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Whats in your Recovery Toolbox?

Old 09-12-2016, 12:26 PM
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Whats in your Recovery Toolbox?

I was thinking about this today, after reading other threads here on SR... my mind was taken to all the times I'd sober up, maybe for a few days or a few weeks.

And then relapse. All of a sudden. For no reason.

I started to assemble a "toolbox" of sorts.... stuff to always keep on hand to avoid a relapse:

Food (both snacks and healthy meals to heat up)
Seltzer water
Coffee K-cups
An encouraging DVD (endurance running or cycling do it for me!)
Good, clean reading material.
Pictures of my children


Feel free to add to the list...
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Old 09-12-2016, 12:29 PM
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Mindfulness and meditation
SR ( always loaded on my phone )
Exercise
Eating enough but not too much
Occasional counseling sessions
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Old 09-12-2016, 12:41 PM
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Good food, i.e. no junk food.
plenty of fruit n veg,
my kids,
brisk walks,
a good movie,
B vitamins,
staying away from drinking old buddies.
plenty of water,
SR
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Old 09-12-2016, 12:46 PM
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Books
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Old 09-12-2016, 01:05 PM
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Interesting.

Literal stuff?
Chapstick - always something I've used obsessively, and probably even more so now. Always, always with me.
Something to drink- water bottle in my purse, car, whatever- diet coke, SmartWater....
My "holy day planner" as I call it- always in my purse - combo of my master calendar (I am old school), inspirational/motivational/spiritual quotes, goals, to dos, AA mtg notes...always something I can turn to in order to occupy myself
Books - lots of books
My phone - sponsor, bf, mom, friends, always right there; devotional apps and SR too
Idea journal for my blog
Meds - have my routine of what I take when throughout the day; the one I take 3x, for example is always in the same place in my bag/pocket and my optional one is always on me, at least one dose.

Pretty much everything I do is tied to a life of recovery, whatever it is I am actually doing, so I see it as all connected.
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Old 09-12-2016, 01:22 PM
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Herbal Tea! I drink it tepid,Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice right now is my favourite. Also, my Journal & Sketchbook.
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Old 09-12-2016, 01:58 PM
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the program of AA.
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Old 09-12-2016, 02:04 PM
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Originally Posted by August252015 View Post

Literal stuff?
Whatever works!
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Old 09-12-2016, 02:26 PM
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Thoughts of how great my life is now, and the memories of how horrible I often felt (physically speaking), I never want to feel that way again.

There's more, but those two are my go-tos.

HEY, I'm a poet...
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Old 09-12-2016, 09:39 PM
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I keep a list of these things in my purse (because I know how hard it is to think of / remember them when i most need them)...

Prayer
Meditation and breathing exercises
AA literature
Contacting people from AA (sponsor or other friends)
AA meetings
Recovery podcasts (downloaded onto a cheap little mp3 player and kept in my car)
HALT
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Old 09-12-2016, 10:38 PM
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The AA Program

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Old 09-12-2016, 11:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Berrybean View Post
I keep a list of these things in my purse (because I know how hard it is to think of / remember them when i most need them)...

Prayer
Meditation and breathing exercises
AA literature
Contacting people from AA (sponsor or other friends)
AA meetings
Recovery podcasts (downloaded onto a cheap little mp3 player and kept in my car)
HALT
Oh yes. And shifting my focus with ...

reading and posting here
gratitude lists
helping others
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Old 09-13-2016, 01:38 AM
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A spiritual tool kit, a set of principles I have learned for successful living.

Early days I hung out with other alcoholics, went to meetings, work when I got a job, and went boating on the weekends. There is a lot of wisdom in HALT. I have found hunger the most destabilizing in me and others. This one lady AA member was having a really bad day. She called me, almost histerical. I cooked her a nice lunch, problem solved.

But looking back it was the serious effort I put into learning those principles that kept me sober.

Step ten was another biggie. I am not too bright but I could see the sense in not making a whole new mess, so I cleaned up as I went, fixing any mistakes as I made them. I am sure this was also key.
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Old 09-13-2016, 01:47 AM
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Several avenues of support that I can call on.

A good recovery plan that helps me deal with life, emotions, fear, anger, successes and failure without drinking.

A reminder of how bad things got...

and an enduring faith that things will continues to go well for me as long as I don;t drink or drug no matter what

D
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Old 09-13-2016, 03:28 AM
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One visual: sitting in my liver doctor's office getting the talking to of my life, with a 1/2 full handle of vodka in my purse. I can still remember every detail and see every bit of that whole deal. Never, ever, ever again.
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Old 09-13-2016, 03:44 AM
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Exercise -,walking
SR
Tea - really gotten into hot tea
Will power
Great spouse for support
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Old 09-13-2016, 05:08 AM
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Welcome Lois
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Old 09-13-2016, 05:51 PM
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Old 09-13-2016, 06:32 PM
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Water
4 cans of seltzer water with a dash of sugar free cranberry juice rapidly consumed upon arriving home followed by more water
Tea/coffee
Bed/sleep
Running
Less TV, more reading
Daily selfie of my face, up close in the morning looking resolved, followed by an examination of previous selfies looking for improvements in my appearance (this is highly self-absorbed, I realize)
Reading/revising my recovery plan
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Old 09-13-2016, 06:40 PM
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1. Asking God for help every morning.

2. Remembering my last drunk.

3. AA meetings.

4. Counseling sessions.

5. An overall healthy diet allowing some junk food.

6. Getting in an intense workout once a week at LA Fitness.
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