betterthanyesterday52 wrote:

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I am feeling depressed. Been that way a good part of today. Think the ole "woe-is-me's" are raring their ugly heads and have been trying to not be worried about my current living situation which I cannot change right now, my family situation (which my daughter is not even emailing me like she was and won't answer me messages), finances, etc.

Did everything like I have been doing to stay sober. My sponsor says we are working on Step 3 now.

Guess I just have to have acceptance with this mood and realize that it is normal, part of life and nothing to drink over.

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 Hi BTY52. Yes, it's not unusual for folks like us to go through some pretty difficult phases and to have some bad days in our early sobriety. Some of us had to deal with terrible financial wreckage, some had to deal with being in jail, or being on parole, or getting our life back on track after destroying our career, or going through a period of serious medical issues due to our drinking, or getting through a difficult living situation such as yours. But it DOES change. And it gets better. We are proof of it. And if nothing else, when you wake up in the morning after getting through one of the tough days like the one you just had, you will know that you have just given yourself more concrete proof that you can stay sober, even through those tough days. And that can be a very reassuring feeling. I hope this helps a bit.

I felt like death warmed over at the start...It's called untreated alcoholism. To be honest with you....I didn't really get any relief from this program till I did my fifth step with my sponsor. That's where they promise this....

We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character, every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience. The feeling that the drink problem has disappeared will often come strongly. We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.

BB pg 75

I was delighted. You can tinker around with that third step all you want...That for me was as simple as this...Am I going to work the rest of the steps with help from my Higher Power or not?...Yes or no. Here is what they say what happens after the 3rd step...

Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions.

BB pg 64

That tells me nothings going to happen...Until I get busy and face and get rid of what was making me feel like you two are right now. When should I do that?....I'd say "at once" covers it pretty well. What kind of effort should I put into it? Strenuous says it all. If I sound like a pain in the ass forgive me....I've watched too many people dance around these steps.....And they don't make it.

Again welcome...Start a thread and introduce yourself...Join the family here. We're all in this boat together. Yeah I noticed in reading that book there was a sense of urgency to this process....Words like...Next...At once...Action and more action....And it doesn't say we should waltz into the steps...They put it like this...

After the third step decision....pg 63

Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action

Launch...To throw or propel with force

vigorous...Marked by or done with force and energy

I don't think he picked those words because he liked them....I think he knew the disease. And that the sooner we get a solution for our problem....The better chance we got.