http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums A safe place for those either in recovery or seeking recovery to seek help and support from alcohol and drug addictions. en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:23:14 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24002&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:38 GMT Alcoholics Anonymous Origins and History Articles By Dick B. 1. A.A. History Articles by Dick B. http://www.dickb.com/articles.shtml 2. Mental Health Matters: Alcohol Addiction... Alcoholics Anonymous Origins and History Articles
By Dick B.

1. A.A. History Articles by Dick B. http://www.dickb.com/articles.shtml

2. Mental Health Matters: Alcohol Addiction
http://mental-health-matters.com/ind...layout=default

3. A.A. Bibliography Home: 35 A.A. History Articles by Dick B.
http://www.aabibliography.com/dickbhtml/dickbart.html

4. Recovery Crossroads - Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Community > A.A. With Dick B.

5. Cyber Recovery Social Network Forums - Alcohol and Drug Addiction Help/Support > Alcohol and Addictions Recovery

A.A. With Dick B.


6. Recovery Internet Alcoholism and Drug Addictions Help/Support > Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Help Support

A.A. With Dick B.


7. NICD: A.A. History
http://www.nicd.us/aahistory.html

8. Christian Recovery Ministries: A.A. History
http://www.christianrecoveryministri...splay.php?f=43

9. Go Articles.com: Dick B.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi

10. Self Growth.com: Dick B.
http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/ri...me_dick_b.html

11. Anonymous One Articles
http://www.anonymousone.com/ask.htm

12. A.A. History
http://aa-history.com/

13. Dick B.’s Personal A.A. History Blog Site
http://dickb-blog.com/

14. Take 12 Radio.com: The A.A.History Show
http://sponsortosponsor.com/tuesday.html

15. Our Pages on Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.dickb.com/our-pages-on-drbob.shtml

16. Recovered Alcoholics.net
http://www.recoveredalcoholics.net/A...y/histlnks.htm

17. Reformation UCC. Org/
http://www.reformationucc.org/2008/0...view/#more-234

18. Improve Our Conscious Contact: A.A. History Fragments
http://improveourconsciouscontact.bl...label/Dick%20B.

19. Freedom Ranch Maui, Incorporated
http://freedomranchmaui.org

20. Dick B. and Ken B., The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 2d ed.
http://www.dickb.com

21. Dick B.’s Address on the Six Major Roots of A.A.
http://www.mental-health-matters.com...on&Itemid=2048

22. Search Warp: Articles by Dick B.
http://searchwarp.com/About216068.htm

23. Dick B. A.A. Historical Matters-Bible Study Notes
http://www.jordomedia.com/RSS/l_op=v...lid=45698.html

24. A.A. Influences From the Oxford Group
http://www.prohibitionists.org/Relat...s-Oct-2003.htm

25. Dick B.’s FYI Messages
http://www.cmehawaii.biz/cgi-bin/dad...kBsFYIMessage/

26. Cyber Recovery: Audio—Dick B. Story and The Heart of A.A.
http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/...ad.php?t=19455

27. Tampa Bay Clean and Sober Plenary Session Address by Dick B.
http://freedomranchmaui.org/aahistorystory.pdf

28. Articles Base: A.A. Cofounder Bill Wilson - the Evangelist You Probably Don't Know

29. Rocketed: Synonyms for “God” in the Big Book
http://rocketed.org/node/19

30. Focused and Free. Com: Articles by Dick B.
http://www.focusedandfree.com/dick_b.html



Gloria Deo


:idea: ]]> A.A. With Dick B. dickb http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24002 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24001&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:11:52 GMT Always remember that the Narcotics Anonymous program is based entirely on personal freedom, individual responsibility, and equality. The only message we have is one of hope for the still suffering addict. Any suggestions that are not found in our... Always remember that the Narcotics Anonymous program is based entirely on personal freedom, individual responsibility, and equality. The only message we have is one of hope for the still suffering addict. Any suggestions that are not found in our literature are the opinion of the person making them.

You have all of these rights, and so do others. You do not have the right to try to impose your beliefs or view of recovery on anyone. It is only through our Higher Powers guidance that we find the best way to practice our own program. Our Higher Power will never guide us to find the best way for another to practice their program. Criticism and judgment are to be avoided.

"We do not pressure new members to speak or act like us" it works how and why. In Narcotics Anonymous we lead by example, there are no rules or rulers. Coercion, in any form, is offensive. It is only through mutual respect that we find the unity necessary to carry out our primary purpose. These rights, based in our traditions, are not negotiable.



The Twelve Rights of NA


1. You have a right to a higher power of your own understanding.

2. You have a right to work the steps in your own way.

3. You have a right to work at your own pace.

4. You have a right to your own opinions.

5. You cannot say anything wrong in a meeting. You have a right to self expression.

6. You have a right to be free from coercion in any form.

7. You have a right to pick any sponsor you think will further your recovery.

8. You have a right to attend or join any other fellowship, church, society, or organization.

9. You have a right to attend any meeting you want as often as you choose.

10. You are a member when you say you are. Your right to your place in NA is always equal to any other members.

11. You have the right to make mistakes.

12. You have the right to come back after a relapse without recrimination.


"We urge NA members to remain open-minded and flexible. It is important to look to our literature and our experienced members for guidance, but ultimately each member has the right to understand and apply this program in the way that works best for her or him." ]]> Narcotics Anonymous - Substance Abuse Recovery dalin http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24001 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24000&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:30:24 GMT "I can smoke just one! Just for this evening, I'll smoke, and then I'm back to my quit tomorrow! Really!!"

Sound familiar? Thoughts of smoking are common as you go through nicotine withdrawal. Your mind can feel like it's turning itself inside out trying to convince you to have just one cigarette. Don't let it throw you; this is a normal part of recovery from nicotine addiction. Make a vow to put your thoughts on ignore when you're struggling, and keep your focus on the day you have in front of you only. Don't worry about tomorrow; don't fret about never smoking again. Just think about getting through TODAY smoke free.

Junkie thinking can sometimes spring up out of nowhere when you least expect it, and suddenly your mind is trying to rationalize why smoking would be an alright thing to do. That is addiction and habit talking to you, and the voices can get pretty urgent at times, demanding your attention.

Keep your memory green. Use your list of reasons and your quit journal; refresh yourself often about why you've quit, as well as how far you've come on your path to freedom. Don't slip into thinking that because you've done so well, you can smoke and quit again easily. It never works that way. People who return to smoking often spend years trying to quit again.

Your reasons for quitting will never be less true as time goes by, but they can feel less critical if you're not careful.

If you are seriously considering smoking, take some time to think about the answers you'd give to the questions below.

•Why did I quit smoking?
•How long did I smoke?
•How long have I been smoke free?
•How long do I think it should take to be free of this habit?
•If I go back to smoking, will I want to quit again?
•How long will it be before I do? Weeks...months...years? When illness strikes?
•Will quitting be any easier next time around?
•How do I think smoking will benefit me?
•Is it worth giving up what I've worked so hard to do?
Some of these are hard questions to answer, but if you're thinking about lighting up, do yourself a favor and answer them honestly. Take out a piece of paper, or open your quit journal and really consider your responses to each and every one of these questions.

