My Name IS .
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Location: glasgow scotland
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My Name IS .
1973 1ST AA meeting , my name is Stevie I am an alcoholic .
22 months off booze , then drunk .
1975 My name is Stevie and I am an alcoholic , for next 20 yrs ''dry drunk alcoholic '' then 1 night stand drunk in secret , then 12 yrs secret drinking making out still sober for 32 yrs dry drunk severe emotional and mental disorders , 32 yrs no prog , selfish to the core ..
12 march 2006 , sponsor, steps effort , my name is Stevie I am an alcoholic , 2007 my name is Stevie and I am a ''recovering alcoholic '' .
2014 My name is Stevie and I am a RECOVERED ALCOHOLIC !!.
Intro to Big Book .
Stories of men and women who have ''recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body ''
I say at every AA or CA meeting I attend or when being introduced to newcomer I say my name is Stevie and I am a recovered alcoholic , I am not hesitant or embarrassed by saying so , the reason I say it is its a ''statement '' of the fact that AA lays it on the line what the 12 step recovery program can do .
All the years in and around thousands of meetings I think I may have heard ''recovering alcoholic '' which was not the 'normal '' where I live , many dry alkies shook head including me and ridiculed in private .
Today still very much in minority I hear ''recovered '' why is that ? is it because AA' ers who have had a promised ''spiritual awakening '' are to shy /scared / uncomfortable ? or do they justify not saying recovered by telling themselves '' I Keep it Simple ?'' or do they not believe they are recovered ? recovered means ''got well '' .
My two cents is I believe that any member that has had a spiritual awakening through the 12 steps is ''recovered ''as the ''Big Book'' says . It is not a ''common ''statement here in Scotland it is ''uncommon '' though improving slightly , it calls for a change in ''perspective and attitude '' I believe , the more AA s that claim it then the more confident others will be then it will be an expected declaration instead of unexpected , I say it and I can see some people looking at me with whatever is in their mind .
By not declaring ''I am recovered ?'' is this watering down ? selling AA short ? , would claiming recovered make ''attraction '' more attractive and give newcomers more hope and belief , and stop them mentally saying to themselves '' what an order I cant go through with and staying discouraged '' because they have never heard any member claiming ''recovered '' as it says in the opening paragraph in the Big Book do they not ''believe it ''
I see many heads turning because I sometimes sit deliberately near the back , and when I say ''recovered '' heads turn ? it is an ''unusual statement .
I go to CA 'big book study '' once a week where every single thing is based exactly as if in AA , different tables , doctors opinion , into action , how it works , agnostics table etc , you would not believe the amount of CA members who claim '' recovered '' and you can see it , sponsorship is rife , 12 step program is ''' top of agenda '' at every meeting , it is a pleasure to attend that meeting , not exaggerating , but last week there were more ''recovered '' members in the room , I think some others felt ''out of place ha ha '' honestly they have '' got it right , others see it and want what they have , the message is being carried and past on again and again exactly as the Big Book lays it out .
Ouch !!! this is 2016 , maybe AA in Scotland ought to get their act together ? what do ''recovered alcoholics '' on here think ? or others aiming for being recovered think ? .
Stevie recovered 12 03 2006 .
words are easy music is much harder
22 months off booze , then drunk .
1975 My name is Stevie and I am an alcoholic , for next 20 yrs ''dry drunk alcoholic '' then 1 night stand drunk in secret , then 12 yrs secret drinking making out still sober for 32 yrs dry drunk severe emotional and mental disorders , 32 yrs no prog , selfish to the core ..
12 march 2006 , sponsor, steps effort , my name is Stevie I am an alcoholic , 2007 my name is Stevie and I am a ''recovering alcoholic '' .
2014 My name is Stevie and I am a RECOVERED ALCOHOLIC !!.
Intro to Big Book .
Stories of men and women who have ''recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body ''
I say at every AA or CA meeting I attend or when being introduced to newcomer I say my name is Stevie and I am a recovered alcoholic , I am not hesitant or embarrassed by saying so , the reason I say it is its a ''statement '' of the fact that AA lays it on the line what the 12 step recovery program can do .
All the years in and around thousands of meetings I think I may have heard ''recovering alcoholic '' which was not the 'normal '' where I live , many dry alkies shook head including me and ridiculed in private .
