We had this 'new guy' at last night's meeting with about 2 weeks sober ... obviously he'd been to a few meetings ... I'd say he was in his early 20's ... Well, he shared last night because he said he was angry and his anxiety was getting the best of him ... he shared that he'd walked around all day thinking that he was doomed unless he went to AA for the rest of his life ... and this very thought was starting to paralyze him ... He said he hated to think that this is what he had to look forward to, 'no disrespect' ... ... ...
Well, there were several good shared responses to this ... yeah, you guessed it, Pappy got his 2 cents worth in too ...
Basically it was noted that none of us came here by choice, we were driven to these rooms under the lash of alcoholism ... we did not ask to have this disease nor did we invite it into our lives but we have it and therefore have come here to seek a solution to allow us to live with it ... much like the diabetic that is diagnosed with his disease and told that he will need to take insulin for the rest of his natural life ... the thought of having to prick your finger one or more times a day to monitor your blood/sugar AND give yourself injections and/or take pills for this condition is a lot to have to swallow, so to speak ... AND you have to do it the rest of your life ... the alternative is not pleasant ...
First of all, we don't have a clue to how long the 'rest of ours lives' will be ... yesterday is gone and tomorrow is yet unborn ... so 'TODAY' is the only day we can do anything about ... so 'today' I choose not to drink and to enjoy the company of my friends and AA family here in this meeting ... ergo, living 'one day at a time' ... today can be about as miserable or happy as I choose it to be ... it depends on my attitude ... it depends on how I choose to 'think' ...
Like diabetes, alcoholism, left untreated, causes a very slow and painful death ... there is no 'quality of life' unless we get our medicine ... the meetings are medicine to the alcoholic just like the insulin is medicine to the diabetic ... My oldest son is diabetic ... he has a regiment of things he must do daily ... without his insulin, his feet would start to swell up ... then the blood circulation would slowly stop to his feet and calf muscles, then gangrene would set in and he'd have to have his feet and possibly his legs amputated ... if he still went without his insulin, he'd die painfully ... It is no different for the alcoholic, the fellowship is our medicine ... we need it or we die ... it is rare for anyone to survive without it ...
You old timers know all of this already ... I just thought it would be good for the 'new-comers' to hear this ...
Love you guys and God Bless,
Pappy
-- Edited by Pythonpappy on Friday 7th of June 2013 07:02:08 AM
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Thanks Roger I love it. Too many think of the rest of their lives like some kind of impending doom. But like you said if we do what is needed we keep our disease in remission that life is good most times and great other times it's up to us which. Although I wish I wasn't an alcoholic I can think of many diseases that could be worse to have and to treat.
__________________
Tell me and I'll forget. Teach me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll learn.
yep, we all have choices and some of those choices involve attitude. as an alkie, i can look on the horrible side of anything very easily. it is my choice to dwell on the positive or negative. given the choice, i have found joy going to meetings and doing for others.... when i was miserable going to meetings and centered on myself, i relapsed. doing the steps and sharing with other AAs helped my attitude of gratiude grow. all i have is today, i can be positive or negative, i have the freedom of choice now. thanks for sharing.
It's definitely one of those situations where I think attitude will make all the difference in the world. There are times when I want to pound my fists and scream and shout because I wish that I could be "free" from the bondage of alcoholism and live like a "normal" person. And then there are times when I realize how much I am gaining by being in recovery - sobriety aside. I'm learning a LOT about myself, connecting with wonderful people, and growing spiritually in leaps and bounds. I definitely understand the angry place where the "new guy" was coming from, but I think that frustration is the precursor to admitting powerlessness. And, like others have said, there are lots of other diseases that I am perpetually thankful I don't have to deal with. At least the treatment for this particular one entails developing healthy relationships with good people. It could always be worse.
-Adam
__________________
When every situation which life can offer is turned to the profit of spiritual growth, no situation can really be a bad one.-Paul Brunton
A sponsor was called out for a 12th step call. The guy was in real bad shape - sitting alone in his apartment for days drinking. The sponsor decided his new to AA sponsee should come along with him on the call. The sponsee was new but willing and teachable, so he agreed.
They arrived at the apartment and upon entering the apartment they were taken aback by the odor of the piss stained couch. The room was empty expect for the guy, sitting on his filthy couch holding a bottle of booze in nothing but his ripped up dirty boxers.
When the sponsor greeted the drunk, he didn't look too interested - so the sponsee butted in saying "Hey man, I'm new here... and I don't know much... but I do know that if you don't quit drinking right now, you're going to lose ALL of this!
__________________
Thanks for everything. Peace and Love on your journey.
Thanks for that old saying ZZ ... my dad, God rest his soul, used to use that expression 'needing a checkup from the neck-up' ... hadn't heard that one in a long time ... thanks
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
"Well, he shared last night because he said he was angry and his anxiety was getting the best of him ... he shared that he'd walked around all day thinking that he was doomed unless he went to AA for the rest of his life ... and this very thought was starting to paralyze him ... He said he hated to think that this is what he had to look forward to, 'no disrespect' ... ...
I wouldn't know where to start with this scenerio except with the first step followed by the rest.
Funny thing, I was in my early 20's when I first walked into AA and I remember asking, How long so I need to come to these meetings? The wise codgers never really aswered the question they just smiled and told me one day at a time, and keep coming back to meetings.
I always seemed to get the perfect answer......
__________________
Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
, from the Neck-up
.