What Works For You???????????

[Chance]

Good morning SR and that is the question that I am looking for, different ways in which you stay clean and sober, but more than that how you change? I know that for myself I pretty much have to be open-minded to alot of different things, and when I have a closed mind that is when I get into my sh!t. I have been doing alot of things that I normally wouldn't even thing about doing, and I am wondering if I am not just complicating things more..

When I first was introduce to the Program of AA, it was from a 17 year old kid. Now I meet this kid at church and he said that it might not be a bad idea to go to some meetings. I went and that was back in 1996, now mind you I had no IDEA of what AA was. I have never heard about the Program until then and that is when I was introduced to both AA and NA>>Now I did go to about 6 meetings or so and you people said that we had a disease that is not cureable. I went back and told my Pastor what you all had said and he told me "You don't need to go back there, because Jesus said that he will heal all sickness, and diseases." I said thank God and I didn't return until the year of 2002.

Now during this time, a friend that I have in the Program, a real old timer kept asking me during all those years how everything was going? Of course it was like I was last year in and out, in and out...He kept telling me that my day would come. Now I didn't know what he meant by that at all and still to this day I am not sure..or am I? Now I truely believe that if it wasn't for the courts, sheriff, judge, etc, I would have never came back. Today I am grateful for the judge, sheriff, probation officers, etc.. Even though today I am not on any paper "Get Well Cards" "Permission Slips" I keep coming back..

So what really works for me today? I believe that it is AA and NA, now I have not been clean and sober since 2002 when I was put on probation, I have had 6 slips last year and the last one was on March 19, 2005. Now I have not had to go back out since March 29, 2005 and for that I am extremely grateful. Today I have 204 days 3 hours 53 min and 50 sec as of right now. When I am done saying all of this those times will be wrong, I will have more than that, this is How It Works...I am so grateful today..

Now mind you I have gone to church a few times, but I do go to AA or NA at least once a day. So what is the difference? I am not sure, I do know that I feel more confortable in the rooms of AA and NA then I do in church.. I feel judged there or is it that I am judging myself? Not sure on that either, but I do know what works and what doesn't... All my life I have been in and out of church more out than in and yet when I made a decission to go to any lengths in AA and NA I have been in more than out... Anyway just needed to share I guess my Program and my Program of Progress not perfection..Thanks

Love Vic

[Thundar301]

what works for for me is being of service , getting out of myself to help another. But I also believe in "DON'T USE , NO MATTER WHAT!" I'll read, write or talk to someone if I need to, because i know now the true definition of insanity:doing the same thing over, and over while expecting the results to change. So "just for Today" I work the step or I'll die.

[angelgirl]

Hi Vic,

The way I feel is, what works for a person is what they work the hardest,, That's how I feel, if you really work a program(NA/AA) it will definately work, but I ALSO believe that if you work church, and Jesus, that will work just as well. I really do believe that.

But, I believe AA/NA and church work VERY WELL together.. People don't have to believe that, but I do.. We are all entitled to our opinions,,

Thanks for asking this question Vic,,,,

Love ya,
Becky

[BubbaBob]

AA has kept me dry...God and AA have kept me contentedly sober...and when I forget that, the last three weeks happen.

But I'm back, going back to meetings, and remembering to ask God to help me out and hold my hand.

Now...if I can just remember that this time, cause like I said in another post yesterday, it still sucks out there.

BubbaBob

[Chance]

Originally Posted by BubbaBob

AA has kept me dry...God and AA have kept me contentedly sober... cause like I said in another post yesterday, it still sucks out there.

BubbaBob

Right ON I think that I found God IN AA and NA and with that understanding I am now able too look at things totally different than I have for quite awhile, yet I do find myself in my head way too much and then I just need to sit back like I did earlier and say "How important is this compared to my emotional sobriety..Also I know it gets worse, I went back and looked at my first step yesterday don't want to go there, good reminder for me to have that Step available to me...Thanks

angelgirl
But, I believe AA/NA and church work VERY WELL together.. People don't have to believe that, but I do.. We are all entitled to our opinions,,

Yep I am planning on finding a church real soon, someone was going to take me yesterday but they ended having to baby sit a dog, and I even stayed calm during that...I think that we are planning on going this Sunday....

Thundar301 what works for for me is being of service , getting out of myself to help another. But I also believe in "DON'T USE , NO MATTER WHAT!"

Very important there, it says that nothing will save us more that intensive work with another alcoholic or addict and NO matter what DON'T USE.....

Thanks guys love you all

Love Vic