Protect and nurture the freedom you're gaining from this deadly habit. Remember that the chains of addiction are broken one link at a time. Be patient with yourself, and let time be your quit buddy.

Don't let junkie thinking trick you back into a habit you hate. You might never find a way to break free again.

Give cessation time and you will be free.
Give smoking time and it will kill you. ]]> Nicotine Anonymous SHELLEY http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24000 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23999&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:19:57 GMT THIS IS MY final DAY SMOKING!!!:mad:
I HAVE SMOKED FOR OVER 30 YEARS:16:; I HAVE QUIT COUNTLESS TIMES & BEGAN AGAIN.
Today, I gained temporary custody of my eldest granddaughter & I declared publicly that I would STOP SMOKING if/when this happened.
I have less than a pack; I am attempting to restrain from lighting up; doing other things with my hands than smoke, and seeking other ideas or help to master this goal.:11:

l am also looking for a place to get the 52 cards of DEATH ~ 52 reasons to not smoke. ]]> Nicotine Anonymous SHELLEY http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23999 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23998&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:42:46 GMT Hello, I am new here. I joined this site to find the answers to some questions. I am seriously considering visiting a local group for families of recovering addicts. I am the mother of a recovering addict who was clean for 3 years until this... Hello, I am new here. I joined this site to find the answers to some questions. I am seriously considering visiting a local group for families of recovering addicts.
I am the mother of a recovering addict who was clean for 3 years until this past weekend. DD is now married to a "recovering" addict. They have 3 children ages 4 - 10 wks.
When a recovering addict says you don't understand because you aren't an addict or addicts don't see things like that - is that an excuse?
I'm concerned about the relapse & my grand children. The oldest grand is from a former relationship. My husband & I along with the other grandparents have custody of him. His dad was just so young at the time of his birth, but is a gread dad, in college, just came home from basic training in the military, etc. The child is at his mom's one week & his dad's the next. If the dad's family find out - he won't be allowed back at his mom's. I will stand behind that decision.
After she told me of the relapse this weekend, I asked "Aren't you afraid of losing your children?" Her reply was - "it would be a cold day when anyone took her babies. We made a mistake 1 time this weekend, everybody makes mistakes. We are addicts. Things happen. Don't be so dramatic about it."
The week prior to the relapse we planned a shopping trip. We shopped the day of the relapse and she was just happy, bought the kids some shoes & clothes. Now it's like a complete turn around. Bitter, sarcastic, like she wants to talk to me, but I should act like nothing happened.
Are the "addict" "no drama" comments an excuse. Is she trying to put her guilt on me by telling me basically it's no big deal and that I'm over reacting to be concerned about the kids?
I've heard I'm gonna straighten up from SIL for over 2 years. He isn't clean for long at a time. One thing is for sure - I refuse to jeopardize my grandchildren just to keep the peace. :confused: ]]> Justmom http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23998 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23997&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:33:59 GMT Quality of Life Improvement Areas
Because no attendance records are kept, it is impossible to estimate what percentages of those who come to Narcotics Anonymous remain active in NA over time. The only sure indicator of the program's success is the rapid growth in the number of registered Narcotics Anonymous meetings in recent decades and the rapid spread of Narcotics Anonymous outside North America.

In 1978, there were fewer than 200 registered groups in three countries.

In 1983, more than a dozen countries had 2,966 meetings.

In 1993, 60 countries had over 13,000 groups holding over 19,000 meetings.

In 2002, 108 countries had 20,000 groups holding over 30,000 meetings.

In 2005, 116 countries had over 21,500 groups holding over 33,500 weekly meetings.

In 2007, there are over 25,065 groups holding over 43,900 weekly meetings in 127 countries.

NA members have a mean average of 9.1 years clean. This can be compared to NA's 2003 membership survey, which showed members with a mean average of 7.4 years clean.

The 2007 membership survey marks the first time that members were asked to assess areas of their lives that have improved with NA attendance. The two areas that received overwhelming improvement were family relationships where 90% of our members stated enrichment, and social connectedness was realized by 83% of the respondents. NA literature states that active addiction is marked by increased isolation and destruction of relationships. Recovery in NA has helped surveyed respondents to repair the damage in their lives from drug addiction ]]> Narcotics Anonymous - Substance Abuse Recovery dalin http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23997 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23996&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:30:24 GMT Membership Demographics To offer some general, informal observations about the nature of NA membership and the effectiveness of the program, the following observations are believed to be reasonably accurate. The socioeconomic strata represented... Membership Demographics
To offer some general, informal observations about the nature of NA membership and the effectiveness of the program, the following observations are believed to be reasonably accurate.

The socioeconomic strata represented by the NA membership vary from country to country. Usually, members of one particular social or economic class start and sustain most developing NA communities worldwide, but as their fellowship development activities become more effective, the membership becomes more broadly representative of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

All ethnic and religious backgrounds are represented among NA members. Once a developing NA community reaches a certain level of maturity, its membership generally reflects the diversity or homogeneity of the background culture.

Membership in Narcotics Anonymous is voluntary; no attendance records are kept either for NA's own purposes or for others. Because of this, it is sometimes difficult to provide interested parties with comprehensive information about NA membership. There are, however, some objective measures that can be shared based on data obtained primarily from members attending one of our world conventions. The diversity of our membership, especially ethnic background, seems to be representative of the geographic location of the survey. The following demographic information was gathered from a survey completed by approximately 13,500 NA members. The survey was made available at the 2007 World Convention of NA in San Antonio, Texas, in our international journal, The NA Way Magazine, and on our website.

Gender: 56% male, 44% female.

Age: 2% 20 years old and under, 14% 21-30 years old, 23% 31-40 years old, 37% 41-50 years old, 22% 51-60 years old, 3% over 60 years old and 1% did not answer.

Ethnicity: 73% Caucasian, 14% African-American, 7% Hispanic, and 7% other.

Employment status: 69% employed full-time, 9% employed part-time, 7% unemployed, 6% retired, 4% homemakers, and 5% students.

