Just For Today July 21- "Surrender is for Everyone"

[lonestarTH]

"If, after a period of time, we find ourselves in trouble with our recovery, we have probably stopped doing one or more of the things that helped us in the earlier stages of our recovery."

Basic Text, p. 95

Surrender is just for newcomers, right? Wrong!

After we've been around awhile, some of us succumb to a condition particular to oldtimers. We think we know something about recovery, about God, about NA, about ourselves-and we do. The problem is, we think we know enough, and we think that merely knowing is enough. But it's what we learn and what we do after we think we know it all that really makes the difference.

Conceit and complacency can land us in deep trouble. When we find that "applying the principles" on our own power just isn't working, we can practice what worked for us in the beginning: surrender. When we find we are still powerless, our lives again unmanageable, we need to seek the care of a Power greater than ourselves. And when we discover that self-therapy isn't so therapeutic after all, we need to take advantage of "the therapeutic value of one addict helping another."

Just for Today: I need guidance, support, and a Power beyond my own. I will go to a meeting, reach out to a newcomer, call my sponsor, pray to my Higher Power - I will do something that says, "I surrender."

[silvermist]

Hi Lonestar

It's really funny u should post this message today.

Since January I've been struggling to taper of otc codeine pills. Back then I was on 40 a day. Right now I've got down to 12 a day.

It's not al been reduction, I've been up & down pretty erratically but I had become more stable at 14. I usually drop one pill every 7 to 10 days but last time I thought I could drop 2. Now I'm really struggling.

I've only stuck on 12 pills for 3 consecutive days this week & have binged the rest of the time.

I feel I've hit a wall physically & emotionally & I don't have the strength to go on.

The same thing happened when I got down to 20 pills but somehow i got over that & was able to keep reducing.

I really need some advice on how to re-group & keep reducing down.

love
silvermist xxx

[lonestarTH]

silvermist I'm really glad you're here. I can't give you any medical advice but I'll share what worked for me. The only way I got off of opiates was to just go cold turkey. The withdrawals were terrible but I knew I had lost the fight and didn't have the strength to taper and not end up binging. But I know tapers can be done because I had to go on a xanax taper while going thru opiate withdrawals so I wouldn't get seizures. What really helped me and helps me to this day is Narcotics Anonymous. I bought a basic text the first meeting I went to and it was like reading my life story.. I continued going to meetings and staying on schedule with my taper because I was already all in with my initial surrender. I was sick and tired of having to use everyday and still feeling the pain of using. Any pain I was feeling from withdrawals couldn't match the pain of active addiction. I made a plan and stuck with it, which is a difficult thing to do being an addict. I wish you the best and am always here if you need to send me a message to talk!

[CarolD]

silvermist....

Glad you joined us...Welcome!