Veritas1

Hi all

I was talking to someone today that is not in AA.

I told her that I was struggling with temptation to drink as some things were happening in my life that were upsetting.

Thank God I have sober women of AA to turn to, call, and get direction from. There is nothing, no excuse worth it to turn back to drinking. I have used up all of my excuses. I can't use excuses anymore.

I told the person that I am a drinker, that when troubled I turn to the drink, that it has been a problem all my life...that I went to AA, and also pray to God, and have not taken a drink, or turned to the bottle in 98 days.

She said something to me...

She said, Don't say you have a problem now, say you used to have a problem. Declare your victory. You are not drinking and haven't been.

She said the lie is that I still "am", when I am not.

That I need to break free of the invisible chains around me.

I wish I could say it as she did.

It was very meaningful and inspiring to me.

At once, after being completely honest with her, and sharing my past, where I had fallen short, what I was faced and tempted with of late, but what is really happening...I am sober....I felt lifted up. Something very real happened...like a rush, of something being removed...she said she felt it too.

We are Christians, so we also talked of God, and how the devil uses alcohol to hurt us, and cause us to turn away from God, and life, living, happiness.

The lie is that I can never change, I can't fix anything....must turn to the drink again, what's the use...

I will try to view myself now as someone who knows that lie, and can say Greater is God, than any thing in the world...I cannot remember the scripture she quoted exactly.

And...

I used to be a drunkard woman, but I am not anymore. I am changing. I have changed.

I have to stop thinking of myself as a drunk. I am not drinking!

When did you make the shift from how you saw yourself?

From the drunk to the sober person...really...that the old was gone...thinking of yourself that way was gone?

Veritas1

"Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4(KJV)"

Tommyh

good topic
I believe Bill mentioned something about us being ex-problem drinkers somewhere
I am still a alcoholic,but a sober one
I am not a drunken bum anymore
however I must stay on guard not to get puffed up and get to thinking I am something I am not,cured and not needing God`s or anyone elses help and to remember alcoholism is an illness,not just some bad conduct

as my fear was replaced with Faith,my confidence grew along with my gratitude for being sober and having a new life,given to me by God and AA

OklaBH

Interesting. I have changed a lot. I dont think I am recovered or even close to it. Not drinking was actually one small step in the many i needed to make. I was hateful, selfish, vindictive, gossipy, 2-faced, morally corrupt all the way around. Heavy drinking made all of that A-OK! I have to stay in prayer and AA to keep from going back there. I cant wait until I am far enough along that i can say "I used to be..."

Boleo

When I stopped seeing myself as a victim of the school of hard knocks and started myself as a student of the school of hard knocks.

"In this life, pain is inevitable but suffering is optional"
(Unknown author)

Veritas1

Boleo: My sponsor always says, "Victims don't get to stay sober!"

Thank you everyone!

Mark75

Victory ... I guess, and we do win when we surrender. Funny, I don't feel victorious, but neither do I feel defeated, anymore... When I stopped feeling defeated and humiliated and felt true humility... That's when I felt recovered. The 12 steps did that for me.