Recovery_Plan

[cambridge]

So, I told my therapist that I was in AA and quit drinking. He was of course very supportive of this and suggested that I work on a recovery plan and we discuss it next time.

I have no idea what a recovery plan would look like. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this? I am one step away from just googling but thought maybe the fine folks at SR would have some thoughts.

[Ago]

Getting a sponsor and working the steps in AA is a recovery plan

Dee has a good recovery plan, as does Smacked, I don't know too much about SMART but Alera has success with it for alternatives to AA

[SalParadise1951]

I work at a D&A rehab that uses the 12 step model. I haven't been there all that long so I'm not sure if they use a template for treatment plans. If they do, I can try to get my hands on one and post it for you.

[Ago]

Update

sorry to repost, just remembered this, actually if you go back through Dee's posts he posted a pretty comprehensive one within the last few weeks IIRC that is outside AA if AA as a recovery plan doesn't appeal to you

for me it was as simple as

get a sponsor, meet with him weekly at the very least
work the steps
go to meetings (I am actually a proponent of 90 meetings in 90 days)
show up early and leave late to meetings, go out with alcoholics after the meetings, ie build a support group
get some commitments at meetings ASAP so I would HAVE to attend them
Get phone numbers, practice calling them, as in call 2 people a day at the very least, so I was in practice for when a craving or crisis hit and could call BEFORE I used
Realize that any plan I had that involved me, or my own thinking was probably flawed, since it was my thinking that got me here in the first place, so place my sobriety, thus my life, in the hands of people that actually knew how to get sober and stay that way, as Einstein put it you can't solve the problem with the level of thinking that created the problem, and I sure enough created all my own problems

The way it was explained to me was these are all "spokes" in the wheel of sobriety, if I do all these things, my sobriety runs straight, start removing spokes and the wheel gets wobbly

That was my "recovery plan"

Worked as long as I worked it

I wouldn't have posted any of this except in the OP you state you are in AA, thus my response mentions it.

Apologies if anyone finds any of this offensive

[Overman]

Cambridge, if you want a specific AA recovery plan then its probably best to post in a different forum, where that kind of info is abundant.

[cambridge]

hmm, sorry to be confusing. I do understand what is the AA recovery plan and am in AA, but I guess I am hoping to include some non AA bits in my recovery, if that makes any sense. Perhaps this is the wrong forum, but I am coming at this from an atheist perspective, which is why I chose to post here.

I do have a sponsor, and working on building a bit of a support group with members, will start working the steps soon, etc.

But, I am wondering what else outside of AA can be part of a recovery? I guess I want a more holistic approach and am unsure of what to add.

Maybe I'm overthinking this.

[shockozulu]

I'm moving this over to secular 12-steps where there are many atheists who work AA. If you want tools that are not related to the 12-Steps feel free to post here in SC in a new thread and I'll try to help you with those.

[Zencat]

I use SMART Recovery Tools and Articles and Essays along with the 12 Steps of DRA (duel recovery) as part of my personalized addiction treatment plan.

[Boleo]

Originally Posted by cambridge

I have no idea what a recovery plan would look like. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this? I am one step away from just googling but thought maybe the fine folks at SR would have some thoughts.

Here is a summary of how my recovery plan works:

Trust my HP (Willingness)
Clean House (Self-Appraisal & Amends)
Help Others (Sharing your Experience, Strength & Hope)

[hendershot]

My recovery plan looks something like this, if it helps: 3 AA meetings a week, AA sponsor, speaking with a sponsor or someone in recovery daily, therapy once a week, going to group/recovery therapy thing once a week, excercise, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, helping other people, praying (or at least my version of it) daily, reading something related to recovery at least an hour a week, doing something fun at least once a week.

[ananda]

My recovery plan changes as my life and my needs change.

Currently my recovery plan is to keep a connection to the 12 steps and AA, Rebuild my spiritual commitment to my buddhist practice, Get the counciling I need to help with my issues that go beyond just being alchoholic, and stay active in SR where I get solid recovery options from all different kinds of recoveery methods.

That recovery plan is fairly ambisious, but without all 4 legs, a chair tends to fall over

[Sober25]

Originally Posted by cambridge

... I am coming at this from an atheist perspective, which is why I chose to post here...

You may be interested in an online AA group for atheists. I am a member and I like it. You can find it here. AA Freethinkers I wish you all the best.

[cambridge]

thanks for the tip Sober, I'll check it out.

I already do most of the things mentioned, so I must have a recovery plan without knowing it! I haven't started working the steps yet, but plan to in the new year with my sponsor. I am still struggling with how I can do this (an with a sponsor, who seems pretty cool) as an atheist. I also see the tension within the fellowship at meetings.
Recently, a fellow newcomer said 'bring on the brainwashing', referring to trying to believe in God. The people who seem the shiniest and happiest are all pretty into God, so he wants what they have. And I can see why he feels that way. But to me it is intellectually dishonest. I might as well just join scientology or some other cult that claims to be able to fix my mental problems.

I said as much to him, but he didn't see what I mean. It was quite frustrating to try and explain why I wouldn't want to do that. It's not that I have a problem with God, it's just that it is a made up idea to me as much as Santa Clause.

*sigh*

anyways, thanks for letting me rant. Not sure what I'm hoping to get out of this, but it does me good to get it off my chest as i can't really do that at meetings.

[Pagekeeper]

Do you have an Alcoholics Anonymous book?

If so, read page 47, first paragraph.

It took me many months to understand that I could truly have my own experience which did not rely upon the beliefs or conventions of others, but in order to do that I had to let go of many prejudices and ideologies I had about spirituality and the term God.

We are asked to do one simple thing when it comes to these terms: honestly ask ourselves what they mean to us.

[Zencat]

Originally Posted by cambridge

It's not that I have a problem with God, it's just that it is a made up idea to me as much as Santa Clause.

I understand that and have thoughts along the same lines. Yet it doesn't disturb me as much as it used to. What other people believe is on them. I've found out that I can still be a non-theist, keep my understandings about evolution and the big bang theory or whatever secularist understandings I have, and still work the AA program without typical God beliefs.

I use a Helping Power as a Higher Power. IMO, When I examined the workings of AA, I found that it is the power of one alcoholic helping another that stands alone as the driving force behind AA. The program is the guidelines that that instruct helping others...and it seems to work. I feel that working out the details in the program can allow a non-theist like myself to participate in the AA program.

A God of my understanding = a Higher Power = helping people.

Turning my will over = aligning my energizes toward a healing path = 12-steps.

Prayer = daily affirmation mantra.

(IMO, if there is a will there is a way.)


Here's a thread with other people in AA that have found or are seeking a way to work the steps: Agnostics and Athiests in AA....how is it going. (Agnostics and Athiests in AA....how is it going)
Join in if you like...you'd be welcomed over there.