Recovery Is -

[Boleo]

Abstinence is NOT DRINKING and feeling bad about it.....Recovery is NOT DRINKING and feeling good about it.

Abstinence is resisting the temptation to drink one-day-at-a-time.....Recovery is staying spiritually fit one-day-at-a-time.

Abstinence is a daily struggle.....Recovery is a daily reprieve.

Abstinence is a man-made achievement...Recovery is a divine gift.

Abstinence is measured in days/weeks/months....Recovery is measured in promises.

Abstinence is like walking a tight-rope.....Recovery is like building a bridge.

Abstinence is knowing that I am one drink away from my next drunk....Recovery is knowing I am one infinitely powerful God away from my next drunk.

Abstinence is dealing with care, boredom and worry.....Recovery is release from care, boredom and worry.

Abstinence requires nurturing painful memories.....Recovery is becoming free from painful memories.

Abstinence rides on the coat-tails of fear....Recovery rides on the coat-tails of serenity.

[MycoolFitz]

Thanks for the insightful post. We too often look at the "negatives" of "not drinking" versus the rewards gained from recovery which is simplely discovering and uncovering and recovering the life that has always been our birthright but was lost and forgotten in the fog of our addiction. At this moment, in recovey, the only time and place to be, its all good, as it is meant to be.

[kurtrambis]

Originally Posted by Boleo

Abstinence is resisting the temptation to drink one-day-at-a-time.....Recovery is staying spiritually fit one-day-at-a-time.

Abstinence is a man-made achievement...Recovery is a divine gift.

Abstinence is measured in days/weeks/months....Recovery is measured in promises.

Abstinence is knowing that I am one drink away from my next drunk....Recovery is knowing I am one infinitely powerful God away from my next drunk.

Abstinence is dealing with care, boredom and worry.....Recovery is release from care, boredom and worry.

Think you needed to put a 'for me' at the beginning as the above the statements don't hold true for me and for everybody.
These kind of statements, given as ultimate unquestioned truths in meetings is why AA is often described as cult like.

[Rob B]

Kurt, Maybe you could point out where AA was specifically mentioned in that post, I must have missed it. Maybe you could share your experience on what recovery means for you. For me, recovery means knowing I will never have to drink again.

[Mark75]

Boleo...

That was a good post... I may just print that out and put it next to my desk. Thank you, that was excellent.

I don't understand, with all due respect to Kurt, how someone wouldn't see the beauty in that. Your tone is celebratory, as well it should be. And Kurt... if you are so down on AA, why do you use a prayer that is so closely associated with AA in your signature?

However, I still have a ways to go, and it is good to be reminded of the good things that are in store for me. In some areas I m recovered, but in some I am still just abstinent. Like Rob B., thank God, I do in fact, know that I will never have to drink again... I really know that in my heart.

Mark

[Zencat]

Abstinence and recovery works for me ...there you go Why split hares unless your out to shoot rabbits.

[Bamboozle]

I couldn't get recovery without abstinence.

[jamdls]

Great post! Recovery has been awesome for me like you wrote and I didn't use any formal recovery program.

[chairmanma084]

one becomes the other

[yeahgr8]

This is such a great list and post, thanks:-)

I can't even pick one that stands out above the rest!!! But, maybe:

'Abstinence is a man-made achievement...Recovery is a divine gift.'

[kurtrambis]

Originally Posted by Rob B

Kurt, Maybe you could point out where AA was specifically mentioned in that post, I must have missed it. Maybe you could share your experience on what recovery means for you. For me, recovery means knowing I will never have to drink again.

Rob, it's clearly AA language "release from care boredom and worry" is a direct quote out of the Big book, promises, daily reprieve etc. are also straight out of meetings. Boleos' statement

"Abstinence is a man made achievement and recovery is a divine gift."

Because he has not said for me, he his claiming the above statement as a fact. He his insinuating that people who remain sober on their own without a higher power are in fact not really sober they are not dealing with their alcoholism, they are a dry drunk, that only recovery can come through a devine power. That maybe true for him but it isn't for everybody.

I use the serenity power because I like it. I like AA but that does mean I have to agree with everything in it. I think any cult like behaviour is harmful. It was harmful to me and I'm not the only one.

FOR ME
Recovery is taking personal responsibility for my actions and not relying on a higher power.
Abstinence is falsely believing in promises that I will be relieved of care, boredom and worry
Recovery is learning to deal better with the normalities of human existence such as care, boredom and worry.

