The Concept Of Powerlessness
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SoCal CA
Posts: 1,319
Originally Posted by susanlauren 
Supercrew,
How blessed are you that your "near death" experience with the bottle did not become a "real death" experience? There are at least 100,000 people in the US who die every year from their alcoholism. How many years did you drink before you had your epiphany in the ICU? I never would have survived drinking as long as you drank. I would be dead.
I hope what you are doing works for you for the rest of your life. What has it been? Five months now? In my mind, the jury is still out and the verdict is life or death.
Susan
How blessed are you that your "near death" experience with the bottle did not become a "real death" experience? There are at least 100,000 people in the US who die every year from their alcoholism. How many years did you drink before you had your epiphany in the ICU? I never would have survived drinking as long as you drank. I would be dead.
I hope what you are doing works for you for the rest of your life. What has it been? Five months now? In my mind, the jury is still out and the verdict is life or death.
Susan
I think it's funny that being you dislike my messsage you will question my sober time. It has been about 305 days sober out of the last 320 Susan. Thanks for asking, but it almosts sounds like you hope I fail....but I am still fine, and happy and sober as ever.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 567
We drank to essentialy to relieve the Restlessnes, Irritable and Discontentment, ( R.I.D.).
Alcohol was a solution, the "feel good" so the R.I.D can go away.
Problem being, it would seem to "go away", while at the same time the physical craving increased, so we drank cos of the craving, then blackout because as we darnk to the tune of "Mr or Ms Craving, increased. Also the nature of alcohol makes us delude ( drunk) ourselves and the more we drank, the weaker the will power became because the craving increased and drank more. "Terrible Cycle" page 24.
The next day after waking up from blackout and learning about our actions, this adds to the R.I.D and it grows, the actual real life consequences increase, so we drink again, and the same thing happens.
If that is not powerless, then what is it?
It's a simple question, DO we have the power, or the ability to stop the craving once alcohol is consumed?
Do we have the power to remove the R.I.D. in sobriety, before taking the first drink?
Does it matter what the wording is when the desperation to do something when it is a life,death,prison or mental asylem, wet brain consequence?
Will any of you play with words when a newbies come to the rooms of AA or SR facing this, life, death, prison, mental asylem or wet brain consequence if they continue drinking?
That's the reality Bill, Bob and many others were not just looking at, but living and walking those very same tight-ropes of life (living in an advanced stage of alcoholism), death, prison, mental asylem or wet brain consequence if they continue drinking.
I know what was facing had I kept going, trying to drink like normal drinkers.
On the left fork of the road was prison, on the right was the asylem, reverse was drugs, and in the middle was a fone number, AA.
I admitted I was Powerless over alocohol and my life became unmanageable.
Means I could not stop drinkng and powerless to stop the unmangeability with or without alcohol and could not sovle things by drinking, cos I thought drink could help solve the problem that drink had made me cause in the first place.
Therefore, I surrendered to that thought,that drink could solve the current state of persoanl affairs.
Powerless and Surrender over alcohol was not such a bad idea at the time and due to my life and financials, ahaaa, yes! Financials, getting better or at least sustainable, then if the Powerless and Surrender over to and alcohol was 2 Aces, and AA was another 2 Aces, I now got 4 Aces!
Anyone with a full house ?
Alcohol was a solution, the "feel good" so the R.I.D can go away.
Problem being, it would seem to "go away", while at the same time the physical craving increased, so we drank cos of the craving, then blackout because as we darnk to the tune of "Mr or Ms Craving, increased. Also the nature of alcohol makes us delude ( drunk) ourselves and the more we drank, the weaker the will power became because the craving increased and drank more. "Terrible Cycle" page 24.
The next day after waking up from blackout and learning about our actions, this adds to the R.I.D and it grows, the actual real life consequences increase, so we drink again, and the same thing happens.
If that is not powerless, then what is it?
It's a simple question, DO we have the power, or the ability to stop the craving once alcohol is consumed?
Do we have the power to remove the R.I.D. in sobriety, before taking the first drink?
Does it matter what the wording is when the desperation to do something when it is a life,death,prison or mental asylem, wet brain consequence?
Will any of you play with words when a newbies come to the rooms of AA or SR facing this, life, death, prison, mental asylem or wet brain consequence if they continue drinking?
That's the reality Bill, Bob and many others were not just looking at, but living and walking those very same tight-ropes of life (living in an advanced stage of alcoholism), death, prison, mental asylem or wet brain consequence if they continue drinking.
I know what was facing had I kept going, trying to drink like normal drinkers.
On the left fork of the road was prison, on the right was the asylem, reverse was drugs, and in the middle was a fone number, AA.
I admitted I was Powerless over alocohol and my life became unmanageable.
Means I could not stop drinkng and powerless to stop the unmangeability with or without alcohol and could not sovle things by drinking, cos I thought drink could help solve the problem that drink had made me cause in the first place.
Therefore, I surrendered to that thought,that drink could solve the current state of persoanl affairs.
