I don't know how to begin my recovery, feel stagnant

[Doll]

I've been sober for a short time, and have been going to AA meetings. But I don't really feel like I've begun to recover. I'm just a drunk who happens to not be drinking. I stopped drinking, so now what? Isn't there more to recovery than just not drinking? What's next?

[Sugah]

Have you read the Big Book and asked anyone to sponsor you?

Peace & Love,
Sugah

[Suomi Poika]

Originally Posted by Doll

I've been sober for a short time, and have been going to AA meetings. But I don't really feel like I've begun to recover. I'm just a drunk who happens to not be drinking. I stopped drinking, so now what? Isn't there more to recovery than just not drinking? What's next?

There is so much more to sobriety than just not drinking. It unfortunately takes time to find a better life.

What's next? New activities. With that comes new friends. With that comes new happiness. With that, comes a whole new life.

That is a start. There is so much more. Don't give up. It takes time and a lot of effort, but it is worth it.

Stay sober, stay happy,
Toivo

[CarolD]

Hi Doll...

It took me about 2 months before I felt back
in balance mentally and physically.

Then...with the beginning of my AA Step work
I felt I really was on the way to recovery.


Be gentle with yourself...you are healing
Well done on your sober time!

[lizw]

Originally Posted by Sugah

Have you read the Big Book and asked anyone to sponsor you?

Peace & Love,
Sugah

That would be my question too.

[Doll]

Thanks guys!

I have a temporary sponsor. She's temporary because she is very busy with school and work and also will be on a long vacation during part of my crucial first 90 days. She asked if she would like me to sponsor her until I found someone more appropriate. So that's where I'm at with that.

I have started reading the big book, but I don't know how to work the steps by myself. I mostly read the stories in there.

I go to a meeting most days though so that helps. Today the meeting was about the 1st step, which really helped me. I felt like I was jumping into the middle before.

[Tazman53]

Doll you ask:

I stopped drinking, so now what? Isn't there more to recovery than just not drinking? What's next?

Learning how to LIVE life sober and not merely exist!!!!

In the chapter in the BB "How It Works" it says:

Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.

This is what I did next, I started to follow the path that was followed by recovered alcoholics in AA. Since this was a path I had never walked before I went to a lot of meetings after getting a temporary sponsor and listening to his suggestions. He told me that I should seek a man that not only talked the program, but lived the program, had what I wanted and that I felt I could trust and ask him to be my sponsor.

I don't know how to work the steps by myself.

Doll, my temporary sponsor advised me to study steps 10 & 11 and do my best to live them every day until I found a sponsor. A sponsor's primary purpose is to take the new person through the steps, the way they do that is by sharing thier ES&H and giving guidance in taking the steps.

Yes it is possible to take the steps by your self, but I can honestly attest that for me the worst person I could have had take me through the steps when I was new to AA & sobriety was me!

I have found the program of AA to be like a path with no end, the path I have found is far easier to follow if I follow some one who has been down the path before me and knows the way.

[AW2486]

Originally Posted by Doll

I have started reading the big book, but I don't know how to work the steps by myself. I mostly read the stories in there.

The stories are great for identification.. but the instructions on steps are in the first 103 pages. and its good to keep reading to page 164. Get a sponsor that knows the book that can guide you through it. You will feel much different than you feel now.

Best to you.

[espresso]

Agree with all the above suggestions. Give Time Time - I know it's frustrating cos I know I wanted to feel well immediately...Just don't pick up that first drink, one day at a time.
:ghug2

[Dean62]

A good description of step one is found on the first page of "More about alcoholism". Before chapter one you will find "The doctors Opinion" wich describes what it is to be an alocholic, step one. Experiencing step one was when I first felt like I was in recover rather then just not drinking.