With all do respect, kurtrambis, being sober doesn't make me an expert in alcoholism. What makes me an expert in alcoholism is all of the drinking I did. My sobriety has given me some experience and some coping skills. It is really quite simple. I can recognize denial, deceit and self-sabotage a mile away. However, I was unable to see it in myself when it was most rampant. However, others easily could. I think when we are in our darkest hour we are unaware of the dangers of where we are heading. I needed others to point that out to me. We are wearing blinders in active alcoholism. Once the blinders have been removed, the view is clear.
I wish we could put the Easter bunny, Micky Mouse and even God to the side for now. This is about Katie and her finding sobriety. She can believe any way she wishes. It doesn't matter to me. What matters is she finds a way to get and stay sober. If nothing seems to suit her belief system, she may have to make some changes and adjustments.
For some reason, we want to fight recovery. It is easier than forcing ourselves to change. I think fear was a big motivator in moving toward recovery, but at the same time, fear kept me from stepping outside of my comfort zone. I needed some coxing to make the actual move.
I hate to see us get off track on what the main focus is. I hope she can find a program that is non-12 step and she can grasp it and run with it. There will be no God, hopefully, no 12 step distractions and it will be all on her to make it work. No matter what program she chooses, she has a lot of work and soul searching to do, as we all do. After all, alcohol is merely a symptom of why we drink.