LoveMeNow

Thanks to finding SR and listening to many wise posters who walked before me...... I really started working on myself. I knew I needed to make changes. I knew I wasn't happy but I so wanted to blame my unhappiness on others.

Alanon, SR and therapy provided me with lots of great information and gave me the courage to look within myself. It wasn't always easy, and it wasn't always fun but eventually I realized that I am worth it.

Thank you all who took the time to hear me whine and push me in right direction because like so many....I was really stuck!! I needed that push. At times, I needed a shove, lol. Thanks for not giving up on me and not enabling me. I had too many real life people already doing that.

(((Hugs)))) and

Kindeyes

It's been a privilege to watch you grow LMN......you're a special lady!

Hugs
ke

cynical one

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-recovery.html

Nina Kay

I'm in a hurry right now & I'm not much on elaborating so I'll just tell you point blank what I do for my recovery..... Relationship with God, alanon meetings & SR. Thanks for starting this thread & for sharing.

Kindeyes

Wow CO.....I learned more about you in that one post than I've pieced together over several years! lol

Anyway, back to the LMN's question......some of this is what I have done for my own recovery over the years:

Yoga
Exercise
Dance (like no one is watching and thank God.....they aren't)
Read (if only you knew how many books I have on addiction, recovery, and codependence)
Research (the internet is full of great information.....and some really ridiculous stuff)
Family groups at my son's various rehabs (that's where I started my own recovery was in the family group at his first inpatient)
Al-Anon - just dabbled at first...didn't get it.....sounded like babble to me at the time
Nar-Anon - once I reached the lowest of lows I began working the program I wished my son would
SoberRecovery Forums - I've learned a lot from everyone here....including those I didn't really have an affinity for at first.....lol
Greyhound Rescue - actually started a 501c(3)
Worked hard on growing our business (yes...my work was important to my recovery)
Bought property in another country and escape there whenever I can - I LOVE to travel
Volunteer for the Salvation Army ARC
Walk my dogs
Enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest
Have dinner with friends
Learning Spanish
Work with Sponsees and give back to others what was freely given to me.
Meditation and Prayer
Love listening to the Dalai Lama
Watch TedTalks videos (can do that for HOURS)
Hang out with my husband

I think that's about all...yes.....all of it is important for my recovery.

gentle hugs
ke

Ann

Initially I did meetings every single week, I think I missed two meetings in 8 years when I lived near my home group of CoDA.

Support from my meetings, SR, counseling and reading lots and lots of spirit connecting books helped me finally find my balance and stay on a good path. That was when I was able to give the rest to God and let Him do for my son what I could not.

Today I maintain my recovery in many ways. Posting here daily helps, as does working the steps all the way through about once a year. The way I work them and what I need to get from them changes as I change and my life changes, but the steps are what keep me balanced when the going gets rough.

I took up photography during recovery, at first just to make myself get outside and be with nature, I had isolated for far too long. My interest grew and the joy that taking my camera on walks through God's prettiest nature areas is something that never fails to lift my spirit and connect it with all that is good.

This is just one picture, tell me that it doesn't bring you peace too. It's a little back bay on an island in Florida where I walked two days before we headed home, there had been hundreds of birds there that were just leaving as I set up my camera but the peace remained. I wanted to bring the peace with me and I think I captured it pretty well, yes?

AnvilheadII

I think this qualifies...back in 2012 I bit the bullet and signed up for a writing course. as it turned out I had signed up with the same group years before in the Children's Literature section! coincidence?? I plowed ahead thru assignment 4 of 12, getting good constructive input from my instructor and then.........I hit chapter 5. Plan anew story or article idea and write the opening. Select two magazines for possible markets. and that is where it all came to a screeching halt. not the WRITING part, the possible publication part. big huge gooey globs of FEAR became the mortar for the impenetrable wall of writers block. first I asked for more time. nuthin. then I just missed the deadline and hoped they wouldn't notice. finally, they said, well, we're going to have to suspend your registration for now, let us know when you are ready to give it a go.

just a couple months ago, I kept looking over at my course binder (it's sat on a shelf roughly six feet from my desk) and saying, yeah I SEE you. slowly the idea started to form....ya know, you could give this another try.....

I should back up. for my BD two years ago (late 2012) hank upgraded my car stereo to a nice kenwood that has a usb port and a port that can connect to a smartphone. I was just sick to death of trying to find a decent morning station with music, and found myself more on the AM side with news and traffic on the tens. with an hour commute, that's a lot of updates! and one day I said to myself, hey what about audiobooks? found out my daughter was on Audible.com, so I signed up and I've been tearing thru books ever since! 25 since May 2013.

they say two things about writers:

Writers Write
Writers Read

so, I signed back up and i'm working on Chapter 5. I have about 1200 words for my story idea. i'm READING the chapter and FOLLOWING directions. I've selected 4 magazines for possible markets. my binder is open and ON the desk next to me, with post it notes, a pen and a highlighter. right now i'm leaning towards non-fiction, but my last instructor DID suggest I push outside of my comfort zone and try fiction. so I have the start of the same story idea but as fiction going as well. but that's only about 130 words so far.

but ONE word is 100% more than I got last time!

is this about recovery? it's about my life for sure, it's about fighting thru fear and pressing forward. it's about not letting a dream die completely. it's about me saying yes I can. I know that NOW it feels right to write...

I do wanna give a lot of credit to the book The War of Art by Steven Pressman, which I read just a few months ago. a month? excellent message, and easily translatable to recovery.

