The Wisdom of the Rooms
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada. About as far south as you can get
Posts: 4,768
The Wisdom of the Rooms
Michael Z's weekly Quote from "The Wisdom of the Rooms".
"After 5 years of sobriety you get your brains back, after 10 you learn how to use them, and after 15 years you realize you never needed them anyway."
What a cord of recognition this struck when I first heard it (at 10 years recovery). I remember the first 5 years, and how I seemed to be in a haze in the beginning. I spent these years learning how to make sense of and deal with my feelings, my life, relationships, etc. Everything was so new to me and my focus was on recovery and learning how to live life on life's terms.
Once I passed this phase, I did feel as if I had my brains back and I began thinking and planning. What career did I want? How about a future with a family? How could I use my new clarity and focus to twist life to suit my needs and wants? If other people had things, why couldn't I get them, too? And off I went trying to arrange life to meet my expectations.
When I get centered and connected to my Higher Power, though, I see clearly and simply and know that my only real purpose is to do God's work and be of service. It doesn't take a lot of brains to do that, instead it takes listening to my heart and doing what I know is right. When I'm "into action" and not "into thinking" things generally turn out for the best. I just hope I don't have to wait 15 years to accept and consistently practice this.
All the best.
Bob R
"After 5 years of sobriety you get your brains back, after 10 you learn how to use them, and after 15 years you realize you never needed them anyway."
What a cord of recognition this struck when I first heard it (at 10 years recovery). I remember the first 5 years, and how I seemed to be in a haze in the beginning. I spent these years learning how to make sense of and deal with my feelings, my life, relationships, etc. Everything was so new to me and my focus was on recovery and learning how to live life on life's terms.
Once I passed this phase, I did feel as if I had my brains back and I began thinking and planning. What career did I want? How about a future with a family? How could I use my new clarity and focus to twist life to suit my needs and wants? If other people had things, why couldn't I get them, too? And off I went trying to arrange life to meet my expectations.
When I get centered and connected to my Higher Power, though, I see clearly and simply and know that my only real purpose is to do God's work and be of service. It doesn't take a lot of brains to do that, instead it takes listening to my heart and doing what I know is right. When I'm "into action" and not "into thinking" things generally turn out for the best. I just hope I don't have to wait 15 years to accept and consistently practice this.
All the best.
Bob R
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Spontaneous "Wisdom" of Alcoholics Anonymous Members
From:
Spontaneous Wisdom
1. It's not old behavior if I'm still doing it.
2. If you're looking to have an image in AA, look around at the meetings you go to and look at whom you're trying to impress.
3. An alcoholic is a person who wants to be held while he's isolating - (as opposed to the gregarious isolator)
4. Abstinence is the leading cause of relapse.
5. A treatment center is where you go and pay $15,000 to find out that AA meetings are free.
6. The idea that alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, overeaters, smokers, etc, etc, should all just go to AA meetings because a disease is a disease is a disease...was started by a treatment center that only had one van.
7. This is a 'One Day at a Time' program. If you are clean and sober today, you are tied for first place in AA.
8. If drinking is interfering with your work, you're probably a heavy drinker. If work is interfering with your drinking, you're probably an alcoholic.
9. I often obsessively pursue feeling good, no matter how bad it makes me feel.
10. When I was new, I didn't think I had any obsessions until I started thinking about it. Then it was all I could think about.
11. How come if alcohol kills millions of brain cells, it never killed the ones that made me want to drink?
12. From a newcomer reading the 'Promises' for the first time: We will comprehend the word cemetery and we will know peace.
13. If God were small enough to be understood, He wouldn't be big enough to be God!
14. If you want to quit drinking, you are going to have to quit drinking.
15. Newcomer: How do I know how many meetings I should attend each week? Old-timer: Gradually cut back until you drink. Then, you'll know.
16. I would rather go through life sober, believing I am an alcoholic, than go through life drunk, trying to convince myself that I am not an alcoholic.
17. Resentments are like stray cats: if you don't feed them, they'll go away.
18. The difference between a problem drinker and an Alcoholic is that:
A) When alcohol is taken away from the problem drinker, the problem goes away;
B) When alcohol is taken away from the alcoholic, the problem begins.
19. Before I came into AA, I was dead, but I did not know enough to lie down.
20. I drank when I was happy. I drank when I was unhappy. Actually, I am a reason to drink.
21. You don't have to be sick to want to get well. But if you don't want to get well, you ARE sick.
22. The good news is you get your emotions back; the bad news is you get your emotions back.
23. All we ask is that you completely change your attitude as soon as possible.
24. I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.
25. Without memory, there is no healing. Without forgiveness, there is no future.
From:
Spontaneous Wisdom
1. It's not old behavior if I'm still doing it.
2. If you're looking to have an image in AA, look around at the meetings you go to and look at whom you're trying to impress.
3. An alcoholic is a person who wants to be held while he's isolating - (as opposed to the gregarious isolator)
4. Abstinence is the leading cause of relapse.
5. A treatment center is where you go and pay $15,000 to find out that AA meetings are free.
6. The idea that alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, overeaters, smokers, etc, etc, should all just go to AA meetings because a disease is a disease is a disease...was started by a treatment center that only had one van.
