
Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.

deleted_user
We alcoholics/addicts drink/use for one reason and one reason only: an inability or lack of willingness to deal with our feelings. Behind every drink/drug we take there is some feeling that we are avoiding, driving us to look for some form of release or escape. That's way, when I sponsor people, I'm extremely reluctant to make any kind of mention of the word "disease." It gives the false impression of an outside malevolent force trying to work its way into our lives and thus often leads to exaggerated feelings of anxiety, paranoia, and helplessness, none of which of course are very beneficial to our recovery. The key, then, to developing a solid and lasting foundation for sobriety is making a steadfast commitment to deal with all of our feelings all day every day, regardless of how unpleasant or difficult those feelings may be. For most of us, this takes a tremendous amount of work, for most of us have grown up in homes where feelings were never discussed and where we were often shamed for having feelings. The more you practice learning how to identify and deal with feelings the easier it becomes to (a) identify them and (b) sit with them w/o self-destructing. Accomplish this most critical of all recovery skills and you've made a huge step forward towards "happy, joyous, and free."
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theatre and I are there already. I'm having a very berry tea with crackers, cheese and cherry tomatoes and she's having a joint with some beer and we're both on really comfy recliners on thick pile carpet. we need some help with the decor if anyone is around??
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I'm trying to exercise daily. I was doing fairly well until I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago but now I'm getting back on the horse. Today I walked over a mile with my arm weights that are about 22lbs total. I was out of shape and it was hard on my arms. I also did my 30 situps. I'm also going to drink a lot of water and try to eat healthy. I do tend to have a sweet tooth but I'm cutting...
I'm not fighting, just giving my opinion. I really like a lot of what you said. =)
For me, the "absence" of a sense of responsibility for the consequences of getting loaded might have bothered e at some point in my drinking. But i would just drink and drug right on through that too. Did i feel hopeless over the effects of alcohol on me... hell no.
Did i ever have control of my drinking.. I think so..for about 5 minutes once !
Many people that come to AA are not alcoholics and thus do not need the kind of help and support of such an organization.
I am that way when it comes to drugs.
I put it down and Nancy Reaghans program worked for me. Just say no!
And i haven't had a desire nor a mental obsession about it since.
Booze on the other hand was a different cat..
When i would drink, I had no idea how long I was gonna drink for. I didn't know when the blackouts would happen (2 drinks , eight drinks whatever)..
I just knew that I loved the effects of alcohol on my spirit.
It was not until I was told by an aunt of mine at the age of 13 that I was even aware that a lot of the men in our family struggle with booze. My aunt told me to go to AA if booze ever became a problem for me, just like my twin cousins did before me.
Those twins woudl have celebrated 30 years sober together this Sunday except one of them passed away a few weeks ago.
Those guys showed me how to reconcile my life thru the 12 steps of AA. They never told me I was an alkie because of my alkie father or grnadfather..
They just showed me by their example what AA did for them..
These two guys sobered up in two differnt jails on the same night and felt they were done drinking after 40 years of it.. They experienced jails/ institutions / hospitals. near death experiences..
The twins got sober in AA when AA did NOT care about your FEELINGS..
They cared if you recovered from the effects of this disease.
They showed countless other skid row drunks how they too could get some hope and dignity back in their lives..
They were taught how to clean up the wreckage of their past.. And believe me you, if you are a REAL alcoholic of my tyrp, there is plenty of wreckage that needed to be cleaned up and there was a lot of support and guidance needed by me to be able to do that.
Not every one needs AA nor do i think the 12 steps are for everyone..
They just happened to have been presented to me by my Aunt ( non AA and non alanon at that) because she cared enough to tell me the truth.
I am forever grateful for that day..
I amforever grateful to AA and those that taught me how to reconcile my life and become a useful member of society.
I amforever grateful that I was given an popportunity to grow into a relationship with the God of my understanding at such a young age.
Fir without the 12 steps,and specifically step NINE,, I would never have been given the opportunity to help my mother in law, when she was dieing from Lou Gehrigs disease, make the amends in her life that were filling her with resentment and shame for so many years.
i was able to do this before she lost her voice and she was able to tell my wife how sorry she was for blaming her (9 yrs old at the time) for her fathers affairs..
I owe that to AA and the process of the steps.
I am grateful for the friends I have made in AA that have walked with me in times of joy and carried me in the tough times..
There are giants in AA and I am blessed to be related to two of them.
Many on this board are well respected members of AA I suspect. They carry a message of hope for some sick puke like me when i need a mental uplift.
So I say to them, please stay here and help a sick puke like me to not go back to a state of "dis"ease.
God bless
botbotcoco
www.londonppbbs.com