TomSawyer

Forgive me for this self-congratulatory post, but just wanted to share. Posting this also is helping me to actually reach out in tricky situations.

I'm watching a family friend's dog this weekend. Opened the fridge to find it stocked with beer. This is obviously a temptation for an alcoholic. I had no desire to drink, but I did call my sponsor and another guy from the fellowship just to get it out of my own head. Calling people is something I've never done before, so I am consciously trying to do so. Going home to sleep for the night just so I'm not alone at a house with a bunch of booze in it.

It's a win for today. But tomorrow is a new day and I must stay vigilant every day.

LadyBlue0527

You should feel that way! You're going to feel even better when you wake up tomorrow and know what you did. I'm glad that you came here and posted.

Brian316

I was in a similar situation last weekend bro. Called my sponsor and went to 2 meetings. You are right, we must stay vigilant!

digdug

Good job, Tom.

Calling people in the program is so important. I know some people have a hard time doing it because we are afraid we are bothering someone or we don't know what to say. But people in AA give out their number for a reason. They want you to call them. They want to help you.

You made the right choice tonight, and next time your faced with a similar situation, it will be even easier to pick up that phone.

TomSawyer

Both of the people I called echoed this sentiment. It truly is amazing that a simple thing like calling someone can be so hard for an alcoholic - yet you hear it all the times from people at meetings. Some disease.

Quinne

Well done on making those calls before the "noticing" had a chance to turn into a series of thoughts or an obsession! It may seem like the phone is made of lead at times, but I promise it gradually gets lighter :P

I remember having the house to myself for 4 nights for the first time in sobriety at least 6 months ago. I came home and cooked, had had a great night with friends and *bang*.....remembered there was methylated spirits in the cupboard under the sink. I very nearly went crazy and called my sponsor-she stayed on the phone whilst I poured it down the drain outside. No way known did I *actually* want to drink it, but geez the diseased voice is a chatty and bolschy one! Great work

Xx

IOAA2

My dis-ease told me that I'm strong and can handle it and there is no need to "bother" my sponsor about small things. One day after talking about the above he said that alcoholics in general after a bit of sobriety can handle big things but it's the broken shoe lace upon which we stumble. That phone has been so valuable over the years since I let go of the ego based thinking.

BE WELL

Ptcapote

Wow, what a good piece of advice this is. I never thought of it that way but you/your sponsor are so correct. I definitely have found it is what others would consider the "little things" that tend to send me into a tizzy.

And yes, another alcoholic is going to totally get that and not think you're crazy for losing your mind over a broken shoelace or its equivalent. That is yet another reason to use that phone. It's a lifeline.

Thanks for this post, IOAA. And good on you, TomSawyer!