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Old 01-10-2014, 10:22 PM
  # 15 (permalink)  
TigerLili
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,597
If you look for the Joe and Charlie steps guide on the XA speakers site, they will help you (as well as be hilarious).

In a perfect world, we'd quickly find the perfect sponsor and skip off into the sunset holding hands forever. In reality, it can be hard to find a sponsor, let alone one who actually works the Steps as outlined in the book.

I have not done an entire step 5 with a sponsor. Some of my step 5 I did with my shrink. Some I did with someone else in the programme that I knew had dealt with the same issue. There is one thing I absolutely would not discuss with anyone other than my shrink at this stage. I could not bear to have a well meaning sponsor say something dismissive or invalidating by accident. So basically I'm saying I got my step 5 done, but not with the one person.

Maybe see if you can find a drug and alcohol counsellor who works with the AA model who would be willing to have some sessions with you to work through steps 4 and 5.

I understand about trust. There is one person in the rooms that I have told not to come near me again or I'll call the police on her (and I am a pretty relaxed tolerant person) and another person I actually have had to go to the police about.

Just because someone is in AA and says all the right things doesn't mean they are recovered, or even mentally healthy and stable. You don't have to let your sponsor into the deepest parts, but you do need to find someone who you can. And sooner rather than later would be my recommendation.
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