7. This is a 'One Day at a Time' program. If you are clean and sober today, you are tied for first place in AA.
8. If drinking is interfering with your work, you're probably a heavy drinker. If work is interfering with your drinking, you're probably an alcoholic.
9. I often obsessively pursue feeling good, no matter how bad it makes me feel.
10. When I was new, I didn't think I had any obsessions until I started thinking about it. Then it was all I could think about.
11. How come if alcohol kills millions of brain cells, it never killed the ones that made me want to drink?
12. From a newcomer reading the 'Promises' for the first time: We will comprehend the word cemetery and we will know peace.
13. If God were small enough to be understood, He wouldn't be big enough to be God!
14. If you want to quit drinking, you are going to have to quit drinking.
15. Newcomer: How do I know how many meetings I should attend each week? Old-timer: Gradually cut back until you drink. Then, you'll know.
16. I would rather go through life sober, believing I am an alcoholic, than go through life drunk, trying to convince myself that I am not an alcoholic.
17. Resentments are like stray cats: if you don't feed them, they'll go away.
18. The difference between a problem drinker and an Alcoholic is that:
A) When alcohol is taken away from the problem drinker, the problem goes away;
B) When alcohol is taken away from the alcoholic, the problem begins.
19. Before I came into AA, I was dead, but I did not know enough to lie down.
20. I drank when I was happy. I drank when I was unhappy. Actually, I am a reason to drink.
21. You don't have to be sick to want to get well. But if you don't want to get well, you ARE sick.
22. The good news is you get your emotions back; the bad news is you get your emotions back.
23. All we ask is that you completely change your attitude as soon as possible.
24. I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.
25. Without memory, there is no healing. Without forgiveness, there is no future.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 929
....these thought patterns, beliefs, what have you...work for some. Not all. I read most of them as though requiring a grain of salt.
I was alcohol dependent and am in early remission from my addiction.
I just cannot identify with such a vague word as alcoholic. Nor do I agree that a problem begins when booze is taken away from a person dependent on alcohol.
AA isn't for everyone.
I was alcohol dependent and am in early remission from my addiction.
I just cannot identify with such a vague word as alcoholic. Nor do I agree that a problem begins when booze is taken away from a person dependent on alcohol.
AA isn't for everyone.
Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 14,934
A treatment center is where you go and pay $15,000 to find out that AA meetings are free.
Once I got some medical detox help for a couple of days and the counselors gave us after care recommendations. A wise counselor told me this and saved me a bunch of money.
Once I got some medical detox help for a couple of days and the counselors gave us after care recommendations. A wise counselor told me this and saved me a bunch of money.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 21
Originally Posted by Xune 
....these thought patterns, beliefs, what have you...work for some. Not all. I read most of them as though requiring a grain of salt.
I was alcohol dependent and am in early remission from my addiction.
I just cannot identify with such a vague word as alcoholic. Nor do I agree that a problem begins when booze is taken away from a person dependent on alcohol.
AA isn't for everyone.
I was alcohol dependent and am in early remission from my addiction.
I just cannot identify with such a vague word as alcoholic. Nor do I agree that a problem begins when booze is taken away from a person dependent on alcohol.
AA isn't for everyone.
Sober Alcoholic
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,539
The spirit of this thread is a sort of language of the heart. Not everyone speaks it. I can say that it brought many smiles to this face today and smiles were exactly what this face needed on this very VERY difficult day. Thank You.
High on Life
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Been to Hell and Back
Posts: 1,157
I like this quote, but I would like to replace (years) with (months).
"After 5 months of sobriety you get your brains back, after 10 you learn how to use them, and after 15 months you realize you never needed them anyway."
That's better!!
"After 5 months of sobriety you get your brains back, after 10 you learn how to use them, and after 15 months you realize you never needed them anyway."
That's better!!
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Posts: 367
Originally Posted by Xune
Nor do I agree that a problem begins when booze is taken away from a person dependent on alcohol.
AA isn't for everyone.
AA isn't for everyone.
For me I fit the description of an alcoloic in their book (simply that I have no control over how much I will drink once I begin), and when I removed booze from the picture my "problems" mostly seemingly unrelated began to sort themselves out. Frankly me and everyone in my life is pretty delighted with the guy I am when I'm not drinking.
I'm a firm believer in "you are what you think about 90% of the time" which is a paraphrasing of a quote attributed to Budda (has been rehashed a million times I'm sure). If I run around telling myself I'm sick and I'm the problem, how am I going to feel? How am I going to act? I watch the sickies and don't want what they have.
Also I'm not particularly impressed with the original quote. It seems terribly discouraging to people who don't have 10 years or more (I have over 17 and don't run around saying things like that). The line I like to use, which I believe is more true is "Individual results may vary"
High on Life
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Been to Hell and Back
Posts: 1,157
Originally Posted by BackToSquareOne
I can't fathom how all the negative self-talk could possibly be of any benefit, not a path I would choose.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
