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Recovering or Recovered...

Old 01-31-2011, 11:33 AM
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Recovering or Recovered...

.....Just a question, do you consider yourself recovering, or recovered?

As a person with a few 24hrs under my belt, I still refer to myself as a recovering Alcoholic. To me, the word recovering brings life into my sobriety, it keeps it "alive" so-to-speak. It almost gives me a feeling of comfort to know that my sobriety is an ongoing process, allowing me to continue to grow and learn in my recovery process. To be honest, I would almost be scared to refer to myself as recovered...it would almost seem that I am tempting fate (it may be silly, but I gotta be me). There are no wrong answers here, everyone is different...no one is more right than the other...I am just curious....

Do you consider yourself recovering...or recovered and why?


Thanks......Cathy
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Old 01-31-2011, 11:43 AM
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Hey Red . recovering here .. its a life long process/commitment to say recovered sounds like your done . Not workin it any mores

Which even at 7 yrs for me , Im still workin it and will continue to work it , complacment is death of recovery for me , as long as each day I do something to add more to my tool belt .. im good ! ~ huggles Endzy~
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Old 01-31-2011, 11:52 AM
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Recovering... One can never be recovered of this spiritual malady.
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Old 01-31-2011, 11:58 AM
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I will go with recovering...because...I admire you and want to follow your lead!!!
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Old 01-31-2011, 12:01 PM
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I considered myself 'recovered' at around 100 days, then whammo!

I believe I'm gonna stick with recovering as long as possible.
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Old 01-31-2011, 12:04 PM
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It's all semantics, so whatever makes you feel better. When not drinking and not obsessing about drinking becomes second nature, I feel you could use the term "recovered". For some alcoholics that might never be the case, and for some alcoholics that may happen quite fast with the right motivation. Once you lose all will to drink and the obsession that goes with it I think recovered would be the proper term. But once you are an alcoholic that is the term that will always stick, because your body a prgressed to a point where you can't drink again without falling back into the cycle, IMO.
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Old 01-31-2011, 12:19 PM
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The Alcoholics Anonymous textbook uses the word "recovered" about 15 times.

The preface says, "To show alcoholics precisely how we recovered."

The promise of the program of AA is not a perpetual state of battling alcohol. It is freedom. It's all there, in the AA text book. Check it out.

"Recovered" does not mean "cured." It means that one has had a spiritual experience sufficient to solve the alcohol problem. And Steps 10-12 show us how to continue to enlarge our spiritual life, so that problem remains solved.

"Recovering" is rehab speak that infiltrated AA, along with "One Day At A Time," "Just Don't Drink and go to meetings," and other slogans that can't be found in AA literature, because they run counter to what our program requires, and promises.
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Old 01-31-2011, 12:28 PM
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I consider myself 'recovered', I accept that I cannot drink ever, alcohol does not agree with me and I've had no desire/no interest in 3.5 yrs. I've dealt with the issues that caused me to drink and forgiven myself and others, alcohol is no longer an issue for me I am just someone who does not drink.
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Old 01-31-2011, 12:40 PM
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This usually gets into a heated discussion..
let's all remember to respect each others way of thinking please.

I consider I was an active alcoholic for the final 5 years of my drinking.
Somehow...??.. I got the notion that I needed to double that in AA
before I got recovered.

Around 10 years..yes...I did think of myself as recovered.
The past 11 I've remained so by connecting to God
and AA daily.....

Hope everyone is enjoying their journey...whatever it might be.
I don't mind what others say...I simply wish them Joy and serenity
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Old 01-31-2011, 12:41 PM
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6 mos in I consider myself recoverING. In time I believe I will be recovered. But so much is new now, still.
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Old 01-31-2011, 12:44 PM
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I haven't been on SR for a while and today I felt the need, I had the time and I'm so glad I did because I saw your food for thought question.
I have encountered mostly two R's in my journey of sobriety that started almost 4 years ago:

Recovery
Relapse
Recovery
Relapse
Recovery

I've learned the hard way that for me to consider myself recovered at any point would be foolish. I will always be recovering and as long as I am recovering there is hope that my life wasn't completely wasted.

PS: Thursday, my current Recovery will be four month and I'm full of hope.
Thanks for the question.
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Old 01-31-2011, 12:48 PM
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I consider myself recoverED... but it's not static.
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Old 01-31-2011, 12:55 PM
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I had started a thread about this same topic about a month or two ago. A lot of people have a different opinion on this matter is what I came to learn. From what I've learned I'm recovered from the obsession to drink but I'm forever in recovery from alcoholism.
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Old 01-31-2011, 01:01 PM
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Thank you all for the responses so far...I do like to stir the pot sometimes..LOL!! I appreciate everyones point of view, like I said, I don't think anyone is wrong..or even more right than me or anyone else. I hope to get more input!!!

It really goes to prove that there is more than one way of thinking that can lead to sobriety!!

Cathy
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Old 01-31-2011, 01:32 PM
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As usual, it depends on what you mean, doesn't it? I'm a recovered alcoholic. What I mean by that is that I no longer display the symptoms of alcoholism as I understand it. That in no way means that I can stop living my life by a certain set of spiritual principles, or that my growth as a person is static.

On the other hand, it also depends on what you mean by recovering. If someone had promised me a life of being 'in recovery', staying away from certain situations, avoiding certain places and people, watching out for my triggers, going to meetings when I felt sketchy, etc., I don't think I would have wanted it. Instead, they promised that I could be recovered, and they gave me a solution for how to get there. Life beyond my dreams.

Just like a knife wound that has healed, I no longer bleed from it, the scab is long gone, and it doesn't hurt any more. That doesn't make me impervious to other sharp objects out there.
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Old 01-31-2011, 01:33 PM
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Certainly, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but as far as AA goes, there is a text book that precisely explains the AA program. And it promotes the idea of recovered. I believe as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, I have a responsibility to carry the message that's clearly laid out in the AA literature.

I think to the newcomer, the idea that I can find relief from the madness is much more attractive than the idea that I will be in a perpetual battle with my demons.

Normally, I wouldn't be picky about this, but I don't subscribe to the notion that AA is whatever people want it to be. It's all written down. You may not agree with it, but it's the AA program.
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Old 01-31-2011, 01:35 PM
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I don't really think about it. I'm not sure that the R word is part of my lexicon

I am a sober, nephalist, teetotaller
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Old 01-31-2011, 01:37 PM
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Yes frothy...but we aren't all in AA therefore he word choice is open to discussion )
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Old 01-31-2011, 01:53 PM
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Like the 'forward' to the First Edition and those first alcoholics ......................... I have RECOVERED from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.

I continue to recover and grow spiritually and emotionally, as I use the tools I was given, on a daily basis, these last 29 1/2 plus years.

I do consider myself recovered.

Love and hugs,
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Old 01-31-2011, 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by LaFemme View Post
Yes frothy...but we aren't all in AA therefore he word choice is open to discussion )
Could not agree more. I'm just trying to be clear on AA.
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