Powerless and Surrender over alcohol was not such a bad idea at the time and due to my life and financials, ahaaa, yes! Financials, getting better or at least sustainable, then if the Powerless and Surrender over to and alcohol was 2 Aces, and AA was another 2 Aces, I now got 4 Aces!
Anyone with a full house ?
Last edited by Pete55; 05-17-2011 at 07:39 AM. Reason: spelling and left out words
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Eastern Us
Posts: 1,366
I'm glad you found something that works for you Pete. And to answer one of your questions: yes I do think that words matter. But what matters more to me is that I made the decision to stop drinking. And I am surprizingly happy with my life at this point. But you are right that alcohol is a very real and serious thing to a lot of people like me. . . I am very blessed that I got it out of my life before it ruined me.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SoCal CA
Posts: 1,319
How many years did you drink before you had your epiphany in the ICU?
I drank for 27 years, and truthfully my epiphany came before my final detox in the emergency room. It came at around my initial 60 days sober. I posted about the obsession to drink going away. At about 118 days I decided to test whether I was a "real alcoholic" or not, being I was told I must not be, and I slowly, over a 2 month period found my way back to a final binge. But I chose to drink again even though my obsession with alcohol disappeared.
It doesn't have to be a life or death decision, but when it comes to life or death it does make it more clear how much power we really have in our mind and over our actions. I think this is how they got the "low bottom/high bottom" idea regarding when people finally seek out help to stop. If you are really ready to quit you can, you just have to believe you can and stick to it. If something isn't working, you continue to try harder and change your method.
I think Susan has 3 years sober, and for the first 2 years she abstained from drinking without working a major program very hard. That sounds like she made a decision not to drink. Now she is working the program hard to try and stay happy in sobriety. She is finding her path, but I would argue she had the power to stop drinking she just needs help finding happiness and contentment. If tyhe 12 steps do that for her, more power to her.
I drank for 27 years, and truthfully my epiphany came before my final detox in the emergency room. It came at around my initial 60 days sober. I posted about the obsession to drink going away. At about 118 days I decided to test whether I was a "real alcoholic" or not, being I was told I must not be, and I slowly, over a 2 month period found my way back to a final binge. But I chose to drink again even though my obsession with alcohol disappeared.
It doesn't have to be a life or death decision, but when it comes to life or death it does make it more clear how much power we really have in our mind and over our actions. I think this is how they got the "low bottom/high bottom" idea regarding when people finally seek out help to stop. If you are really ready to quit you can, you just have to believe you can and stick to it. If something isn't working, you continue to try harder and change your method.
I think Susan has 3 years sober, and for the first 2 years she abstained from drinking without working a major program very hard. That sounds like she made a decision not to drink. Now she is working the program hard to try and stay happy in sobriety. She is finding her path, but I would argue she had the power to stop drinking she just needs help finding happiness and contentment. If tyhe 12 steps do that for her, more power to her.
i've done my almost
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,934
There are so many factors to consider.
Maybe some of us are powerless and some aren't?
Is it an ego thing on both sides? (myself included?)
I am powerless over alcohol. Maybe you're not.
If I wasn't, I wouldn't even be on this website.
Kjell~
Maybe some of us are powerless and some aren't?
Is it an ego thing on both sides? (myself included?)
I am powerless over alcohol. Maybe you're not.
If I wasn't, I wouldn't even be on this website.
Kjell~
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SoCal CA
Posts: 1,319
Originally Posted by Kjell
There are so many factors to consider.
Maybe some of us are powerless and some aren't?
No need to try to rub it in if you are not, right? What's the point of that? Is it an ego thing on both sides?
I am powerless over alcohol. Maybe you're not.
If I wasn't, I wouldn't even be on this website.
Kjell~
Maybe some of us are powerless and some aren't?
No need to try to rub it in if you are not, right? What's the point of that? Is it an ego thing on both sides?
I am powerless over alcohol. Maybe you're not.
If I wasn't, I wouldn't even be on this website.
Kjell~
I came to this website and learned that I am not powerless until I drink. I come back to this website to remind me that it is easy to forget that I am powerless when I drink. So it helps me stay in the right frame of mind so I don't drink again.
i've done my almost
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,934
Originally Posted by Supercrew
I agree Kjell. If you believe you are powerless you are.
I came to this website and learned that I am not powerless until I drink. I come back to this website to remind me that it is easy to forget that I am powerless when I drink. So it helps me stay in the right frame of mind so I don't drink again.
I came to this website and learned that I am not powerless until I drink. I come back to this website to remind me that it is easy to forget that I am powerless when I drink. So it helps me stay in the right frame of mind so I don't drink again.
...and I re-read my post. I hope it didn't come off as only those who are powerless need or want recovery and/or SR. I could have worded that better...
Kjell~
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Dee and I have removed posts from this thread..
..members are becoming redundant in their POV's
.it's time to go find someone to help with their sober journey.
this thread is closed.
..members are becoming redundant in their POV's
.it's time to go find someone to help with their sober journey.
this thread is closed.
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