10 Years > Then Back to Step 1
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: near Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 377
10 Years > Then Back to Step 1
Fellow last Friday said he got his 10 year medallion 3 months ago - then forgot he was powerless over alcohol...
then drunk for 1 week
> jail
then drunk for 3 days
> then hospital
Now he is at the meeting, wondering what happened.
Sad.
Kelly
then drunk for 1 week
> jail
then drunk for 3 days
> then hospital
Now he is at the meeting, wondering what happened.
Sad.
Kelly
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
It never cease to amaze me that when it comes to automobiles, people want the safest, most comfortable and most reliable cars available.
However, when it comes to recovery (a life & death issue), they just want something good enough to get by ODAAT.
Imagine the following conversation of a customer talking to a car salesman:
Just give me one of those economy jobs without any airbags, seat-belts or head-rests. And also drain out all but 6 ounces of gas, I don't intend to go far with it... LOL!
However, when it comes to recovery (a life & death issue), they just want something good enough to get by ODAAT.
Imagine the following conversation of a customer talking to a car salesman:
Just give me one of those economy jobs without any airbags, seat-belts or head-rests. And also drain out all but 6 ounces of gas, I don't intend to go far with it... LOL!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Bethlehem, PA.
Posts: 1,781
You see the occasional post on here about people who went back after very long periods of sobriety. I could be wrong but I look at alcoholism as a social...Physical...Psychological and Spiritual (consciousness) issue. I would think (from my own experience) that the spritual plane of existence, where the real work begins and is never done is where most people screw up.
12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
I'll tell ya this Kelly.....he may have had 10 years since his last drink but the guy never got truly sober.
Matter of fact, I'm going to a funeral tomorrow......Friday......for a guy who had 15 yrs (supposedly). I saw him at a meeting maaaaaaaybe a week ago.....and sounded reeeeally good at tables too - one of those guys I really liked to sit with cuz he talked the talk and seemed to walk the walk. Well.....turns out he may have been talking and living a lie. Time will tell but the word is (pending the autopsy) that he likely didn't die sober. There was evidently, "paraphernalia" all over his place when his brother/sister stopped in to check on him. .....he was 49......maybe 50......51 yrs old. For this man, "his version" of recovery and his version of working the program the way he best saw fit cost him his life.
You're damn right....it's sad as hell. It reeeeeally doesn't have to be this way. Unfortunately, there's just no way to force AA down people's throats who don't want it. They're free to die (or relapse) if that's the path they want to take.
If you're in AA......and you qualify as the type of alcoholic AA was designed to help.......and you get drunk again, you had NOT achieved sobriety - you hadn't connected with a power greater than you to allow THAT power to do for you what you can't do for yourself.
AA's fuulllllllllllllllll of folks who made the decision to "not drink," go to meetings, and maybe even work some/most of the steps......and God forbid - even sponsor some ppl. In the end though, they are keeping themselves "sober" and.....if you're a real alcoholic......that approach is destined for failure sooner or later - guaranteed.
IF you're the type of alkie described in that book....you've got 2 choices: die an alcoholic death or live on a spiritual basis. I don't believe that because Bill wrote it in the book......I believe it because this is far from the first "AA funeral" I'll be going to where the deceased died from this disease and because I've experienced it personally......first hand.
"Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program.......... they are (sic) incapable of being honest with themselves.......incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty...."
**if racking up years.....or building piles of anniversary coins was enough to keep us sober, it would have made it's way into the book by now.
Matter of fact, I'm going to a funeral tomorrow......Friday......for a guy who had 15 yrs (supposedly). I saw him at a meeting maaaaaaaybe a week ago.....and sounded reeeeally good at tables too - one of those guys I really liked to sit with cuz he talked the talk and seemed to walk the walk. Well.....turns out he may have been talking and living a lie. Time will tell but the word is (pending the autopsy) that he likely didn't die sober. There was evidently, "paraphernalia" all over his place when his brother/sister stopped in to check on him. .....he was 49......maybe 50......51 yrs old. For this man, "his version" of recovery and his version of working the program the way he best saw fit cost him his life.
You're damn right....it's sad as hell. It reeeeeally doesn't have to be this way. Unfortunately, there's just no way to force AA down people's throats who don't want it. They're free to die (or relapse) if that's the path they want to take.
If you're in AA......and you qualify as the type of alcoholic AA was designed to help.......and you get drunk again, you had NOT achieved sobriety - you hadn't connected with a power greater than you to allow THAT power to do for you what you can't do for yourself.
