Serper2014

A nice sober weekend to celebrate. Yeah I know I'm a long ways away from any major milestones. However, I noticed that my 90 days sober will be on the anniversary of the only time I went to the hospital for alcohol reasons. (Although in retrospect I don't think the withdrawals warranted the visit because I could have just been having a panic attack-- partly caused by withdrawals and partly due to the stress of having drank for so long without a night off... I was bound to snap) The reason I don't think it was really serious withdrawals is because they just gave me 5 .25 mg xanax and sent me home and I didn't have any discomfort after that besides very mild shaking...

ANYWAY,

So what have I done this weekend besides not drink? I spent this weekend exercising, eating healthy, studying, got some time in the sun. It was really nice. Well my last post I talked about relapsing and I talked about not fully believing that I would never drink again. One of the members on here sent me links to AVRT and I had heard of it before, as well as of course hearing about AA before and I spent a good 15 hours this weekend reading about each. They are very different recovery programs.

Obviously this isn't a thread to discuss which is better because whatever form of recovery works for you is the only recovery that you need to worry about. I did do a lot of recovery reading this weekend, but I'm by far no means even an expert in AVRT nor AA. I was curious to some of the people that have lots of sober time if any of you used AA or AVRT? Both? Neither? Just SR? A combination? Why has it been working for you and what aspects of the programs or combinations thereof worked for you and why?

-Serper

ScottFromWI

SR is my main support. I did go to AA meetings too and being around others in recovery was helpful. If you really want to know what it's all about, just go to some meetings and see for yourself, they don't bite ;-)

Dee74

I just used SR.

There are many more alternatives besides AA or AVRT too:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...formation.html

D

MIRecovery

I use both. I have found the more tools I have in my bag of tricks the more likely I will stay sober

AVRT was very effective in early sobriety and urge control. AA provided long term solutions

happyandfree

SR is working just fine for me. So far 5.5 months and I intend to keep it going. I have anonymity issues with AA at this point of my life. In another period of my life I went to AA and I especially liked the sober friends I made there. With AA I found it's best to take what you need and leave the rest. I did not agree with everything AA tells you. SR has helped me to make and keep my sobriety a priority. And I go on it 2-3 times/day.

trachemys

SR, AVRT, and BLTC(Better Living Though Chemistry)

Oh, and ICCC(Ice Cream Cures Cravings)

Serper2014

It's interesting that I've found that popsicles cure cravings. Nobody ever mentioned it to me I just found that it works....must have something to do with the cold hitting the back of throat and occupying a hand and oral fixation....

trachemys

Someone else has mentioned popsicles and otter pops/squeeze pops. I think you're right on the cold. I also think just consumption of something/anything helps.

RolyPoly

I'm drinking tons of tea and decaffeinated coffee in place of the wine I used to drink. Can't do ice cream as I'm trying to lose weight and can't stand artificial sweeteners so popsicles are out too.

Serper2014

Yeah I only buy the all natural fruit pops.....and what's a few extra grams of sugar...I used to drink 10 beers per night....so even with a lot of popsicles I'm still consuming way less calories than I used to....I'm not having 10 popsicles a night that's for sure.

HockeyGuy

I feel like SR, for me personally, is the best, because it's here 24/7 and there are so many awesome resources. It's all I use at this point

IOAA2

Hi. I happen to use AA since before the internet successfully. I go to noon time meeting about 3-5 times a week where fairly often there are 7-10 of us with more than 10 years some of which have + 40 years. Then there are those with 10-30 years but I don’t question people about their sobriety time so it varies.
I will agree that many ways lead down the path to sobriety and into long term recovery IF we embrace them and work daily towards recovery.
The thing that scares me with any program that we follow is the attitude of too many: “ I don’t like this or that, that part’s not for me, I’ll do as little as possible and pay no attention to the rest and on and on.”
Recovery is work and taking the slackers way is inviting personal disaster. As example, investigate the recovery rates of any program. The programs work it’s the people who don’t.

BE WELL

anattaboy

Coffee, SR, AVRT, Meditation and the occasional meeting work for me. AVRT is actually endorsed by the BB in that it "completely SMASHES THE IDEA that we could ever drink again" from the git-go...After that, everything else is attainable.

trachemys

Hey Roly, try an experiment: fruit juice pops. I think I've seen them in the stores but you can make your own. Little paper cups and sticks. You can cut the fruit juice in half and lower the calories. I'm curious about the cold effect on someone other than me.

Archelon

NA, Pro Active 12 step, and therapy.

It was not addiction therapy but it helped just the same.

also forums about hobbies and things, get my mind on the world beyond alcohol

Serper2014

I loved this post. Thanks so much, especially the last line.

Nonsensical

AVRT, AA, CBT, LifeRing.

KAD

I use a combination of things I've learned from AA, RR, CBT, and various self-help books I've read. Oh, and last but not least, SR.

Carlotta

I use both and I also have SR: when it comes to alcohol the more tools on your tool box the better.

PurpleKnight

This is the key to a lot of my Sobriety, clinging on to abstinence simply didn't produce any long term results for me, I needed to do more, have a new lifestyle, one that doesn't facilitate alcohol anymore and one that didn't just result in me sitting in with my thoughts evening after evening!!