What helped you the most in recovery?

Old 10-12-2015, 06:27 AM
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What helped you the most in recovery?

Therapist, AlAnon, SR, friends, books, faith, etc? Just thought we could post helpful items for the newbies to read (I was once a newbie abd recommendations helped me a Lot!).

For me? God, Therapy, books and SR.

And go!
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Old 10-12-2015, 06:38 AM
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It is hard to define for me what helped me on recovery, but what definitely fueled the recovery was awareness, basically educating myself about the condition, and also the experience that people shared on SR (and there are several members that I could specifically mention whose input was incredibly encouraging and eye opening). And the steps were tiny at the beginning, but then I started going faster and faster toward the exit. I am really happy this morning, and dare say a bit proud, because 4 months ago, I thought I was deep in the mud and that I would never even file for divorce.
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Old 10-12-2015, 06:52 AM
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^^ yep-have been deep in the mud, too. Glad you are on your way to peace.
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Old 10-12-2015, 07:05 AM
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Therapy + spending as much time as possible with non-toxic people.
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Old 10-12-2015, 07:20 AM
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SR was instrumental in my recovery because I don't have the money for therapy & none of the local groups have meetings at times that are in any way possible for me to attend regularly.

Bigger than that for me, in all honesty, was keeping my mind open enough to read & hear other ideas & opinions whether I agreed with it or not. My recovery is like a patchwork quilt, sewn together with bits of many different philosophies, programs & even religions to some degree.
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Old 10-12-2015, 07:31 AM
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My journey has been much like FireSprite's. I have tried very, very hard to be open to lessons from every corner of life.
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Old 10-12-2015, 08:00 AM
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I guess I attribute most to SR - which prompted me going to Al Anon and facing my codependency issues.

Additionally, educating about Alcoholism. Really understanding my husband was not a special snowflake, and we weren't terminally unique. no he wasn't any different than any other alcoholic, and there was no magic pill or formula to make him stop drinking. I needed to forget about saving him and save myself.
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Old 10-12-2015, 09:53 AM
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SR for sure...practicing the steps of AA and some Al-anon stuff is also good for alcoholics to have a different perspective...finally accepting I am an alcoholic...actually working on my recovering...but above all, knowing it all starts with ME!
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Old 10-12-2015, 10:13 AM
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Knowledge and time. In that order.
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Old 10-12-2015, 10:19 AM
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willingness to do whatever i had to do-willingness to get into action.
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Old 10-12-2015, 10:27 AM
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Faith & Al anon.
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Old 10-12-2015, 11:25 AM
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I would have to say SR. The comments to my posts here were the most helpful for me. It helped me to step outside my marriage and look at it from an outsiders perspective so I could see just how dysfunctional it all was. It was very hard to hear at first, but really was the only thing that made sense deep down in all that turmoil. Educating myself about the disease and Alanon really helped too. Im still a work in progress but I have serenity now!
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Old 10-12-2015, 11:36 AM
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^^ yes, exactly. That's what I found here, too...not easy to hear some of the responses but needed. Thank y'all for responding-y'all are great
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Old 10-12-2015, 11:57 AM
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SR has been the catalyst of all of my growth and learning. I went to a couple of Alanon meetings which was enough for me to learn the three Cs. (I didn't cause it, I can't cure it, I can't control it.) The basic lessons I got from the handful of Alanon meetings that I attended was that I wasn't alone or crazy and that I needed to change the focus to myself and to learn to love/treat myself better. From there, I plunged into quitting drinking myself and reading everything that I could about alcoholism and codependency. The constant support and the best learning that I have ever gotten about basically, living life in general in a healthy manner, I attribute to SR and to the higher power who lead me here.
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Old 10-12-2015, 12:39 PM
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^^ yes! God definitely led me to this site....life changing for sure. Thank you for your response.
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Old 10-12-2015, 08:53 PM
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Hmmm....Google led me to SR. SR was what got me into therapy and into al-anon. Therapy hands down has been the most impactful and helpful and in changing my behavior and thought processes regarding the dysfunction that surrounds alcoholic relationships.
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Old 10-12-2015, 09:09 PM
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Therapy has helped me immensely, too. Helped to rewire my brain and weed out the negative thought processes and unhealthy patterns of thinking/reacting. My therapist calls me out when needed and redirects me. SR taught me the most about alcoholic relationships and seeing, as someone else said above, that I was just like every other crazy codependent wife, my husband was just like every other alcoholic/codependent abd that we were not terminally unique. SR helped me understand how to keep my kids safe with boundaries-something I was terrified to do at first but I've gotten better. SR and the people here were a lifeline during some of tre scariest abd darkest days of my life, and I hope to help others the same way I was helped.
To God I give all the glory-wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for following Him.
Peace y'all.
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Old 10-13-2015, 09:59 AM
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SR, counseling, my own self awareness and my true understanding why I do things and staying the hell away from negative addict minded people.

I recent read the short book "The Universe Doesn't Give a Flying F*** about you". It literally changed how I perceive my life and how it's up to me to make my life worthwhile.
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Old 10-13-2015, 01:06 PM
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I'd been a recovering alcoholic with a good program and great life. Then I entered the worst relationship of my life with another recovering alcoholic with no program. Alanon saved my sanity and turned my life around because I finally saw that I am responsible for the people, places and things in my life. I chose someone with huge problems, who was abusive and cared for no one but himself.

I think addiction -- whether to alcohol, another person, food, spending too much money -- is the essence of self-destructiveness. There are plenty of ways to do yourself in, including drinking and getting into a destructive relationship. All these things temporarily take the focus off my own problems, but at a huge price.

After Alanon I wouldn't pick another recovering alcoholic if he was channeling Bill Wilson.
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Old 10-13-2015, 02:00 PM
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SR and no contact.
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