Continuous abstinence/recovery: ranged from less than one year up to 40 years, with a mean average of 9.1 years. ]]> Narcotics Anonymous - Substance Abuse Recovery dalin http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23996 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23995&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:25:44 GMT 19737 Nordhoff Place  Chatsworth California 91311 USA  worldboard@na.org
NA WORLD SERVICES NEWS
What’s happening in NA World Services
that you may want to know...
We hope you will forward this page by email or copy it for interested members, your ASCs, and your RSCs. We
continue to encourage people to obtain e-subs to The NA Way and NAWS News. This helps us to communicate
more effectively and control distribution costs.
Membership Survey – The 2009 Membership Survey is now posted on na.org. You can complete this survey
online, at WCNA 33, or by downloading a copy and mailing or faxing in the results. We will keep this
survey online until 31 December 2009, and we encourage you to spread the word! The website address is
http://questionnaire.disc.na.org. Please forward this link to your friends!
“Living Clean” – Chapters One and Two and a working outline for “Living Clean” are out for fellowship review
and input until 15 September 2009. You can find the drafts from the link on the project page at http://www.
na.org/?ID=Living_Clean_Project and access them with the password and user name of WSC2010. You can
also submit your input online. In addition, you can help contribute source material for the ongoing writing
by sharing your experience with any of the topics in the outline online here http://www.naws.org/lc/.
Financials – We have completed our fiscal year. As in the rest of the world, we at NAWS have some financial
challenges. Costs have increased for developmental literature, translations, fellowship publications like The
NA Way and Reaching Out, shipping, and public relations. At the same time, fellowship donations are down.
We will continue to ask for your support and forward our ideas on how to reduce the cost of producing and
distributing our free publications without losing our ability to communicate. We will need your ideas and
help with this!
Effective 1 July 2009 the price of translated versions of the first portion of the Basic Text are $7.50, and literature
from WSO Europe are priced in euros.
Workshops – A worldwide workshop is scheduled for Boston, Massachusetts, 20–22 November 2009. Plans
for workshops in Japan and the Middle East are under way. Please visit http://www.na.org/?ID=nawseventsevent-
reg for more information.
WCNA 33 – Our convention will be 20–23 August 2009 in Barcelona! The last world convention in Europe
was in 1995, and the next will be in 2027. This is a unique opportunity to celebrate both our recovery and
our diversity. We currently have pre-registrants from fifty-nine countries and are working hard on providing
lots of fun and entertainment to go along with the recovery. Come and celebrate with us! Please visit
http://www.na.org/wcna/.
HRP – Individuals who wish to be considered for nomination by the HRP to a world services position need
to submit or update their World Pool Information Form by 31 August. The Human Resource Panel also distributed
a new form in March that must be completed by 31 October for all candidates submitted to them by
regions, zones, and the World Board.
Go to NAWS News at http://www.na.org/?ID=reports-nawsnews-nawsmain
VOLUME EIGHT | ISSUE FOUR | JULY 2009
2
May - July 2009 Activities
mo ving forward in this
cycle ; mo ving toward
the ne xt cycle
The World Board met 25–27 June
2009 in Chatsworth, California.
With a three-day meeting, our
agenda was concentrated; we had
numerous items that we needed
to work on and accomplish at this meeting. Our agenda
centered on the Service System project, WSC seating and
purpose, strategic planning, WCNA 33, and the current
financial picture of NAWS. Additionally, we discussed
how to reduce costs for two NAWS publications, The NA
Way and Reaching Out, and considered the workgroups’
recommendations for improving these publications. We also
completed our final round of discussions for potential WB
candidates to forward to the HRP for consideration in their
nominations process.
We spent a full day in a facilitated discussion focused on our
2010–2012 strategic plan. Our plan had been updated from
our April meeting; we reviewed the objectives and carryover
approaches (items that still need to be done and were not
accomplished in the 2008–2010 cycle). Our next step was
to identify any new approaches (avenues to accomplish
stated objectives) and to begin our prioritizing process.
Additionally, we performed our first evaluation of an existing
NAWS program, the worldwide workshops.
We spent time reviewing the progress and direction of the
Service System project; we offered suggestions for a global
vision statement—one that both encompasses our entire
service system and inspires. We continued our discussions
on WSC seating and on the purpose of the conference, which
will help us in our consideration of seating. We recognize
that seating is a small part of a larger issue, namely, the
purpose of the conference and what is to be accomplished
during the WSC.
WCNA 33 registration numbers and the Barcelona site
updates completed our agenda. We have almost 4,000
registered for the world convention in August 2009, and
we continue to look at ways to maximize our use of the
location of this convention. Pre-registration has ended; we
are looking forward to celebrating recovery in Barcelona
with more than 5,000 members from fifty-nine countries!!
Finally, we are continuing to find ways to maximize reporting
and control production costs for NAWS News, The NA Way,
and Reaching Out. We have created a front-page synopsis for
NAWS News and would like to encourage you to distribute
this one page to your RSCs and RCMs. Please contact us with
your ideas or experience at worldboard@na.org.
membership survey
Our survey is live and we want you to
participate. We are keeping this survey up
through 31 December 2009 in the hope
of attracting more members. For the 2007
survey, we had more than 13,000 members
take part during the ninety days it was
available; with the 2009 survey, we would
like to see 25,000 members involved in the
process.
This survey is online at http://questionnaire.disc.na.org,
If members choose to fax or mail their completed surveys,
we will gladly accept them. We request that each member
complete only one survey. Some areas and regions may
choose to collect surveys in a batch, perhaps by asking all
GSRs and trusted servants to complete a survey and return
it to the area’s designated person. For those who choose this
approach, we suggest that they contact Stephan@na.org.
Stephan will assist them with the online entry process.
Some of you may be wondering why you should complete a
survey. First, let us reassure you—the surveys are anonymous;
information is gathered, but no names are needed. Second,
we want to emphasize the importance of the survey. We
have a vision that NA be viewed as a credible, viable recovery
program by all. The information from the surveys helps us
demonstrate to professionals, who rely on data, that NA is a
valuable community resource for addicts seeking recovery.
So please join the thousands of members in completing
this survey. In our first seven days online, we received 814
completed surveys. We appreciate your enthusiasm!!
strategic planning —
our ne xt step
We took our next step to plan for the
2010–2012 conference cycle during our
June board meeting. Jim DeLizia, a NAWS
consultant, facilitated this planning day,
which focused on the updated plan
that was created from items identified
in our April 2009 environmental scan.
Looking at the world around us and how it affects NA, and
at statistics and information about what is happening in
NA around the world and at NAWS, leads us to create a list
of objectives. These are the goals that we need to attain to
address the issues and needs of our fellowship. We looked
extensively at the ever-changing world in which we live and
its perceptions about addiction. The attitude in the world
about addiction and its treatment through medical means
is definitely something that impacts NA. It is important that
as much as we all tend to resist change, we look at not only
our current needs and issues, but at those we anticipate
affecting us in the years to come. We added two objectives
3
July 2009
as a result of this look at the world inside and outside of
NA. Our objectives are long-range goals, and each goal has
several identified approaches that would help us to reach it.
Approaches are simply the steps needed to reach a goal
or our stated objective. We examined each approach to
determine whether it is still valid, whether it has been or will
be implemented in the current cycle, whether it needs to be
carried over to the 2010–2012 cycle, and whether we need
to add new approaches to our plan. We identified many
approaches that will need to be carried over to the next
cycle, such as the continuation of the Service System project
and the “Living Clean” recovery literature project. These were
approved as two-cycle projects, yet they remain in our
strategic plan as carryover approaches. Once we affirmed
the carryover approaches, we discussed and identified
new approaches. For example, we had information that
the growth of NA in the US has flattened, but we currently
