say they want to stop, I'd love to use your words if they did.  I guess my abstaining makes them hyper-aware of their own drinking.  I get alternately very bored by this talk and feeling bad that maybe I am in a position to offer help, and don't.  I've held back and waiting for the moment someone actually asks for help or mentions a desire to stop.  Knowledge is freeing and painful.  Listening to their drinking thinking is a deterent.