AA's fuulllllllllllllllll of folks who made the decision to "not drink," go to meetings, and maybe even work some/most of the steps......and God forbid - even sponsor some ppl. In the end though, they are keeping themselves "sober" and.....if you're a real alcoholic......that approach is destined for failure sooner or later - guaranteed.
IF you're the type of alkie described in that book....you've got 2 choices: die an alcoholic death or live on a spiritual basis. I don't believe that because Bill wrote it in the book......I believe it because this is far from the first "AA funeral" I'll be going to where the deceased died from this disease and because I've experienced it personally......first hand.
"Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program.......... they are (sic) incapable of being honest with themselves.......incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty...."
**if racking up years.....or building piles of anniversary coins was enough to keep us sober, it would have made it's way into the book by now.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Arizona
Posts: 51
At least he came back to the meetings!
In my area of town where I go to meetings there's a ton of "old-timers", some of them even have 50 years sober!!!
It's very humbling to hear encouraginging words from someone whose been "working it" for so long and it still works
In my area of town where I go to meetings there's a ton of "old-timers", some of them even have 50 years sober!!!
It's very humbling to hear encouraginging words from someone whose been "working it" for so long and it still works
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
Originally Posted by DayTrader 
he may have had 10 years since his last drink but the guy never got truly sober
It is discussed here, and in meetings... recovered is an ongoing process, maintaining our spiritual fitness... and all that... If it were not the case, then, seeing as how I have made conscious contact, that I have achieved a sense of neutrality... That I am, perhaps, sober... Then, I don't need to be here, I can quit going to meetings, stop helping others...
Well, something worth discussing, I hope.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: « USA » Recovered with AVRT (Rational Recovery) ___________
Posts: 3,680
I could write a whole essay on DayTrader's post, but...
What happened to all the "We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition" I always heard so much about? How do you know the guy didn't forget to renew that daily reprieve the night before he got drunk? He could have had that connection and stayed connected for 10 years minus one day, no?
All BB quotes from 1st Ed
Originally Posted by DayTrader
If you're in AA......and you qualify as the type of alcoholic AA was designed to help.......and you get drunk again, you had NOT achieved sobriety - you hadn't connected with a power greater than you to allow THAT power to do for you what you can't do for yourself.
All BB quotes from 1st Ed
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Living in Today!
Posts: 3,944
Originally Posted by ronf
Ya got his number? Him and I should star a club. LOL. I'm just coming back today. Had 15 yrs. Just coming off a month long bender.
Damn glad to be back,
Ron
Damn glad to be back,
Ron
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
I heard a guy speak on a long-timer panel at a local convention, who had 40 years. He went into the hospital for a routine operation and was given some prescription pain pills.
As soon as he got home, he resupplied his wet bar with liquor. He said he had no sense that he was doing something wrong, he just started drinking again, as if he had never stopped.
He was humble enough to end his talk by holding up his latest token chip. It had a 1 on it.
As soon as he got home, he resupplied his wet bar with liquor. He said he had no sense that he was doing something wrong, he just started drinking again, as if he had never stopped.
He was humble enough to end his talk by holding up his latest token chip. It had a 1 on it.
Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 178
Originally Posted by DayTrader
I'll tell ya this Kelly.....he may have had 10 years since his last drink but the guy never got truly sober.
Matter of fact, I'm going to a funeral tomorrow......Friday......for a guy who had 15 yrs (supposedly). I saw him at a meeting maaaaaaaybe a week ago.....and sounded reeeeally good at tables too - one of those guys I really liked to sit with cuz he talked the talk and seemed to walk the walk. Well.....turns out he may have been talking and living a lie. Time will tell but the word is (pending the autopsy) that he likely didn't die sober. There was evidently, "paraphernalia" all over his place when his brother/sister stopped in to check on him. .....he was 49......maybe 50......51 yrs old. For this man, "his version" of recovery and his version of working the program the way he best saw fit cost him his life.
You're damn right....it's sad as hell. It reeeeeally doesn't have to be this way. Unfortunately, there's just no way to force AA down people's throats who don't want it. They're free to die (or relapse) if that's the path they want to take.
If you're in AA......and you qualify as the type of alcoholic AA was designed to help.......and you get drunk again, you had NOT achieved sobriety - you hadn't connected with a power greater than you to allow THAT power to do for you what you can't do for yourself.