Today still very much in minority I hear ''recovered '' why is that ? is it because AA' ers who have had a promised ''spiritual awakening '' are to shy /scared / uncomfortable ? or do they justify not saying recovered by telling themselves '' I Keep it Simple ?'' or do they not believe they are recovered ? recovered means ''got well '' .
My two cents is I believe that any member that has had a spiritual awakening through the 12 steps is ''recovered ''as the ''Big Book'' says . It is not a ''common ''statement here in Scotland it is ''uncommon '' though improving slightly , it calls for a change in ''perspective and attitude '' I believe , the more AA s that claim it then the more confident others will be then it will be an expected declaration instead of unexpected , I say it and I can see some people looking at me with whatever is in their mind .
By not declaring ''I am recovered ?'' is this watering down ? selling AA short ? , would claiming recovered make ''attraction '' more attractive and give newcomers more hope and belief , and stop them mentally saying to themselves '' what an order I cant go through with and staying discouraged '' because they have never heard any member claiming ''recovered '' as it says in the opening paragraph in the Big Book do they not ''believe it ''
I see many heads turning because I sometimes sit deliberately near the back , and when I say ''recovered '' heads turn ? it is an ''unusual statement .
I go to CA 'big book study '' once a week where every single thing is based exactly as if in AA , different tables , doctors opinion , into action , how it works , agnostics table etc , you would not believe the amount of CA members who claim '' recovered '' and you can see it , sponsorship is rife , 12 step program is ''' top of agenda '' at every meeting , it is a pleasure to attend that meeting , not exaggerating , but last week there were more ''recovered '' members in the room , I think some others felt ''out of place ha ha '' honestly they have '' got it right , others see it and want what they have , the message is being carried and past on again and again exactly as the Big Book lays it out .
Ouch !!! this is 2016 , maybe AA in Scotland ought to get their act together ? what do ''recovered alcoholics '' on here think ? or others aiming for being recovered think ? .
Stevie recovered 12 03 2006 .
words are easy music is much harder
voices ca**y
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: St. Paul Minnesota
Posts: 4,359
Originally Posted by dsmaxis10 
You can recover from a gunshot wound only to be shot again.
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To me "recovered" suggest a fixed end point. Sort of like a lake that a river pours into. "Recovering" to me suggests a process, a continuum, a journey where I constantly move from the known to the unknown. I will never know all there is, nor will I be prepared for every single possibility in life therefore recovery helps me to meet each challenge as it comes. If someone, an alcoholic comes to me and says they are "recovered", I won't contradict them but to me its like someone coming along and saying they are enlightened, they have arrived at the destination.
Just a thought. Cheers Stevie.
Just a thought. Cheers Stevie.
Psalm 118:24
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ILLINOIS
Posts: 15,203
Originally Posted by dsmaxis10
You can recover from a gunshot wound only to be shot again.
I like that!!
I believe what it says on page 85 in the big book
We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual ...conditioning
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
This is an interesting topic Stevie, and a wee bit fraught. Like a lot of us, early on, the guys in the meeting told me "I need never drink again". That sounded pretty permanent. Then the big book's first promise "How many thousands of men and women have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body" I'll buy that I thought 
Later it explains what is meant by recovered in the ninth and tenth step promises and the many advantages including having recovered and having the power to help others. And To Employers, recovered alcholics offer advantages too.
The distinction I see drawn by many is that life is part of alcoholism, and our alcoholism causes us to react differently to other people and we never recover from this. Silkworth didn't buy that and neither do I. I no longer suffer from alcoholism, alcohol no longer has any influence over my life just as was promised.
But I am still a flawed human. At certain times I react badly to life, I become blocked. If I behave badly it is because I am being a selfish sh1t, not because of any active disease. I can no longer use alcoholism as an excuse for bad behaviour, because I have recovered from that hopeless state of mind and body.
I chose not to confuse life and spiritual growth with recovery from alcoholism. Life and spiritual growth are only possible as the result of recovery from alcholism
Like all other people on earth, my journey is one of continuing growth and learning, deeply enhanced by what I have learned in AA and as a result of AA. This never stops. What did stop was my suffering.
In introducing myself I am usually just an alcoholic. If a meeting generally uses recovered or if another member does, I might do the same. But I know it upsets some people and maybe might distract them from the real message I am there to deliver.