have no real way to determine why this appears to be
happening. Therefore, we created an approach that would
help us research and assess trends related to growth or lack
of growth of NA in our worldwide fellowship. All of this is
meant to ultimately help us better carry our message.
Once we all agreed on what we need to do to achieve our
objectives, we went through our first round of prioritizing
our approaches. We all want to do everything, yet that is
not realistic; prioritizing helps us determine what could
possibly be accomplished in a conference cycle. Now that
we have our first round of prioritized approaches, we will
look at our available human and financial resources before
our October meeting. Those approaches that we believe
can be reasonably accomplished and for which we have the
needed resources will be developed into project plans for
presentation at WSC 2010.
conference project updates
“Living Clean”
The “Living Clean” Workgroup met 14–
16 May 2009. The group focused on
reviewing the draft of Chapter Three.
Work is continuing with the drafting of
the remainder of the narrative for this
chapter. However, we still have many
opportunities for members to affect this
project by sharing their experiences of living life in recovery.
In fact, we want members to participate—members who
are new to the recovery process, members who have lived
life and recovery for a while, and most certainly, members
who have many decades of recovery and life experiences to
share with us.
The optimal time to affect the development of literature
is now; we are still early in the process of the creation of
this book. We are trying new and innovative methods of
gathering input. The latest innovation is in the form of a
discussion board that is PUBLIC and is open to all members of
the fellowship. The discussion board is divided up by chapter,
and the topic outline is posted there for easy reference. We
appreciate the members who are viewing the discussion,
and we encourage members to share their experience in
“Living Clean” regarding the topics covered on the outline
and some other topics as well. This is a wonderful reservoir
of source material that is aiding in the development of the
book. The link is http://naws.org/lc/index.php.
The survey that provided us with over 500 responses to kickstart
the project has been discontinued, and members are
redirected to the discussion boards as a forum for responses
and ongoing involvement.
Chapters One and Two and the detailed outline were released
for review and input at the beginning of June. That reviewand-
input material can be accessed online from the links on
the main project page: http://www.na.org/?ID=Living_
Clean_Project. The deadline for input for these chapters
and outline is 15 September 2009.
Subsequent chapters will be sent out for review and input as
they become available; the project plan called for staggered
periods of review and input. These review-and-input cycles
are of at least ninety days in duration. The text must be in
approval form by April 2011 for consideration at WSC 2012;
as a result, we must have completed drafting and sending
the material out for review and input before the end of 2010.
ser vice system
Following our joint meeting with the Service System
Workgroup in April, where we agreed on the fundamental
needs that an effective service system must meet, the
workgroup continued to put together foundational pieces
for the project. They have discussed, for instance, the many
variables that must be considered when framing options
for service delivery and the necessary roles that would
need to be filled in an effective service system. In all of our
discussions we are trying to follow the maxim that “form
follows function,” so we are being very thorough in these
first steps putting together these basic building blocks.
In that spirit, one of the first tasks of the Service System
Workgroup was to create a common vision for NA service
efforts. After some discussion, we determined as a board
that the best approach was to simply widen the focus of
the existing NAWS Vision Statement to make it a Narcotics
Anonymous Service System Vision. This proposed revision
will be included in the CAR scheduled for release in
November of this year.
As of this writing, the workgroup is putting together a
“template” that lists all of the elements that must be
included in a model of the service system. In addition to this
we are looking at the ways in which both NA service bodies
4
May - July 2009 Activities
and external organizations are arranged so as to gather as
many ideas as possible. We are still asking NA members to
send us any innovative ideas that are working in their local
services, so if you are doing something new to answer an
old need, please let us know about it. Your experience may
be invaluable in NA communities around the world. We
will use all of this information at our next meeting to begin
discussing alternative models for service delivery in NA. We
have determined not to limit our thinking at this point, but
instead are keeping our minds open to any ideas that seem
effective. We look forward to sharing our thoughts at the
conference and beyond.
self -support
The Self-Support Workgroup held their final meeting in June
over the same weekend that the board met. The workgroup
reviewed all of the fellowship input on two review draft
IPs released in February in order to make decisions about
revising the pieces. The review period for the project ended
at the close of May, and though we accepted late input and
left the online input form up until 4 June, our numbers were
still low. Altogether, we received sixty-nine pieces of input.
We know the geographic sources for only a little more than
half of the input, because the state/country lines were not
added to the form until halfway through the review-andinput
period. Among the known sources from which we
received input were nineteen states in the US and a total
of five countries outside the US: Australia, Canada, New
Zealand, South Africa, and Turkey.
While input numbers were low, the good news is that plenty
of people did read the drafts. The shorter graphical piece
aimed at groups was downloaded a total of 644 times, and
the longer text piece aimed at members, 432 times. The
input contained a great deal of constructive suggestions
and critique. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a small segment of
the input seemed to reject the principle behind the drafts
altogether. It seems some of our members still consider it
“wrong” or unprincipled to focus on the financial aspects of
self-support. This sentiment was limited, however, and the
input largely contained information that will improve the
pieces, such as changing the titles, shortening the textual
pieces, and adding to the world map on the graphical pieces
(we hear you, New Zealand!). Using the input as a guide, the
workgroup was able to accomplish a great deal during their
three-day meeting, reworking the material without major
revision to the content included. We are confident that the
approval drafts are significantly improved. Thank you to all
who gave input.
We also want to mention a couple of process-related items.
This project broke new ground in a couple of remarkable
ways. For one, this was the first world services workgroup to
have a non-board member as the point person: Khalil J from
the Business Plan Work Group. This went quite well, which
might be useful to know in considering projects down the
road. In fact, the entire workgroup is to be thanked for their
diligent work on our behalf.
The other notable breakthrough was that this workgroup
included the first-ever member from the Middle East in a
world services workgroup, Ahmed M from Cairo, Egypt.
Having a member from that region in the workgroup
provided a valuable perspective on the work being done, and
also serves as further illustration of our continued progress as
a truly worldwide fellowship. The World Service Conference
voted in 2008 to seat the Egypt Region, meaning that their
first conference participation will take place at WSC 2010.
in times of illness
At WSC 2008, the In Times of Illness
Workgroup was charged with updating
the booklet to reflect the challenges
that our members currently face with
both physical and mental illness. The
fellowship review-and-input period for
the proposed revision ended 31 May. We
would like to extend a special thank you
to all who took part in this process; we are
grateful for individual members and committees who took
the time to read the original 1992 booklet and the revised
booklet. We understand that this effort took time, planning,
and dedication. We accepted one collection of late input
from a committee that was submitted on 4 June. In total,
ninety-three pieces of input were received, and seventyone
percent of the participants perceived the revisions as
a positive enhancement of the booklet. Input was received
from fifty-one US states and four countries—that we know
of. (We added the state and country line halfway through
the review-and-input process.) The review-and-input draft
was downloaded from na.org a total of 1,057 times.
The In Times of Illness Workgroup met for the final time 18–20
June. All responses from the review process to the draft were
collected and presented to the group. Each piece of input
was thoroughly discussed and evaluated. We appreciate
the request from members who wanted page numbers for
