lotus
01-02-2008, 11:24 PM
Hi Everyone,
I found your message board today, I really like it, thanks for having it up for people to post to and read.
I've been sober for 2 yrs 11 mos. I tortured myself for well over 10+ years with wanting to quit and just knowing in my heart that my relationships with alcohol and drugs were no good, although many ask "why did you quit, you didn't seem to have anything wrong". It was what it was doing on the inside to me when I drank that drove me to my decision to quit, along with many many failed attempts at quitting, I just got tired of being tired about the whole issue.
I'm also and adult child of an alcoholic and addict. I spent many years in Al-Anon as well in some tough times.
I've gone in and out of both AA and Al-Anon and find the 12 steps incredibly releveant and useful to me. To be honest however, I got myself sober with the SMART program.
Up until this time that is the majority of what I have used to stay sober. However, I don't think AA and SMART have to be mutually exclusive for me, I see many complimentary methods in both approaches. And in fact the older I get the more I realize we live in a world of pluralism where there are many truths, and my truth is many truths.
Over this holiday season some family stuff kicked up some good old bad resentments and habits (not drinking thankfully), but something happened that made me realize I needed some of what AA has to offer back in my life.
First of all I'm tired of going it alone with the sobriety I need some companionship.
Second, I need to work the steps.
While I am pretty heavily into meditation and Buddhism, I've been missing a higher power that keeps me humble and the step work that keep it real.
So here I am, thanks for listening.
Lotus.
I found your message board today, I really like it, thanks for having it up for people to post to and read.
I've been sober for 2 yrs 11 mos. I tortured myself for well over 10+ years with wanting to quit and just knowing in my heart that my relationships with alcohol and drugs were no good, although many ask "why did you quit, you didn't seem to have anything wrong". It was what it was doing on the inside to me when I drank that drove me to my decision to quit, along with many many failed attempts at quitting, I just got tired of being tired about the whole issue.
I'm also and adult child of an alcoholic and addict. I spent many years in Al-Anon as well in some tough times.
I've gone in and out of both AA and Al-Anon and find the 12 steps incredibly releveant and useful to me. To be honest however, I got myself sober with the SMART program.
Up until this time that is the majority of what I have used to stay sober. However, I don't think AA and SMART have to be mutually exclusive for me, I see many complimentary methods in both approaches. And in fact the older I get the more I realize we live in a world of pluralism where there are many truths, and my truth is many truths.
Over this holiday season some family stuff kicked up some good old bad resentments and habits (not drinking thankfully), but something happened that made me realize I needed some of what AA has to offer back in my life.
First of all I'm tired of going it alone with the sobriety I need some companionship.
Second, I need to work the steps.
While I am pretty heavily into meditation and Buddhism, I've been missing a higher power that keeps me humble and the step work that keep it real.
So here I am, thanks for listening.
Lotus.