When I hear recovering, unless it is from someone new who is still working through the steps for the first time, I wonder how attractive it looks. Someone who has been in 20 years and announces they still haven't recovered, throws the credibility of the big book, and therefore the entire program, into doubt in my view.
An employer friend of mine rang AA once to see if a recovered member could come and talk to one of his staff. The person on the phone stated that none was available as we are all recovering, never recovered. He thought that kinda ridiculous.
Then there is the inconsistency, you need never drink again, but you can never recover, as it appears to the newcomer. I am sober just for today is another one. What? You mean I am going to be walking on eggshells the rest of my life believeing that tomorrow may be the day I pick up? That is hardly a message of hope.
The big book asks us on page 90 to introduce oursleves as somone who has recovered. Imagine how silly it would be if that passage read 'Attention should be drawn to you as someone who hasn't recovered". ( You can't be recovered and recovering at the same time)
I really think there are a variety of factors steering us away from what the big book has to say on this matter. There is of course the input of the treatment industry and therapists, always up for repeat business. There is a kind of false humilty. A sort of superstition that we might jinx ourselves. A forgetting that in step three we promised to bear witness to God's power. An element of fear, and perhaps a normal human desire to let popularity sneak in just ahead of principles, and finally the misinformation that AA is all about just staying sober for today.
I know it upsets some people. I introduced myself as recovered in a meeting and this great big scary guy, fairly new, came up to me afterwards and angrily told me it wasn't possible to be recovered. He was right in so far as he was concerned, he was drunk the next day.
Maybe he would have reacted differently had we had a little more unity around the big book on this subject. As it was, some of us said he could recover some of us said he couldn't, and his experience to date was that he couldn't. Maybe we just reinforced his belief in his own failure?
Later it explains what is meant by recovered in the ninth and tenth step promises and the many advantages including having recovered and having the power to help others. And To Employers, recovered alcholics offer advantages too.
The distinction I see drawn by many is that life is part of alcoholism, and our alcoholism causes us to react differently to other people and we never recover from this. Silkworth didn't buy that and neither do I. I no longer suffer from alcoholism, alcohol no longer has any influence over my life just as was promised.
But I am still a flawed human. At certain times I react badly to life, I become blocked. If I behave badly it is because I am being a selfish sh1t, not because of any active disease. I can no longer use alcoholism as an excuse for bad behaviour, because I have recovered from that hopeless state of mind and body.
I chose not to confuse life and spiritual growth with recovery from alcoholism. Life and spiritual growth are only possible as the result of recovery from alcholism
Like all other people on earth, my journey is one of continuing growth and learning, deeply enhanced by what I have learned in AA and as a result of AA. This never stops. What did stop was my suffering.
In introducing myself I am usually just an alcoholic. If a meeting generally uses recovered or if another member does, I might do the same. But I know it upsets some people and maybe might distract them from the real message I am there to deliver.
When I hear recovering, unless it is from someone new who is still working through the steps for the first time, I wonder how attractive it looks. Someone who has been in 20 years and announces they still haven't recovered, throws the credibility of the big book, and therefore the entire program, into doubt in my view.
An employer friend of mine rang AA once to see if a recovered member could come and talk to one of his staff. The person on the phone stated that none was available as we are all recovering, never recovered. He thought that kinda ridiculous.
Then there is the inconsistency, you need never drink again, but you can never recover, as it appears to the newcomer. I am sober just for today is another one. What? You mean I am going to be walking on eggshells the rest of my life believeing that tomorrow may be the day I pick up? That is hardly a message of hope.
The big book asks us on page 90 to introduce oursleves as somone who has recovered. Imagine how silly it would be if that passage read 'Attention should be drawn to you as someone who hasn't recovered". ( You can't be recovered and recovering at the same time)
I really think there are a variety of factors steering us away from what the big book has to say on this matter. There is of course the input of the treatment industry and therapists, always up for repeat business. There is a kind of false humilty. A sort of superstition that we might jinx ourselves. A forgetting that in step three we promised to bear witness to God's power. An element of fear, and perhaps a normal human desire to let popularity sneak in just ahead of principles, and finally the misinformation that AA is all about just staying sober for today.
I know it upsets some people. I introduced myself as recovered in a meeting and this great big scary guy, fairly new, came up to me afterwards and angrily told me it wasn't possible to be recovered. He was right in so far as he was concerned, he was drunk the next day.
