Meursault

G'day. I've been reading other posts on this site and thought I should muster the courage to give it a go. Four years ago, after a good dozen admissions to hospital for supervised withdrawal from alcohol it was suggested by a drug and alcohol counsellor that I attend a rehabilitation facility. I was a resident at one for six months after which I participated in their half-way program. I eased back into the mainstream with some volunteer work and then some part time study before going on to complete a diploma. I had made AA part of my life and was attending at least seven meetings a week. I got a sponsor and worked through the first five steps and I took on a service position. Thinking ( there's the problem!) that I had a solid recovery I applied for a Job off- shore and found myself working a 28 day swing. I wasn't putting alcohol into my system, so no cravings and there was no mental obsession with alcohol, although there was obsession evident in other areas of my life regarding exercise and money. I stopped attending meetings a I felt like I had laid the alcohol problem to rest. So more fool me, after 3 years and nineteen days I got to watch myself go up to an airport bar and order a pint of stout. Cravings triggered, mental obsession strong as ever, what was all AA theory became fact. Mental blank spot! I am now thirty day sober and having to look at where I went wrong, I like hearing that this is a spiritual malady and that I need a spiritual solution, trying hard to lay aside my atheistic thinking. I like to think that there is a reality behind what I perceive with my five senses but I am bewildered when it comes to the thought of an interventionist deity that will remove my shortcomings. Having said that I have seen evidence of faith in other lives, why not me aye? Anyway Thanks for the opportunity to have a rant.
Kind regards

Anna

Hi and Welcome!

I'm glad you're back on track.

I had absolutely no spiritual connection in my life when I finally stopped drinking, but I knew instinctively that I had to find a way to reconnect and a purpose to my life. My personal deity is The Universe. I do believe that The Universe is kind and is teaching me what I need to know.

Stevie1

Welcome! And congrats on getting back on a sober track so quickly.

Getting complacent and letting my guard down has always bitten me in the ass too.

least

Welcome to the family.

adore79

Hi and welcome! It does take a lot of courage to post here but I'm so glad you did it! It is a great place.

Dee74

welcome Meursault - good to see another Aussie here

I'm a little like Anna I guess - I'm not AA, but I had no spirituality at all when I was drinking either ....

since then it's become important for me to be plugged back into the mainframe as it were - I'm connected with the universe and with all my other fellow human beings, and I have a purpose for the rest of my life. That's my very simple no frills, no dogma view of spirituality

Thats part of what keeps me sober.

The other part is never thinking I'm cured.
I know now I have a life long condition - I've experiemented enbough - it never changes.
Pints of stout, or any alcohol, are a thing of the past for me.

The price is simply too high for me to pay.
D

wicked

Yeah, why not you, aye? or me?

I am having a hard time with this right now too.

So, welcome meursault!


Beth