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.
AA suggests an 11th step of prayer and meditation, so one can improve conscious contact with God. I think the word "improve" means we all, have some sort of conscious contact with God, the higher power, already.
The society within society also suggests that when praying, the person who identifies with their ideology of what alcoholism is, asks for the knowledge of God's will, and the power to carry that out.
That is exactly what I did today, and do each day, to the best of my ability, with the serenity prayer. "God grant me the serenity to accept that things I cannot change (my alcoholism), courage to change the things I can (anything outside of my alcoholism), and the wisdom to know the difference.
When I pray and meditate, in regards to my life plan of treating alcoholism, God seems to let me know whatever he wants me to know, and that can be everything or nothing, giving power of his own to, this idea that God is power, and it's ok to be powerless if you are being guided by him.
I was powerless over my idea that drinking was the best way to solve a problem in a day. Not only did my daily drinking not solve problems, it blinded me from solutions, or the great solution, which is, God's power.
The important point I found was God's power never leaves and is always there, however, I can do things of my own power, thinking I am more powerful than being powerless, and end up missing out on his great power and his great destiny for me, alcohol-free.
I think if you're a non-alcoholic, you're probably reading this and saying "wow, that's great weirdo", but if you suffer from alcoholism, and have treated it, you know exactly what I mean, and that I think is all that matters.
When I pray I pray with God in mind, and when I meditate, I pray prior, knowing, I'll know all I need to know, because I am doing the right thing. Some people say they struggle with meditation and how to pray, but I say just do it, especially if it feels uncomfortable, and if you keep doing it, you'll get the exact results you always wanted drinking, but never got.
When I first heard the serenity prayer it was at a CODA meeting so the accepting things I cannot change is more about accepting that we can't change other people, only ourselves. I like how all inclusive this prayer is. Although for me, as I don't say god, I use it as an affirmation or reminder.