the literature quotes. However, we no longer identify page
numbers; we simply cite the recovery literature source. Since
page numbers vary depending on format, with various
translations and editions of the Basic Text, we discontinued
the practice of citing page numbers. The result of the
workgroup meeting was a plan for final revisions that will be
reflected in the approval draft. The workgroup members felt
that these changes are a reflection of careful deliberation
and group conscience. The approval draft of the revised
booklet will be available in the 2010 Conference Agenda
Report. We want to thank all members of the workgroup
who selflessly and conscientiously worked on our behalf to
complete the revision to this booklet.
5
July 2009
NAWS PUBLICATIONS—mo ving forward
Reaching Out
We discussed recommendations
from the reports of the Reaching Out
and NA Way Magazine Workgroups,
which both met in March. Reaching
Out is a newsletter designed to
share NA recovery with individuals
in institutions. It is a resource for H&I
subcommittees and interested members
“on the outside.” The newsletter is available on our website:
http://www.na.org/?ID=reaching_out-index.
To more actively engage local H&I subcommittees, and to
encourage submissions from members on both the inside
and the outside, we approved the RO Workgroup’s plan
to develop templates members can use to help generate
submissions. One template will be incorporated into an
outline that members can use to interview other members,
and another into a session profile that members can use
to conduct local letter-writing workshops. We’ll also be
working toward including an online portal where those
interested can write and submit directly to Reaching Out
on our website. We hope that making the writing process
a little friendlier will encourage members to write for RO. As
these tools are developed, we’ll include them in upcoming
issues, mail information to H&I subcommittees, and initiate a
discussion on the na.org H&I bulletin board.
With the judicial system’s focus on treatment and alternative
sanctions, we agreed with the workgroup’s recommendation
to expand the focus of Reaching Out to include addicts who
are housed or staying in places other than jails or prisons.
While we all know that much of our H&I service has been
conducted in correctional institutions, today there are
many other facilities where our members and potential
members seek NA recovery. We also clarified that expanding
the overall focus of Reaching Out will allow for letters from
members on the outside who have been incarcerated, have
H&I experience, or have experienced treatment as a part of
their recovery process.
The NA Way Magazine
The NA Way Magazine submission guidelines are being
revised to include information on how members can submit
artwork and photographs, and on a new set of “inspirational
questions” to prompt writing ideas. Further, we’ll clarify that
we don’t accept poetry submissions due to the challenge
of translating metaphoric language or rhyme into other
languages.
Enhancements to the online PDF version of the magazine,
such as live links and more interactive content, will be
incorporated in upcoming issues. In addition, the workgroup
set up a beta NA Way blog and will develop plans to provide
the magazine in this format. We believe the time has come to
provide our magazine in these formats to improve response
to the fellowship’s requests, improve our communication,
and provide NA Way readers with a more valuable electronic
magazine which can be viewed at www.naway.org.
Finally, the workgroup recommended exploring a new set
of characters for a comic strip. The current characters were
adopted in the early 2000s because some didn’t like the
snarky, biting humor of the original Home Group; however,
many don’t like the current characters and feel that, while
instructional and inspirational, the current strip is not really
very funny. Rather than simply changing the characters,
we decided to appeal to the NA Fellowship for new ideas
or submissions. An announcement to this effect is included
in this NAWS News and will appear in the July and October
issues of The NA Way Magazine.
CALL FOR COMIC STRIP SUBMISSIONS TO
THE NA WAY MAGAZINE
The Home Group comic strip was introduced in
1989 to mixed reaction. Some were offended by
the cynicism, while others lauded the humor of
recovery life’s twists and turns. Slugg and the
other seven home group members reflected some
of the best assets and worst defects of recovering
addicts. Eventually, concern about the tone led to a
new set of Home Group characters in 2002. These
are the more generic characters many of you have
come to know. Now we believe it’s time for another
change, so we’re inviting you, our NA members, to
develop and submit your own characters, settings,
and situations. Electronic documents (jpg, gif, pdf,
etc.) may be emailed to naway@na.org with NA WAY
COMIC in the subject line. You can fax submissions
to 818.700.0700, attn: NA WAY COMIC, or mail
them to NA WAY COMIC; PO Box 9999; Van Nuys,
CA 91409. Submissions received by 30 November
2009 will be considered for publication; we’ll share
more information with you in upcoming issues.
Welcome
PA G E 2
From the Inside
PA G E 3
From the Outside
PA G E 1 1
Order Form
PA G E 1 6
January 2008
NA World Services, Inc. PO Box 9999 Van Nuys, California 91409-9099
Volume 23, Number 1
Fiscal update
Fiscal Snapshot
• We have completed our fiscal
year and are in the process of
finalizing all of the adjusting
details that it takes to close out
a year and prepare for our audit.
We have no really new, glowing,
or drastic news to report at this time. Although we still
will show a substantial loss for this fiscal year, our income
seems to have stabilized, primarily through the sale of
6
May - July 2009 Activities
recovery literature, and we have reduced our expenses
through dramatic reductions in travel to fellowship
events. We are currently in the process of evaluating
costs of all events, including worldwide workshops,
and determining how we can continue to effect cost
savings. Fortunately, we have been successful with
managing some of the costs for WCNA 33 and are
hoping to have less of a loss than was projected in
the budget approved at WSC 2008. NAWS’ costs that
continue to rise are related to project expenses and
publications such as NA Way and Reaching Out.
• We believe that, in keeping with our mission to support
the fellowship’s primary purpose, we have continued
to provide free and subsidized literature. The demand
is ever-rising, and for this fiscal year expenses reached
over $783,000 for this. This figure rose dramatically with
giving away the Fifth Edition Basic Texts we still had
in stock after the Sixth Edition was released. Without
this specific expense in this next fiscal year, and with
expanding our local printing efforts, we expect to
reduce this total expense.
• Fellowship contributions continue to show a dramatic
decline. We had $807,711 in fellowship donations,
which is more than $200,000 under budget. We have no
indication from members as to the reason for this decline.
We can speculate as to why contributions are down, yet
we truly do not understand or know. We will continue
to communicate and engage members in discussions
about this drastic decline. We encourage you to write us
at worldboard@na.org with your thoughts.
Pricing at WSO-Europe
As we reported earlier, we made a decision to
change prices in Europe to be based on the
euro. WSO Europe has operated at a loss for the
past few years, primarily because we began a practice years
ago of setting our literature prices each month based on the
dollar-euro exchange rate in order to ensure the availability
of literature in Europe. For a branch that has expenses in
euros, as well as additional expenses like VAT that are not
incurred by NAWS in the US, this practice does not make
sense.
We published our intent to standardize pricing in euros at par
to the dollar and received a lot of input from members and
service offices in Europe. We listened and considered their
perspective, and revised our price change to about half of
what had been initially proposed. When you finally realize that
you have based your business model on practices that have
been faulty for many years, it is difficult not to try to adjust
them. But we also agreed that a significant price change does
not seem reasonable or fair to institute all at one time.
It is also difficult to explain to the average member why a
model that works for net literature sales of almost $7,000,000
in the US cannot be the same in a branch that has net sales of
only slightly over $250,000, or €175,000. These members had
gotten used to literature pricing that had not made sense
for years and years. We went through a difficult adjustment
many years ago with the pricing and discounts offered to
US service offices. At that time we realized that for NA World
Services to continue providing service, offices would have
to operate on a smaller margin of discount. It was difficult,
but we all adapted and adjusted. That same adjustment,
and the lengthy discussions that took place as a result,
never occurred in Europe because European members were
unaffected. We realize that this was not a popular decision,
but it was one that was long overdue and needed to be
made. We expect that this will be an ongoing subject of
discussion with service offices, regions, and members in
Europe for some time to come.
wsc seating update