AnvilheadII

just a quick update: yesterday I completed all the elements for the assignment, double checked everything, spelling, capitalization, word count, composed a nice intro to my new instructor, waited a bit, rechecked everything again, and told hank, here I go, i'm hitting send! well ahead of the due date even!

and then....I re-read the "how to send assignments to your instructor" email again and realized I hadn't followed the correct naming convention for the files!!! ACK. dammittohell! resaved everything, pulled up the sent email, deleted the old files, attached the properly named files and sent it again!

Step 10...and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. so much for wowing my instructor and being a star pupil. sigh.

littlebird73

Love reading these..inspiring. I feel like I am new to recovery. Been in Al-Anon for years but never hit bottom enough to do much with it until recently. I talk to my sponsor everyday. I come here to SR read or post. I read a lot of books. I pray. I spend time with positive friends. Work is a good outlet for me. I own my own business & get to be very creative. I go to Al-Anon meetings. When I have time (hard with little kids, but working on that..) I like to sew & draw & write & exercising. I translate (& hope someday to make travel part of my recovery, too I bake, go on walks & do crafts with my kids. I take Qi Qong classes. I also do I-Ching (get a random piece of wisdom after praying for some guidance). This was my reading tonight:
FIFTH LINE
It is not our responsibility to control or direct others. Allow them their own path, and keep to yours. If the paths meet, fine. If they do not, also fine.
I also randomly go to a page in one of my Al-Anon books & read a page & sometimes write.

JustAGirl1971

What I do:
Alanon average 3x/week
Alanon reading(s) every day
Alanon steps with a sponsor
Counseling
SR
Support group at church weekly
Bible reading daily
Prayer
Meditation (this has really helped calm my mind and center me even though I'm not good at it yet)
Exercise
Take time for me and refuse to feel guilty about it!
Read
Dabbling in mindfulness (but not very good at it yet, either)

My daughter expressed interest in yoga so I'm looking into a yoga class we can do together.

I'm also planning to go back to grad school. Just have to study for the entrance exam!

And, I'm really working on being present in each moment

Ifnotforgrace

I am an avid 12-Stepper.. I did 90/90 in Al-Anon and learned the 3 C's, & how to detach, I did not dig in until I was about 3 yrs in. Now I go to every open anything I can (AA, NA, mostly as they meet the most frequently) and Al-Anon when I can get there. I had to move to a small rural town to become a caregiver for my 87 yr old Dad who has Alzheimer's and F2F have been tough, but I still do several on line groups, Sponsor and I have just found a Celebrate Recovery (never been to one of theirs) That meets on Thursdays and I am planning to go check that out.

I use MUSIC on a daily basis and made a "Serenity Notebook" contains all my lists and affirmations and some pictures like the lovely one Ann posted that I use with my Step #11 (my favorite step) time which I have incorporated into my daily routing. There's Me, the HP and Coffee time every morning. It's a good habit to acquire.

I also enjoy aroma therapy and Gardening as Stress Relievers, but just working the Steps is my basic go to and it does work.

Chino

At first, SR was my everything. Some days I ask myself why I'm still here but then someone or a topic will remind me.

I pray a lot, doing my best to keep conscious contact with Creator. Then it's the steps and whatever therapeutic technique I need, if I need help getting over the hump. These days I see my therapist about every two months. It's kind of a wellness check. I've also done EMDR and CBT.

I have a ton of hobbies and I travel a lot. My camera decides where I'm going

Ifnotforgrace

For me working the program is a lot like brushing my teeth, when I 1st came into the rooms it seemed like a chore and I hap hazzardly did it. Then it got to be a habit and now I feel remiss if I don't do it.

audreyrose

not enough yet

fbw

For my own recovery:
I am getting a dog - that might seem a bit extreme but ...

I have always had a dog and a horse. I invested a few years of education to become a horse trainer. I gave up my dog when he attacked my ex husband ( should have kept the dog he was not an Alcoholic he was just a scary scary man) I sold my last horse when I moved down here to be with my current husband ( and hide from my ex). I am reconnecting with who I was before the trauma that was my first marriage and the "safe" harbour I ran to which became my second marriage.

His name is Duke and he will be coming home in 2 weeks.

I read forums and books on recovery. I take time to remind myself self care is important. I try to be gentle on myself when I am depressed and I try and adjust my expectation of both myself and those around me.

I have been falling lately in meetings and daily readings - but I know these things can eb and flow.

Ann

I think getting a dog is a very recovery thing to do. My cat, Toby, brought me great comfort in my darker days and I think having a pet who loves us unconditionally is very calming and healthy.

I walked today, along the shore and watched the birds building nests and some are already sitting on eggs.

The thing that helps my recovery more than anything is to connect with nature and take quiet time to recharge my spiritual batteries.

Hugs

mejo

I am going to do EMDR for my PTSD. Did it help you a lot, or is it typical counceling?

readerbaby71

LMN, thank you so much for your support and wisdom. I really value your perspective on things.

Some things I do for my recovery:

read A LOT of recovery and Buddhist literature
meditate and attend a weekly recovery meditation group
yoga (still need to develop a disciplined practice)
writing
removing/minimizing contact with toxic people in my life
bike riding
walking with my dogs
connecting with nature
appreciating living in the moment, and seeing beauty in things
practicing daily gratitude
improving my communication skills
therapy
visiting SR daily
reaching out when I need help