AA's fuulllllllllllllllll of folks who made the decision to "not drink," go to meetings, and maybe even work some/most of the steps......and God forbid - even sponsor some ppl. In the end though, they are keeping themselves "sober" and.....if you're a real alcoholic......that approach is destined for failure sooner or later - guaranteed.
IF you're the type of alkie described in that book....you've got 2 choices: die an alcoholic death or live on a spiritual basis. I don't believe that because Bill wrote it in the book......I believe it because this is far from the first "AA funeral" I'll be going to where the deceased died from this disease and because I've experienced it personally......first hand.
"Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program.......... they are (sic) incapable of being honest with themselves.......incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty...."
**if racking up years.....or building piles of anniversary coins was enough to keep us sober, it would have made it's way into the book by now.
Matter of fact, I'm going to a funeral tomorrow......Friday......for a guy who had 15 yrs (supposedly). I saw him at a meeting maaaaaaaybe a week ago.....and sounded reeeeally good at tables too - one of those guys I really liked to sit with cuz he talked the talk and seemed to walk the walk. Well.....turns out he may have been talking and living a lie. Time will tell but the word is (pending the autopsy) that he likely didn't die sober. There was evidently, "paraphernalia" all over his place when his brother/sister stopped in to check on him. .....he was 49......maybe 50......51 yrs old. For this man, "his version" of recovery and his version of working the program the way he best saw fit cost him his life.
You're damn right....it's sad as hell. It reeeeeally doesn't have to be this way. Unfortunately, there's just no way to force AA down people's throats who don't want it. They're free to die (or relapse) if that's the path they want to take.
If you're in AA......and you qualify as the type of alcoholic AA was designed to help.......and you get drunk again, you had NOT achieved sobriety - you hadn't connected with a power greater than you to allow THAT power to do for you what you can't do for yourself.
AA's fuulllllllllllllllll of folks who made the decision to "not drink," go to meetings, and maybe even work some/most of the steps......and God forbid - even sponsor some ppl. In the end though, they are keeping themselves "sober" and.....if you're a real alcoholic......that approach is destined for failure sooner or later - guaranteed.
IF you're the type of alkie described in that book....you've got 2 choices: die an alcoholic death or live on a spiritual basis. I don't believe that because Bill wrote it in the book......I believe it because this is far from the first "AA funeral" I'll be going to where the deceased died from this disease and because I've experienced it personally......first hand.
"Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program.......... they are (sic) incapable of being honest with themselves.......incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty...."
**if racking up years.....or building piles of anniversary coins was enough to keep us sober, it would have made it's way into the book by now.
- O even BID
On the real, I had never understood the meaning of anniversaries, days of rememberance and duration of sobriety as well. Now that this topic has crossed my eyes, I figured I throw my 2 coppers in at it. I'm sure this has been talked about before.
My time being here has allowed me to grasp a lot of perspective from diff't people struggling w/ a bad habit. Perhaps this is linked to their enviornment/personality or a combination of many factors. But in light of it, if putting a date helps, then by all means do it!
I want a 'true' lifestyle change, and it's not something that's easy. Sometimes changing lifestyles require you to commit to something else. For me, I am working on that. Aside from the drinking, I use to be very active w/ sports. However, I fell into a slump due to a bad breakup that wounded me and left me w/ a scar.
To pull myself out of this slump, I forced myself to reacquaint sports in my lifestyle. It was tough, playing that first game, but over the past 2+ years, I've devoted myself to being active again and have lost nearly 10-20 lbs. In a way, I was addicted into making myself feel better. To this day, I still incorporate my weekly exercises.
But I still battle w/ drinking and just can't seem to get off of it completely. The good thing is my awareness of it and consuming it moderately w/ lesser binging occurrences.
Still, I now know why people are harsh on themselves. To say I can go on a year or more w/o tasting alcohol is rather extreme, but if I can change my mindset, consume 1-2 drinks during holidays and what not, I do not find 'anything' wrong with that. It's only an issue as it is if it gets out of control and controls US, which it seems to be right now.
Take Cares.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Bethlehem, PA.
Posts: 1,781
I think that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Mistakes are part of being human, the best we can hope for is to learn from them, perfection isn't part of the human condition.
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Originally Posted by Froglet
Still, I now know why people are harsh on themselves. To say I can go on a year or more w/o tasting alcohol is rather extreme, but if I can change my mindset, consume 1-2 drinks during holidays and what not, I do not find 'anything' wrong with that. It's only an issue as it is if it gets out of control and controls US, which it seems to be right now.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