Our discussions on WSC seating continued from our last
meeting, where we talked about the underlying philosophy
and principles of regional representation at the conference.
At our June meeting we touched on some of the larger,
foundational elements: the purpose of the WSC; the
decision-making process; how NAWS receives direction;
training, development, learning, and sharing experience;
the “magic” of attending the conference; and the impact on
a local fellowship of WSC representation.
In the NAWS News following the April board meeting we wrote,
“It would seem that once we are focused on the principles of
the issue, a process would be most easily developed. One
thing is clear: There are many facets to the issue, with no easy
answers, and resolution will take the efforts of all of us.” Well,
we were certainly feeling that sentiment at this meeting. The
broad topics we covered in June began to outline our ideas
about the “what” of the ideal WSC. Our hope is to discuss the
purpose of the conference and how it satisfies the needs
both of world services and of local NA communities. These
discussions will in turn help us to tackle questions about
the size and composition of the WSC, which may be more
like the “how” of the issue. It proved to be quite a challenge
to encompass an issue of this size in the short time we had
available at this board meeting, however.
Seating is an issue that is closely linked to the work of the
Service System project. The work of that project definitely
overlaps with the issues related to seating, which in turn
may be affected by the possibility of changes to our system.
We will meet together with the Service System Workgroup
again in January, and we hope at that time to be further
along in our discussion. We are finding the question of
seating to be more formidable than we had first hoped, but
we remain committed to engaging delegates in structured
discussions at the 2010 WSC.
7
July 2009
Register now before it’s too late
to make it to
Barcelona in August 2009…
www.na.org/wcna
Why Pre-Register?
 Limited onsite registration new!
 Helps NAWS plan a better WCNA
 Get event tickets before they
sell out
 Better seats at ticketed events
WCNA 33
20–23 August 2009
Barcelona, Spain
With almost 4,000 preregistrants
from fifty-nine
countries, our vision and
desire to celebrate recovery
with 5,000 registrants on
the Mediterranean Sea in
Barcelona may become a reality. We are jazzed by the mere
thought that members from throughout our worldwide
fellowship will be attending this convention! The closing
meeting of this convention will be a reflection and celebration
of our growth and will help us see how much more we need
to do to help addicts everywhere experience recovery from
the disease of addiction in Narcotics Anonymous.
With all of the people who have booked cabins on the
week-long cruise leaving Barcelona at the conclusion of
the convention, we anticipate having meetings during the
cruise. In addition to the cruise, we are encouraging and
working with areas and regions surrounding Barcelona on
events that are either pre- or post-WCNA 33. We are hoping
that if it is your plan to see the Costa del Sol or make a
quick trip to the south of France (a five-hour drive), you will
be able to attend some local NA events while you stay in
these world-renowned vacation destinations. As those NA
events are planned, you can check our website at www.
na.org/wcna. We hope knowing you have other European
destinations to incorporate into your vacation will make
your trip to Barcelona more enjoyable.
With all the expenses associated with entertainment, the
economic downturn, and the desire on the part of many for
Spain to be the beginning or ending of a longer European
vacation, we decided that we would have no paid events. Of
course, we will be offering a festival on Saturday night and
we will have coffee houses with live music on Thursday and
Friday nights outside the convention center on the beach.
These events are in addition to dances at the AC Barcelona
each night. We are simply including these recovery activities
in the registration charge. You won’t need to incur any
further expense for entertainment at WCNA 33.
The WCNA 33 program is offering Flamenco dancers before
the Thursday evening meeting, and drumming prior to
the start of the Friday night meeting. We believe the Unity
Day meeting will again have many of us teary-eyed as we
hear members from throughout our worldwide fellowship
share recovery. We hope that members take the time to
meet members of the World Board during board forums or
during the weekend. We would love to give you a hug, take
a picture, and talk recovery, life, and service. And, if you are
planning to attend the convention and have not signed up
to volunteer yet, please go online to sign up. This is a great
way to meet people from all over our fellowship.
Our public relations efforts in Barcelona for this convention
have been unique, and we are utilizing the skill and
experience of the support committee to assist us. We
have been working with a PR firm in Barcelona whose aim
is to help us raise awareness of NA. This collaboration has
been necessary in order for us to get some assistance from
the local government for the convention. The support
committee has been assisting in this process, and our hope
is to leave Barcelona and Spain with a group of NA members
who can continue the PR efforts that have begun.
For additional updates about WCNA-33 as they become
available, please go to www.na.org/wcna.
WORLDWIDE WORKSHOP
It is not too early to plan to attend a fall worldwide workshop
20–22 November 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. This is sure
to be a great opportunity to interact with members from
in and around Boston, the Northeast, Canada, and beyond.
We will have more details on the Boston WWW as we move
closer to it, and once those details are finalized we will post
a flyer and online registration form on the website.
We hope everyone will help us get the word out on
this workshop to ensure a successful event. Remember,
registration is free, and the program is designed to be
of interest to every NA member, not just those involved
in structured service in NA. It is a great opportunity for
members to share what is going on in their NA communities
and broaden their perspective by hearing and seeing what
is going on elsewhere in NA.
We are also currently planning a workshop in Japan in
November and in the Middle East in the fall. We will post
details of these events as they become available.
fROM THE HUMAN RESOURCE PANEL
Hello from your Human Resource Panel.
The third meeting of the HRP for this conference cycle is
scheduled to take place 25–27 October 2009. By that time
we will be very actively working on the nomination process
for WSC 2010.
In order to be included in the process for a WSC 2010
nomination from the HRP, the deadline for submitting your
World Pool Information Form (WPIF) is 31 August 2009. We
also ask those members in the World Pool whose WPIF is
older than three years to update their information. Please
remember, if you do not respond, as outlined in A Guide to
World Services, you will be removed from consideration for
this conference cycle. The link for the WPIF is http://www.
na.org/?ID=HRP-wpif-default.
In mid-September we will be contacting all of those World
Pool members with eight or more years clean and an interest
in being considered for nomination to the World Board, HRP,
or a cofacilitator position, and inviting them into the process.
8
May - July 2009 Activities
Also, the deadline for the submission of regional, World
Board, and zonal forum (RBZ) nominees is 31 October 2009.
Those service bodies interested in forwarding names must
have their submissions in by that date. The submission forms
can also be completed online at http://www.naws.org/
hrp/rbz1.htm.
As always, we thank you for the opportunity to serve. We
invite any thoughts or concerns. Please feel free to contact
us at NAWS, or via email at hrp@na.org.
CALENDAR FOR 2009–2010
Worldwide Workshops
20–22 November 2009 Boston, Massachusetts
Dates in Japan and the Middle East still to be
determined.
Deadlines
1 August 2009 Regional motion deadline
Motions must be received by this date and must be in
CAR-ready form by 28 August. We encourage all delegates
to begin a dialogue with the WB ahead of this
deadline. We will attempt to help you find ways to get
your issue discussed by conference participants.
31 August 2009
Deadline for WPIF submission or update to be considered
for WSC 2010 nomination from the HRP
15 September 2009
Review-and-input deadline for Chapters One
and Two of “Living Clean”
31 October 2009
Deadline for region, zone, and World Board candidate
submissions to the HRP with the new submission form
25 November 2009
English Conference Agenda Report available
25 December 2009
Translated Conference Agenda Report available
25 January 2010
Conference Approval Track material available
1 March 2010
Regional report deadline
25 April–1 May 2010
World Service Conference 2010
WCNA-33
20–23 August 2009
WCNA 33 in Barcelona, Spain: Amor sin Fronteras, Love
without Borders
22 August 2009 World Unity Day ]]> Narcotics Anonymous - Substance Abuse Recovery dalin http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23995 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23994&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:04:02 GMT ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Honesty

