Been listening again to one of my favorite AA speakers, Ray O'K and he really gave me insight...I'm one of those guys who'll never raise a word at a meeting, and can still be surprised with some of  behavior you get from folks who claim x amount of sobriety...such as, for example, when you get those guys who come in and complain in their shares about people not saying hi to them when they came in or about the room being too hot or too cold or whatever...or the guy who yells at some other guy that the other guy's disrupting the meeting by doing something and in so doing, disrupts the meeting.

Ray talks about this, and basically says that that sort of behaviour is described right at the beginning of the Big Book, in the Drs Opinion in the reference to the dry alkie being restlness, irritiable and discontented.

As Ray says, basically, when we're not working this programme, we will slip back into untreated alcoholism, the restlnessness irritibility and discontendness that comes with it and that pretty much means curtains sooner or later, either from picking up a drink or suicide.

So, in other words: that sort of behaviour is a virtual *certainty* in an alkie who's not drinking, and who's not working the steps of recovery.

Powerful. I really need to hang onto that, as it's a good reminder: if I don't work Steps 10-12 to the best of my ability, following the simple suggestions they make, then I'm right back there.

And if I do, then I won't be. :)

Steve

http://quietmindrecovery.org/AA/index.htm

Nice.

We can all mess up sometimes,but they are only moments from my day ! soon corrected.

We are not saints,so I just keep trying my best,that's been good enough so far, I can tend to get restlness, irritiable and discontented. But today I know that's when I am feeling tired. I also sometimes feel that everyone we know is out there having fun,enjoying life while I sit at home thinking poor me :( Yep I work on that's one a lot lol. And I know all I need to do is contact someone and pop out for the afternoon, this always helps. I then have my gratitude list to turn to and my inventory throughout my day, a few prayers of thanks...

Then an AA meeting soon sorts my stinking thinking :} I am not the sort that could go day's before making amends I never could I talk to much :}

Thanks for getting me thinking on this one Steve. :}

Polly.X

Steve,


Good stuff, Thanks for sharing. What came to mind when I read your post:

> Don't put anyone in AA on a pedistal, the program is perfect, it's people are not.

>Stick with the winners

>Be part of the solution

>Our drinking was but a symptom, we had to get down to causes and conditions

> I want all the AA program has to offer

> Our sobriety is contigent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition

>Restless, irritable and discontented= Jonesing=dry drunk