Hi Nicky! I'm feeling good!! Soo good lately (after completing Step 5) that I haven't been feeling the need for meetings. I'd be curious to find out if this is something that is common after all of the emotions of Step 4 and 5?

Thanks!

hey kate thats fantastic that you are feeling good and great news that you have completed steps 4 and 5.

In relation to your question - think it can be common that a great deal of relief can be felt after getting step4 done and sharing step5. Also these are the steps where we begin to take action and start to change so start to feel different.

However I think it is dangerous for me to think i am feeling good so dont need meetings, for several reasons.

Step4 and 5 give us relief which is temporary, what we are looking for is release which can be permanent so it is vital we carry on going to meetings and get on with rest of steps immediately. Step 6 and 7 should be done straight after step5 (as per the BB) and then amends after that. So we need to be continuing with our recovery with the same vigour that we did before step4/5.

It is fantastic when we start to not feel we "need" meetings to stay sober - the meetings dont do that anyway and as we start to rely more on God and less on meetings and ourselves and others we know we are moving forward in recovery. However as this happens we start to make the transition from, going to meetings to receive what we need, to going to meetings to give to others. You have a great message to carry and it will make a big difference to newcomers to hear you share your experiences. You have a lot of hope to give. Carrying the message and working with other alcoholics is a vital part of staying sober and meetings are the best place to do it.

I definitely go to less meetings now than I did before I finished my first go through the 12 steps but I still go to carry the message.

Think what you are feeling is probably quite common but dont let faulty thinking fool you. There are 12 steps for a reason, we are not recovered after step5. Even though we may start to feel the benefits of recovery there is still work to do. And we always need meetings - first to hear the message of recovery and then to carry it to others.

Hope this doesnt sound too much like a lecture but I have seen so many people start to feel better after working a few of the steps, think they are therefore ok to drop meetings, and end up drinking because they never finished the program, had a spiritual experience and got to carry the message to others.

Keep up the step work and meetings and how you feel now will get better and better. Well done for all the work so far! xx

Hey nicky, good idea. helping others is what this is about.

(((()NICKY))))) Didn't sound like a lecture at all! Great ideas, thank you very much

I too felt great after 4 and 5, but my sponsor did quickly remind me that we cannot afford to rest on our laurels...so off to the other steps, including 9, 10 and 11 !!!
She always right on!

Thank to all of you! You are right, it's funny I started to feel a little crappy today....didn't want to drink, but felt my alcoholic mind thinking and spinning around me. Got to a meeting as soon as I could.

It felt great!!!

Hey Nicky, I kind of thought that there wasn't alot new on here too but I think sometimes I feel bad when I start a post as think others think 'here she goes again' but in reality that is silly.

Now, when I need to, I will :) As you quite rightly said in another posting, we are all here to help one another and to carry the message.