"I know the biggest word for me in AA is 'honesty.'
I don't believe this program would work for me
if I didn't get honest with myself about everything.
Honesty is the easiest word for me to understand
because it is the exact opposite of what I've been doing
all my life.
Therefore, it will be the hardest to work on.
But I will never be totally honest -- that would make me perfect,
and none of us can claim to be perfect.
Only God is.
If I work on it every day, it will be easier
to be honest with myself.
Then getting and staying honest with other people
will come automatically.
I know I will be grateful for a chance to make amends
to everybody I have hurt in the past."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 482
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Honesty is the absence of the intent to deceive.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Honest, Open, Positive, Environment



************************************************** ******

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*


Structure of Service
From: Concept V:
Throughout our world service structure, a traditional Right of Appeal ought to prevail, thus assuring us that minority opinion will be heard and that petitions for the redress of personal grievances will be carefully considered."

We believe that the spirit of democracy in our Fellowship and in our world service structure will always survive, despite the counter forces which will no doubt continue to beat upon us. Fortunately we are not obliged to maintain a government that enforces conformity by inflicting punishments. We need to maintain only a structure of service that holds aloft our Traditions, that forms and executes our policies thereunder, and so steadily carries our message to those who suffer.

Hence we believe that we shall never be subjected to the tyranny of either the majority or the minority, provided we carefully define the relations between them and forthwith tread the path of world service in the spirit of our Twelve Steps, our Twelve Traditions, and our Conference Charter - in which I trust that we shall one day inscribe these traditional Rights of Appeal and Petition.

1962, AAWS, Twelve Concepts of World Service, pages 24-25


************************************************** ********
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*


"Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental
defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither
he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense
must come from a Higher Power."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 43~


************************************************** ********
Misc. AA Literature - Quote




Some of us still ask, 'Just what is this Third Legacy business anyhow? And just how much territory does 'service' take in?'
Let's begin with my own sponsor, Ebby. When Ebby heard how serious my drinking was, he resolved to visit me. He was in New York; I was in Brooklyn. His resolve was not enough; he had to take action and he had to spend money.
He called me on the phone and then got into the subway; total cost, ten cents. At the level of the telephone booth and subway turnstile, spirituality and money began to mix. One without the other would have amounted to nothing at all.
Right then and there, Ebby established the principle that A.A. in action calls for the sacrifice of much time and a little money.

************************************************** ********


Member Submitted Quote



Put your chip under your tongue and if it dissolves you can take another drink.

************************************************** *******


12 x 12 Quote

"Neither could AA itself function without fulltime workers. At the
Foundation and inter-group offices, we couldn't employ non-alcoholics
as secretaries; we had to have people who knew the AA pitch. But the
minute we hired them, the ultraconservative and fearful ones
shrilled, 'Professionalism!' At one period, the status of these
faithful servants was almost unbearable. They weren't asked to speak
at AA meetings because they were 'making money out of AA.' At times,
they were actually shunned by fellow members." (Twelve and Twelve,
Tradition Eight, pg. 168) ]]> Daily Recovery Readings thereishope http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23994 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23993&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:35:16 GMT For almost the last 12 months I have been with someone and I know our relationship is toxic and I have tried so many times to leave but have been unable to – I think it reached the end last night though. I believe I am co-dependent, my enabling... For almost the last 12 months I have been with someone and I know our relationship is toxic and I have tried so many times to leave but have been unable to – I think it reached the end last night though.

I believe I am co-dependent, my enabling behaviour isn’t around him being addicted to anything. He has social anxiety and agoraphobia and rather than help him overcome this I have helped him to become more and more insular – he is very much like a bird with a broken wing. I will do what he wants and never what I want to ensure that he never steps outside of his comfort zone. It means I will shop for him, he has never met any of my friends or family and I will go and support him wherever he needs to go.

He pushes boundaries and one of my issues is I have none so no matter how far he pushes, no matter how mean he is to me, no matter how much he makes me cry I still come back for more. He says jump and I pretty much ask how high? – When he wants me to leave because I am crowding him (we only see each other at weekends) I go, if he then wants me to come back because he’s lonely or bored I do. Sex has become violent – a part of me enjoys being humiliated sexually by him, I love his strength and force but even that has gone too far, but I can’t fight back – he’s 6’ 6” and weighs about 5 stone more than me so even when I try I can’t. We have a safety word for when it goes too far, but even that doesn’t work now.

I sound pathetic and a bit of a sap, I ask myself why I stay when it is simply unhealthy and bordering on abusive almost. There was a spark when we first met and I got hooked on the drama of it all. Last night he questioned how far he would push it and how I can’t stop him pushing the boundaries with me. I was at his last night and stayed the night – I got a couple of hours sleep on my own (he’s withdrawing from Seroxat and currently not working and not at university), I actually woke up alone feeling what we had wasn’t right anymore – as though the fact he wasn’t sleeping with me was a bigger issue than everything else, I unpacked my drawer with the little things I leave at his (hairdryer etc). Then he cane to bed – he was very odd. Saying he couldn’t stop his head racing, that he had angry thoughts, that he didn’t want me there and wished I hadn’t come over (he was the one who invited me), he said he felt like lashing out, hitting me. I still lay there beside him and tried to understand – he turned the light on and talked and held my hand and asked I talk to him and look at him. I did but I think I felt it was over.