[Rob B]

Thanks for the clarification, glad things are going well for you. All the things the orignal post mentioned have come true for me as well, must be a coincidence.

[Pinkcuda]

it's clearly AA language

Here's something from my Mothers language.
"If you don't have anything nice to say....."

[kurtrambis]

Originally Posted by Pinkcuda

Here's something from my Mothers language.
"If you don't have anything nice to say....."

Not heard that comment since I was little kid at school. So according to you if I feel that something is wrong I am not allowed speak up and explain why. If I feel something has genuinely harmed me I am meant to be quiet about it.

Thankfully the democratic world doesn't work around statements like that. My comments are constructive criticisms of AA.

Maybe you should post your comments in the 12 step forum which is full of constant relentless attacks on the fellowship of AA, people who don't conform to their way and the majority of AA members who have been a great help to me.

Long live freedom of speech.

[Boleo]

"The relationship between moral action and spiritual knowledge is circular, as it were, and reciprocal. Selfless behavior makes possible an accession of knowledge, and the accession of knowledge makes possible the performance of further and more genuinely selfless actions, which in their turn enhance the agent’s capacity for knowing."
- Aldous Huxley -

[NewDayNow]

Taken the way you meant it.

Thanks Boleo

[bugsworth]

I love Aldous Huxley quotes....Thanks Boleo...here are a few of my own...

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.

A fanatic is a man who consciously over compensates a secret doubt.

An unexciting truth may be eclipsed by a thrilling lie.

Hell isn't merely paved with good intentions; it's walled and roofed with them. Yes, and furnished too.

Keith...one of the joys of being human is that no one has to accept anyone else’s opinion...this is not exclusive to aa.

The bb, while a text book for you and your lifestyle, does not play a part in many peoples sobriety.

The book The Fundamentals of Thought by L. Ron Hubbard is a guide and just as an important reference for those people practicing Scientology yet I am going to assume it holds no bearing in your life.

The bb is an opinion...the same as The Fundamentals of Thought. If you relate or can identify with the bb than you have a shared opinion with it’s author, this still does not make the opinions within it’s covers fact.

[anvilhead]

gosh what was that original question again????? LOL

FOR ME, recovery is no longer being held hostage by a substance.....having a LIFE back.......and wanting to LIVE it. recovery is having the power of CHOICE back again. and using it wisely. RECOVERY is doing what i should have been doing all along but was too busy being stupid to realize. recovery IS being happy, joyous and free.......

[yeahgr8]

LOL this thread has taken a turn!

AA still rocks and is THE solution...i thank you:-)

[bugsworth]

anvil...wisdom at its finest....RECOVERY is doing what i should have been doing all along but was too busy being stupid to realize.

yeahgr...aa is your solution...I am happy you have found it.

[mistycshore]

Originally Posted by Boleo

Abstinence is NOT DRINKING and feeling bad about it.....Recovery is NOT DRINKING and feeling good about it.

Abstinence is resisting the temptation to drink one-day-at-a-time.....Recovery is staying spiritually fit one-day-at-a-time.

Abstinence is a daily struggle.....Recovery is a daily reprieve.

Abstinence is a man-made achievement...Recovery is a divine gift.

Abstinence is measured in days/weeks/months....Recovery is measured in promises.

Abstinence is like walking a tight-rope.....Recovery is like building a bridge.

Abstinence is knowing that I am one drink away from my next drunk....Recovery is knowing I am one infinitely powerful God away from my next drunk.

Abstinence is dealing with care, boredom and worry.....Recovery is release from care, boredom and worry.

Abstinence requires nurturing painful memories.....Recovery is becoming free from painful memories.

Abstinence rides on the coat-tails of fear....Recovery rides on the coat-tails of serenity.

I thought abstinence meant not having sex . . .

[bananagrrrl]

Thanks for bumping this.

[Thami]

I choose to be in recovery than to just abstain from Drugs + Alcohol.
You have clearly outlined the difference between being alive and chancing life..

Recovery=life and Abstainance=living by chance.

Thank you

Just for today: An act of kindness costs me nothing, but is priceless to the recipient. I will be kind to someone today.

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by Boleo

Abstinence is NOT DRINKING and feeling bad about it.....Recovery is NOT DRINKING and feeling good about it.

...

In other words, abstinence is struggle against circumstances, and recovery is victory over them. But don't you think that we can only win if we start struggling?

[Stereosteveo]

Thanks for the post Boleo!