Maybe he would have reacted differently had we had a little more unity around the big book on this subject. As it was, some of us said he could recover some of us said he couldn't, and his experience to date was that he couldn't. Maybe we just reinforced his belief in his own failure?
I could see peace instead of this
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Canada, eh
Posts: 2,360
Originally Posted by CAPTAINZING2000
I like that!!
I believe what it says on page 85 in the big book
We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual ...conditioning
I believe what it says on page 85 in the big book
We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual ...conditioning
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 7,242
thank you for your post, Mike, and your continued writing on this.
it's crucial, as far as i'm concerned.
as many here know, i got sober in a secular way and with secular peer support. no way no how was i ever going to do that program where you just stay sober for today and that's all you ever get and the best you can hope for is to not drink today and of course you will always be "in recovery".
i didn't look at a Big Book until about three years or so sober, and that was more or less accidental. i'd gone to a used-book store looking for something else, and the BB was there, cheap, and i decided if i was going to keep disdaining this weird AA, it would be smart to read the book and know what i was talking about.
i started with the foreword to the first edition(i have a methodical streak).
wow.
the book was going to tell me precisely how these people had recovered.
wow.
they had recovered!
i knew then that i was full of misconceptions and misunderstandings. i knew, also, that i just might be able to check this thing out and not have to give up on my intention to never drink again
it's crucial, as far as i'm concerned.
as many here know, i got sober in a secular way and with secular peer support. no way no how was i ever going to do that program where you just stay sober for today and that's all you ever get and the best you can hope for is to not drink today and of course you will always be "in recovery".
i didn't look at a Big Book until about three years or so sober, and that was more or less accidental. i'd gone to a used-book store looking for something else, and the BB was there, cheap, and i decided if i was going to keep disdaining this weird AA, it would be smart to read the book and know what i was talking about.
i started with the foreword to the first edition(i have a methodical streak).
wow.
the book was going to tell me precisely how these people had recovered.
wow.
they had recovered!
i knew then that i was full of misconceptions and misunderstandings. i knew, also, that i just might be able to check this thing out and not have to give up on my intention to never drink again
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: glasgow scotland
Posts: 1,004
My thinking over past couple of weeks /months has been fixed on recovered .
Its often said that we are judged by our actions our visible behavior maybe visible involvements .
Few years ago my next statement I would have regarded as ''Sacrilege '' .
And I guess maybe I am not alone , but I would like to make it plain that at the end of the day ? does it really matter? as I will be eternally grateful .
I am not going to highlight instances, but warts and all .
'' Had Bill Wilson recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body ? ''
Regards Stevie recovered 12 03 2006 .
The mind is like a parachute it only functions when its open
Its often said that we are judged by our actions our visible behavior maybe visible involvements .
Few years ago my next statement I would have regarded as ''Sacrilege '' .
And I guess maybe I am not alone , but I would like to make it plain that at the end of the day ? does it really matter? as I will be eternally grateful .
I am not going to highlight instances, but warts and all .
'' Had Bill Wilson recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body ? ''
Regards Stevie recovered 12 03 2006 .
The mind is like a parachute it only functions when its open
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: glasgow scotland
Posts: 1,004
Seems that did not go down well like a lead balloon, as it was never intended to be a slight on Bill W I will be eternally grateful for his foresight and the tremendous effort he personally put into Alcoholics Anonymous and of course the Big Book , many others also put in a tremendous contribution to the foundation of our fellowship .
Reason I posted that comment is it is and only my personal opinion that Bill W certainly had a spiritual experience as the result of the steps , but for whatever reason maybe at the outset he practiced the principles in all his affairs , then later for whatever reason he got involved practices outside AA , maybe his reasons ( i don't know ) where to help medicine find help with alcoholism which I think they probably where .
Taking that into consideration I feel it would be impossible to say he ''recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body '' with mind altering substances , that's all I was meaning , I was just curious to see how other AA members felt about this . We are not saints and its advised not to put people on pedestals , I certainly put him on one for a very long time , I still look up to him and I believe the world would be worse off if Bill W and Dr Bob hadn't done what they did . take care
Regards Stevie .recovered 12 03 2006 .
mind is like a parachute it only functions when its open
Reason I posted that comment is it is and only my personal opinion that Bill W certainly had a spiritual experience as the result of the steps , but for whatever reason maybe at the outset he practiced the principles in all his affairs , then later for whatever reason he got involved practices outside AA , maybe his reasons ( i don't know ) where to help medicine find help with alcoholism which I think they probably where .
