That may be true, but it sounds like you have what I got.

It must be contagious cause it sounds like what I got too. Thanks for bein one of the ones to tell me what to do about it Nicky. :)

Cool-

Have you found a tendency of some AAs to try to destroy parts of that?

The only thing I have across the board in common with other alcoholics is the alcohol reaction. Even our programs vary.

I am unique and relish it....I am not just a recovering alcoholic.

LOL...the old part of me says "Bring it!"

Peace and sobriety to all

yes! We Agree on This! Hugs Nicky

I get confused on the whole powerless over the 1st or 2nd drink. If an alcoholic takes the first drink he/she is powerless of the next 10 or 20? After the first drink your thinking has been impaired, even if only slightly. To me it makes sense once impaired your decision making abilities are diminished. Once impaired we just do what we want which is drink. Knowing this why would a reasonable person with a sound unimpaired mind decide to drink? It seemed to me when i was drinking, it was the first drink I was powerless over. I drank it knowing how it was likely to end. Over and over and over again, I took that first drink.

Jan,

Being powerless over that first drink is the result of a mental obsession for alcohol. The problem is that the first drink leads to a physical craving in the body for more alcohol. This craving gets stronger with each drink and it explains why no matter how many drinks an alcoholic takes, it is rarely enough; it can often be too much but rarely enough.

The physical craving can never develop if the first drink is not taken. Therefore, the solution to the problem is in the mind - the removal of the obsession for alcohol. For the obsession to be removed and not come back, something has to change in the mind. There is more than one way to bring about this change, but programmes that use some form of moral psychology have been found to work where everything else failed. This means bringing about a complete readjustment and change in attitudes, values, opinions and outlooks.

Taking that first drink over and over again, knowing how it was going to end, but expecting it to be different this time is the insanity of alcoholism.

Hmm...kinda like my mind is working me over today. I've been thinking about how nice it would to just drink myself to sleep. Total relaxation. Instead I've been bummed and getting my butt kicked with anxiety. Now, if I was at peace...I wouldn't be thinking so much about the relief of alcohol. It seems to me to be a response to physical discomfort more then obsession of the mind. Of course, it is my mind that caused the discomfort which manifests itself physically. arrgh

In the big book it describes what I think you are saying as being "restless, irritable and discontent unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks"

Problems are problems. Things happen to people that are not the same and make it look like we are experiencing different problems.

However, the real problem in us all is the same. We are all identified with our minds and cannot get out of the conditioned thinking and emotional patterns that the mind puts out from moment to moment.

The ego is culturally trained and conditioned. Its the software that is installed in us through the culture we are born into. The ego is programmed by the society you are brought up in and so each ego has much in common with every other ego.

The ego is made up of conditioned patterns of thought and emotion, and these lead to behavior.

While some of us may have more well trained patterns of control, the thoughts and emotions that result from the ego are quite similar for people who come from a particular society.

As long as a person identifies with their mind, they will be at the beck and call of the mind and its patterns. While some people have greater control based patterns (that keep them from harming others) they are still at the mercy of the mind and its mechanisms.

This is the one problem that underlies all of humanities difficulties-identification with mind and not knowing that there is a way out.

Freedom from the mind is the solution. To learn to become free of the mind through the practice of observing the mind is often considered to be a spiritual journey.

Start today to become free of the mind and its conditioned patterns that hold reign over you.

Learn to free yourself of the one underlying problem that we all have no matter what society we grow up in.

Become aware.

Basdist.....wow. How?