This morning when I woke up (although I never really slept on his insistence of talking to him and looking at him) to get ready to go to work I think I knew I had to leave and never go back. I wiped the history off his computer browser I use, took my key to my place that he has on his keyring and left the one I have for his place. I said goodbye, he was half asleep, we hugged, kissed – I had tears in my eyes. He said he loved me, which hurt – I said it back, because I do love him even though he is awful to me and makes me feel awful. I left and haven’t been in touch. Over the next few weeks (although the next few days will be awful) I will need support to get me through this and need to be told I am doing the right thing, because right now I feel raw and hurt, numb and sad and very very weak. ]]> Co-Dependents Anonymous Hazel http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23993 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23992&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:28:32 GMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=othmF...eature=related ]]> janbear http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23992 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23991&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:59:27 GMT The Creative Power of My Thoughts Today, I recognize that I tend to produce in my life what I feel is true for myself. Thoughts have a creative power of their own. If I look closely, I can see my thoughts come to life. I create the possibility of... The Creative Power of My Thoughts

Today, I recognize that I tend to produce in my life what I feel is true for myself. Thoughts have a creative power of their own. If I look closely, I can see my thoughts come to life. I create the possibility of what I would like by first experiencing it in my mind. I will visualize what I would like to have in my life in my mind's eye. I will accept what I see in my inner eye as being there for me, and I will fully participate in my vision as if it were mine. I will be specific about what I see, smell, feel, and I will accept my inner vision as fully as possible. I will enjoy my vision, then let it go and move on in my day, releasing it with no thought of controlling it further. I will let it happen, if it is right for me, in God's time.

All good things are possible for me.

- Tian Dayton PhD ]]> Daily Recovery Readings janbear http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23991 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23990&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:04:29 GMT The original Cleveland, Ohio Narcotics Anonymous from 1963 had 13 Steps. I’d like to share them: “Narcotics Anonymous – the 13 Steps” 1. Admit the use of narcotics made my life seem more tolerable but the drug had become an undesirable... The original Cleveland, Ohio Narcotics Anonymous from 1963 had 13 Steps. I’d like to share them:

“Narcotics Anonymous – the 13 Steps”
1. Admit the use of narcotics made my life seem more tolerable but the drug had become an undesirable power over my life.

2. Came to realize that to face life without drugs I must develop an inner strength.

3. Made a decision to face the suffering of withdrawal.

4. Learn to accept my fears without drugs.

5. Find someone who had progressed thus far and who is able to assist me. (Sound a little familiar?)

6. Admit to the nature and depth of my addiction. (It’s amazing how it parallels but it’s not the same.)

7. Realized the seriousness of my shortcomings as I know them and accept the responsibility of facing them.

8. Admit before a group of NA members these same shortcomings and explain why I am trying to overcome them.

9. List for my own understanding all the persons I have hurt.

10. Take a daily inventory of my actions and admit to myself those that are contrary to good conscience.

11. Realize that to maintain freedom from drugs, I must share with others the experience in which I have benefited.

12. Determine a purpose in life and try with all the spiritual and physical power within me to move toward its fulfillment.

13. God help me. ]]> Narcotics Anonymous - Substance Abuse Recovery SHELLEY http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23990 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23989&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:50:54 GMT 3 days clean and bad w/d symptoms from the sedatives (ativan and ambien) which took all in all 11 times longer to get off of than I was on them. Mostly pain, depression, fatigue, headache and nausea; feel like I have the flu. I had mch worse... 3 days clean and bad w/d symptoms from the sedatives (ativan and ambien) which took all in all 11 times longer to get off of than I was on them. Mostly pain, depression, fatigue, headache and nausea; feel like I have the flu. I had mch worse symptoms when I was withdrawing faster including psychosis which I never had before so I slowed it down. I am glad to be drug free but know it is just the first step. Although I never abused the drug I developed all the psychological markers of addiction bc of the physical dependency. I lost a lot of weight in the ordeal--down to 88lbs. So the next order of business is to gain weight. Then maybe I can with a nourished body begin the steps. I was in Al-anon for 5 years so am familiar with them, albeit a distant memory, but addiction tore me away from the program. Just here for support and to learn.

Beth:16: ]]> Newcomers Recovery Help/Support BethD http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23989 http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23988&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:01:46 GMT ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
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Commitment

"No matter how much one wishes to try,
how can he turn his own will and his own life
over to the care of whatever God he thinks there is?
A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed.
Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock,
and have the door ever so slightly open,
we find that we can always open it some more."
c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 122
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Thought to Consider . . .

If you always do what you've always done,
you will always be where you've always been.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O W = Honest, Open, Willing



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*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*


Ingredient
From: "Me An Alcoholic?"
Here I found an ingredient that had been lacking in any other effort I had made to save myself. Here was - power! Here was power to live to the end of any given day, power to have the courage to face the next day, power to have friends, power to help people, power to be sane, power to stay sober. That was seven years ago - and many AA meetings ago - and I haven't had a drink during those seven years. Moreover, I am deeply convinced that so long as I continue to strive, in my bumbling way, toward the principles I first encountered in the earlier chapters of this book, this remarkable power will continue to flow through me. What is this power? With my AA friends, all I can say is that it's a Power greater than myself. If pressed, all I can do is follow the psalmist who said it long before me: "Be still, and know that I am God."

2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 386-387


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*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your
morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still
sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But
obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it
that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come
to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164~


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Misc. AA Literature - Quote




More than most people, I think, alcoholics want to know who they are, what this life is about,, whether they have a divine origin and an appointed destiny, and whether there is a system of cosmic justice and love.
It is the experience of many of us in the early stages of drinking to feel that we have had glimpses of the Absolute and a heightened feeling of identification with the cosmos. While these glimpses and feelings doubtless have a validity, they are deformed and finally swept away in the chemical, spiritual, and emotional damage wrought by the alcohol itself.
In A.A., and in many religious approaches, alcoholics find a great deal more of what they merely glimpsed and felt while trying to grope their way toward God in alcohol.


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Member Submitted Quote



Many say that when they look in the mirror they are seeing the problem. It could also be said that they are seeing the one now responsible for the solution to their problem also. - ( Lyle P. )

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12 x 12 Quote

"To my surprise, the response of the groups was slow. I got mighty
sore about it. Looking at this avalanche of mail one morning at the
office, I paced up and down ranting how irresponsible and tightwad my
fellow members were. Just then an old acquaintance stuck a tousled
and aching head in the door. He was our prize slippee. I could see he
had an awful hangover. Remembering some of my own, my heart filled
with pity. I motioned him to my inside cubicle and produced a five-
dollar bill. As my total income was thirty dollars a week at the
time, this was a fairly large donation. Lois really needed the money
for groceries, but that didn't stop me. The intense relief on my
friends face warmed my heart. I felt especially virtuous as I thought
of all the ex-drunks who wouldn't even send the Foundation a dollar
apiece, and here I was gladly making a five-dollar investment to fix
a hangover." (Twelve and Twelve, Tradition Seven, pg. 162) ]]> Daily Recovery Readings thereishope http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23988