Taking that into consideration I feel it would be impossible to say he ''recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body '' with mind altering substances , that's all I was meaning , I was just curious to see how other AA members felt about this . We are not saints and its advised not to put people on pedestals , I certainly put him on one for a very long time , I still look up to him and I believe the world would be worse off if Bill W and Dr Bob hadn't done what they did . take care
Regards Stevie .recovered 12 03 2006 .
mind is like a parachute it only functions when its open
paradox
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 665
A potential newcomer's impression of this controversy has been mentioned.
By announcing ourselves as recovered or recovering, are we not being unnecessarily willful?
I am an alcoholic -- plain and simple.
I say that for myself as well as for others.
Recovering? Recovered? It matters not to me or to the still-suffering alcoholic.
We all need to check our motives from time to time.
Are we really helping anyone, other than ourselves, by recalling this controversy every time we introduce ourselves?
The Big Book says what it says on the subject.
Do we really need to amplify or debate this issue?
Yes we have recovered from a hopeless state.
We now have hope.
And we have a contingent daily reprieve.
We still have maintenance work to do.
I would respectfully disagree.
Recovered and recovering?
Is that an irreconcilable paradox?
Well it certainly isn't a piece of cake.
In more ways than one.
So, I'll continue to embrace both sides of this issue.
Call it a position of neutrality.
Nevertheless, with all due respect to Stevie, I do find that announcing oneself as either recovering or recovered gives the impression of an unnecessary affectation.
But, what do i know?
I am simply an alcoholic, amongst others.
By announcing ourselves as recovered or recovering, are we not being unnecessarily willful?
I am an alcoholic -- plain and simple.
I say that for myself as well as for others.
Recovering? Recovered? It matters not to me or to the still-suffering alcoholic.
We all need to check our motives from time to time.
Are we really helping anyone, other than ourselves, by recalling this controversy every time we introduce ourselves?
Originally Posted by Gottalife
This is an interesting topic Stevie, and a wee bit fraught.
Do we really need to amplify or debate this issue?
Yes we have recovered from a hopeless state.
We now have hope.
And we have a contingent daily reprieve.
We still have maintenance work to do.
Originally Posted by Gottalife
( You can't be recovered and recovering at the same time)
Recovered and recovering?
Is that an irreconcilable paradox?
Well it certainly isn't a piece of cake.
In more ways than one.
So, I'll continue to embrace both sides of this issue.
Call it a position of neutrality.
Nevertheless, with all due respect to Stevie, I do find that announcing oneself as either recovering or recovered gives the impression of an unnecessary affectation.
But, what do i know?
I am simply an alcoholic, amongst others.
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Location: glasgow scotland
Posts: 1,004
Hi Dox .
I will explain later on if this thread remains active , personally my experience is that dry , alcoholic , recovering alcoholic, and recovered alcoholic are all different , and spiritual awakening and recovered alcoholic are also different , that is my experience to date .
Heard a very wise thing years ago which I have found very very helpful ..
Imagine a square room with a table with rows of chairs facing the front of the table , if someone sitting at table holds up a teacup in front of him with his view of the handle being on his right , the rows of people opposite will view it has on their left , people sitting on the right and left side seated will see it differently , the people on the right side will say the handle is in the middle , whereas the people on the left side will say they cannot see a handle .
That's four different views and each one is correct as the person sees it , point is realizing and accepting that other people see things differently .
Every person in the room would need to sit in all four positions to experience the different slant , which is as I see it the same as growth and progress and moving along in AA , many a time I said I was right at one time and I was for me , then I grew and thought differently then same again and again till today , take care .
Regards Stevie recovered 12 03 2006 .
If a man hears a different drum ? let him march to the drummer he hears
I will explain later on if this thread remains active , personally my experience is that dry , alcoholic , recovering alcoholic, and recovered alcoholic are all different , and spiritual awakening and recovered alcoholic are also different , that is my experience to date .
Heard a very wise thing years ago which I have found very very helpful ..
Imagine a square room with a table with rows of chairs facing the front of the table , if someone sitting at table holds up a teacup in front of him with his view of the handle being on his right , the rows of people opposite will view it has on their left , people sitting on the right and left side seated will see it differently , the people on the right side will say the handle is in the middle , whereas the people on the left side will say they cannot see a handle .
