The most important factor for me, beyond traditional 12 step work, is what I call 'sustained recovery'. It's the part of me that is actively pursuing a better life despite many years of continuous sobriety.
Self searching is also very important. It helps me create a new vision for sobriety. It can also help me identify and eliminate all those' potential' landmines that caused me to relapse in the first place.
As far as the eleventh month goes, well, to me it's just another day on the calendar. Like I stated earlier; as long as we remain diligent, and pursue sobriety with the same passion as we do life itself, then sobriety will hold no bounds despite the occasional hiccup or two. And with that kind of humility, anything is possible. Congrats on your 11th month.
-- Edited by Mr_David on Saturday 5th of October 2013 10:45:20 PM
Hello MIP-ers. My question today is: how did you feel when you were closing in on your first year of sobriety? Were there new challenges that arose? Did you feel great? Not great?
I feel kind of... mixed. A big mixed bag. Would love to hear some ESH.
This will be a time to look over step 1 and not drink no matter what, just like in the beginning. For the next couple of months, you'll get to learn a lot - as much if not more as the first month all over again. I see people drink at this time - so just don't drink and count your blessings often : )
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Thanks for everything. Peace and Love on your journey.
I like what both Tasha and Mike said ... and I would simply say that my sponsor said about the same thing when I reached the 1 year mark ... He said that it is a 'One Day at a Time' program, not 1 year at a time ... and that I should repeat the 1st step because when I receive my 1 year medallion, I need to see that as a reason to 'rededicate' myself to the program ... he said think of it as a 'white' chip ... and surrender all over again ...
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
The struggles I had for 1st couple years was continually breaking away from my old lifestyle,people,places and things.I was still playing drums in a rock band,people were still using,I was constantly reevaluating my journey.From partying with the band I was now part of a mens group at my church,I began my martial arts training,marathon running,hunting club affiliation,substituting one situation for another,leaning to more positive then negative activities from my lifestyle standpoint.I ended up kind of recluse for awhile(you know people all around but just not in touch) bottom line I knew from over 25 years of use and abuse I couldn't pick up..WE had our 3rd and fourth child in 86 and 88 2 and 4 years after my surrender and that set me on another path of parenting and seeking to be better than I was for my children born in 65 and 67...I truly did live a day at a time,kept close to my support group,applied the Solution ,slowly but deliberately into all areas of my life with my God's grace and mercy and moved forward growing and remaining teachable to the best of my ability...To this day I am humbled and grateful that I was allowed to seek LIFE as many of my posse didn't make it....The early years just took place with devotion to ensuring I would do whatever it took to remain free of active addiction..Every day WE are all newcomers,,its the only day WE have so I just continue to seek that fit spiritual condition and the rest is worked out...God bless your journey,,each and everyday FREE from the chains of our illness.....
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Selfishness-self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Hey, I'm still in my ninth month, so i hadn't got experience with a year . But my recovery till now, wasn't fun at all.
One sister, at the begining told me that I must be "lonely" to feel the real emptiness and after that to feel God, no matter if there is this H.A.L.T. And she said "That's gonna hurt!"
I cut off my relationships with anyone, so my focus was only in my recovery. Now I'm starting, step by step to comunicate with other people - from university, neighbours and so on.
Well i was talking before, too but only - Hi, how are you? And that's all.
I was talking only with 3-4 recovered alcoholics and my sponsor told me that I must be really careful with people in AA and to be really careful for codependency at all.
I lost trust in my sponsor at one time, because i decided that she wants to take away from me my happiness (my old idea for happiness), and I decided that she some kind of betraied me, so .. I really wanted to "leave" AA, Program and so on. I had deep resentments, i feel so much anger, and so lonely, and I was alone, and I knew that I must not complain and it was so hard. But I really was trying to find God at this time - not where Is He, but what is His will for my life.
But, now I see that everything is okay. I've never felt the pink cloud and i really wanted to ... but I'm one idea near the ground. Sometimes I get the things too seriously, but ... I prefer it this way, because God will do for me the things I can't do for myself, but ... I must be careful.
Now I'm really grateful, because the things that my sponsor told me are not the things i wanted to hear. But she was and still is some kind of trying to learn me to live this life without my old emotions and old ideas for the things, but to be with open-minded and after the pain and confusion and resentments .. on the other side, there is something else. There Is God.
And now, I know that when I feel pain, its not only because I can't accept situations,person or principle or so on and its my ego that is hurting me, but ... God wants to release me from something, to make me a free person, without the chains of my disease... because, you know "We have entered the world of the Spirit". And in the fourth demension, resentments and fears are not the things they used to be in the past. But they are signs of God and behind them there is something bigger and deeper than anything.
Hey, one year of sobriety is awesome! Here's how I dealt with things at one year. For myself, at about 6 or 9 months of sobriety, I saw that I was mainly staying sober by going to a meeting every day. In other words, I was relying on the Fellowship. I had a guy who I called a "sponsor" who I would call, but I really wasn't taking the actions. I soon got another fellow who was way more action-oriented and he led me through the Steps and totally changed my life. I had to learn to rely on the Fellowship a little less, and rely more on the Program. To anyone who is approaching a year of sobriety, I would say "kick it into High Gear"! Double down! When you reach a year, you haven't crossed over into a "safe-zone". Many people have drank and used at one year. So, I would say, embrace the Steps like your life depends on it....beginning with Step One. Blessings, Mike D.
Squirrely. Was scared and a bit confused about what I was supposed to have accomplished in 1 year, if I did enough, if I did it "right", and what would happen when it was day 366. I was also thrilled and excited and felt proud too. Mixed bag for sure.
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
. But my recovery till now, wasn't fun at all.
(my old idea for happiness), and I decided that she some kind of betraied me, so .. I really wanted to "leave" AA, Program and so on. I had deep resentments, i feel so much anger, and so lonely, and I was alone, and I knew that I must not complain and it was so hard. But I really was trying to find God at this time - not where Is He, but what is His will for my life.