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"work"

Old 09-15-2015, 05:26 AM
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"work"

So I am still pretty new at recovery. I've got just under 60 days. I come here and read daily and try to show support for those struggling as well as ask for help when I feel I need to. This has been working for me well.

I see a lot of people posting about doing their daily work in recovery and that is what has helped keep them sober for impressive amounts of time. What exactly does this mean? I understand working the steps of AA but what about those who do not attend? Is it basically what I've stated above or is there something I'm missing?

Sorry if this is a silly question but I intend to be one of those people with years of sobriety and I want all the secrets!
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Old 09-15-2015, 05:34 AM
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Not a silly question by any means

This is a good precis of what I call recovery 'work' Kamm

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ml#post5314914

There are some more really good links in that thread to help you get some ideas on what else you could do to ensure your recovery in a proactive way

D
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Old 09-15-2015, 05:51 AM
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Originally Posted by kamm View Post
So I am still pretty new at recovery. I've got just under 60 days. I come here and read daily and try to show support for those struggling as well as ask for help when I feel I need to. This has been working for me well.

I see a lot of people posting about doing their daily work in recovery and that is what has helped keep them sober for impressive amounts of time. What exactly does this mean? I understand working the steps of AA but what about those who do not attend? Is it basically what I've stated above or is there something I'm missing?

Sorry if this is a silly question but I intend to be one of those people with years of sobriety and I want all the secrets!
I think this is a really good question. I've always kind of shivered at the idea of 'working' a program daily. Its one of the 'turn offs' for me in AA, to be honest. I think to myself, "you mean, I have to work (which I hear as struggle) with this every single day?". I drink for relief from struggle so how is that going to work for me?

I had to redefine my concept of 'working a program' in a way that was consistent with my needs. I obviously couldn't keep doing everything the same way, but work/struggle (my interpretation) wasn't working. For me addiction is truly an inside job. In other words, its not just an action of not drinking, its an action of learning to live in a completely different way. Learning to live in harmony with the world (people, places and things) as opposed to always fighting...which is what I instinctively do. Its more in how I think and process daily life, than in actually not drinking. Not drinking is the first step of course. But I have to learn to let 'things' go. Understand that 2/3 of my daily experiences are out of my control. I have to retrain how I react to everything. I have to mindful. Live in this moment only. Deal with the wreckage of my past, then let it go. Do not let the past define my present, hence my future. Don't be fearful about what has not come. That keeps me stuck in an emotional loop. Work on bettering me and me only. And my happiness is a choice. I can choose to miserable or I can choose to happy and peaceful. And if I really want a big dose of misery? I can drink.

So working a program to me is simply changing the way I react to pretty much everything and choosing to be happy in the present moment. The next phase for me is helping others more.....stay tuned!
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Old 09-15-2015, 06:32 AM
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Hi. Many people intemperate words differently.
For me the work I followed led to a lot of years of sobriety so far, some of which I didn’t like at first. Like not having the first drink, going to meetings I didn’t want to, becoming active IN the program like making coffee, setting up a meeting, cleaning up afterwards including washing those stinking metal ash trays and on and on.

The work that mattered long term is asking for help, helping another alcoholic, working the steps means living them, not always easy and other self improvement actions and reactions.
It’s not a quick action but leads to changes compared to when we started.
Many think if I just stop drinking life will be better. That is a positive however it is more than that and if not followed by filling the void within us that alcohol left most of us will drink again sometimes. Believe the posts on how difficult getting sober again is. I doubt I could sober up again even after a lot of sober productive years sober.

BE WELL
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Old 09-15-2015, 07:11 AM
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Having a plan helps tenfold
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Old 09-15-2015, 07:28 AM
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Originally Posted by soberwolf View Post
Having a plan helps tenfold
That's for sure.
I refer to it sometimes as my Sober Toolbelt.
Seems each one if wanting to stay sober needs to gather many Tools.

Who or where do I go to for support ?
Places or people that maybe today I should stay away from ?
Expecting nothing from others, yet being there for them if needed.
Meetings ?
Church ?
Hanging out with people that have (quality) sober time.
Remembering how we caused our families much discomfort.
Not expecting them to forgive us quickly.

This sober life (especially in the first few years)
takes much hard work
and good moral discissions to be made at all times.

Mountainmanbob
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Old 09-15-2015, 07:36 AM
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Great question. Recovery and sobriety is about a lot more than to quit drinking alcohol. At its best it's about a journey to mental, emotional and physical wholeness. There are those of us who would also add in spiritual wholeness as well. The "work" is anything that is done to promote healing and health in that journey. AA is a pre-packaged program that can be used throughout a lifetime. People who don't attend AA put together their own plan from an endless variety of options. Long-term success is based on having a long-term plan.

If I had any advice for someone early in recovery, it would be to let sobriety and recovery be your primary focus whenever you are not involved with work and family responsibilities. Everything else can be put on hold. This early period is when you start creating new pathways in your brain. It won't always feel normal or natural, but a dedicated commitment to new practices will eventually lead to a new way of being. Eventually the life benefits of that new way of being become the motivator to keep on going. It becomes less and less about not drinking and more and more about becoming what you can be.

Sobriety becomes a state of mind. As you begin to experience a fulfilled life of serenity, peace and mental clarity you realize that your desires have changed. It's no longer about prohibition and the forbidden; it's about choice and freedom. In this stage is where you may for the first time choose sobriety not only with your mind but with your heart.

I don't know many other alcoholics, but I expect my sobriety journey is common. The work in those early days when it's about getting through a day, an hour or even a minute without drinking is probably quite similar for all of us. The farther we progress into sobriety, the wider the nature of the work available to us. Some may find their path in physical disciplines such as running or working out. Some settle into service to others. A spiritual discipline is a calling for some. The one thing that we all share in common is that we have found, often through trial and error, that thing that we connect with on a deeply personal level that sustains and moves us forward.
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Old 09-15-2015, 08:41 AM
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Bravo on what Lance40 said. From the first days of fighting to just not pick up a drink, recovery and sobriety become so much more. I had to pretty much only think of staying sober in the beginning. Then I had to change how I lived my life.

There are some fantastic replies on this thread. Just awesome
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Old 09-15-2015, 06:25 PM
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Thank you all for your thorough and hearfelt replies. I've got a much better idea of where I'm headed in recovery. I do feel pretty strong in my recovery currently but I have had moments where I feel lost as a person... Like I'm not who I was when I drinking but I am yet to figure out who I am or want to be.... Much "work" to be done.

Also trying to enjoy the ride along the way.
♡♡Kamm
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