That's four different views and each one is correct as the person sees it , point is realizing and accepting that other people see things differently .
Every person in the room would need to sit in all four positions to experience the different slant , which is as I see it the same as growth and progress and moving along in AA , many a time I said I was right at one time and I was for me , then I grew and thought differently then same again and again till today , take care .
Regards Stevie recovered 12 03 2006 .
If a man hears a different drum ? let him march to the drummer he hears
paradox
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 665
Thanks, Stevie.
I was thinking whilst doing some chores that I might have been a little too opinionated.
I need to remember that my opinion means nothing.
I have nothing against those who say they are recovered or recovering.
There are those who claim either or both.
We all can learn from each other, regardless.
I still fail to see the reasoning behind introducing oneself at a meeting as anything other than alcoholic --
even if that person perceives vast differences, or levels of sobriety, denoted by the terms: recovered and recovering.
I have lived under many labels, been born under a bad sign.
The only label that has been accepted wholeheartedly by myself is "alcoholic".
It is the one label that I feel is important to remember -- to own.
Reminds me of step 1.
So, I say it out loud in a group of other alcoholics.
We can all accept that.
I accept that "recovered alcoholic" may hold similar significance to some, such as yourself.
Perhaps, others' perceptions of that term are unimportant.
Those calling themselves: "recovering alcoholic" find that term helps them as well.
Maybe we all need our perceptions jogged now and then.
AA is a good place to flex our acceptance.
One of the many reasons to keep coming back.
Take care.
I was thinking whilst doing some chores that I might have been a little too opinionated.
I need to remember that my opinion means nothing.
I have nothing against those who say they are recovered or recovering.
There are those who claim either or both.
We all can learn from each other, regardless.
I still fail to see the reasoning behind introducing oneself at a meeting as anything other than alcoholic --
even if that person perceives vast differences, or levels of sobriety, denoted by the terms: recovered and recovering.
I have lived under many labels, been born under a bad sign.
The only label that has been accepted wholeheartedly by myself is "alcoholic".
It is the one label that I feel is important to remember -- to own.
Reminds me of step 1.
So, I say it out loud in a group of other alcoholics.
We can all accept that.
I accept that "recovered alcoholic" may hold similar significance to some, such as yourself.
Perhaps, others' perceptions of that term are unimportant.
Those calling themselves: "recovering alcoholic" find that term helps them as well.
Maybe we all need our perceptions jogged now and then.
AA is a good place to flex our acceptance.
One of the many reasons to keep coming back.
Take care.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 7,242
Recovering? Recovered? It matters not to me or to the still-suffering alcoholic.
We all need to check our motives from time to time
Are we really helping anyone, other than ourselves, by recalling this controversy every time we introduce ourselves?
i can't agree that it doesn't matter to a still-suffering alcoholic. i was one of those, and if i'd thought i could never be recovered, that no-one out there was or is recovered,....i wouldn't have tried to recover. i might have quit drinking, but i wouldn't have tried for anything else.
but as far as introductions at my meeting, we're alcoholics, no qualifiers.
as a new person what gave me hope is that recovery is possible and doable. luckily for me, what i read was/is very clear on that. in the original literature.
We all need to check our motives from time to time
Are we really helping anyone, other than ourselves, by recalling this controversy every time we introduce ourselves?
i can't agree that it doesn't matter to a still-suffering alcoholic. i was one of those, and if i'd thought i could never be recovered, that no-one out there was or is recovered,....i wouldn't have tried to recover. i might have quit drinking, but i wouldn't have tried for anything else.
but as far as introductions at my meeting, we're alcoholics, no qualifiers.
as a new person what gave me hope is that recovery is possible and doable. luckily for me, what i read was/is very clear on that. in the original literature.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Originally Posted by dox
Nevertheless, with all due respect to Stevie, I do find that announcing oneself as either recovering or recovered gives the impression of an unnecessary affectation.
Where the book specifically asked that we are introduced as someone who has recovered is in the context of a 12 step call. My guess is that this has something to do with giving the prospect some hope.
The grey area arises today because we often try to use meetings as a substitute for a 12 step call, something they were never intended for. If more of us were willing to go 12 stepping and help the newcomer find his feet on a one to one basis, the whole issue would not arise.
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