My take on recovery programs and an overview of my program and what works for me
A Smart Bug is a Sober Bug!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Hot and Muggy South Florida
Posts: 1,396
My take on recovery programs and an overview of my program and what works for me
Hi all, here is my latest blog entry. It is, like all my blogs, my personal opinion and experience. I have nothing against structured recovery programs, I just believe AA is a tool or a part of someone’s personal recovery program, it shouldn't be considered the only part.
There is more to a recovery program than going to meetings, in fact you are minimizing the power of your recovery by believing that you are working a program just by going to meetings. Meetings by themselves are fellowship events and your attendance is not your program. For example, AA will tell you that their program is not about meetings, but about working the steps. That is where the real work is to be done. Meetings are just a tool to help you get to the steps.
A program is a toolbox packed full with tools that help you get and stay sober and achieve real recovery enriched with support that will last forever. Your program is not AA, NA, Smart Recovery, Celebrate Recovery, or Rational Recovery. Your program is yours. My program is mine. They are all different because we are all different. We have to fill up our toolbox.
You don’t build a solid toolbox by going all at once to the Home Depot and buying all the fancy gadgets they have. You don’t build it with all the tools your neighbor has because you think if it works for him, it will work for you. You build it over time by starting out with the essentials and then branching out with new ones as you get better in your craft. You may even find that a tool you already have is not working and you can feel free to take it out. Through fellowship you can discover tools you didn’t even think you needed. The end goal is to have a toolbox filled with tools that work for you.
There is one required tool and you can think of it as the toolbox itself. It is the desire to stop drinking or taking drugs. Once you have that, you can put all your tools neatly inside. Desire is important because it means you are at a place in your life that you know you have a problem and you want to do something about it. This step doesn’t require anything else, but it is usually closely followed by putting the drug or drink down, sobering up, and then be open-minded enough to think about what it all means.
Desire came to me in the early morning hours at a hotel in south Florida. I have spoken about my rock bottom before, but not in terms of desire. Up until that event I was coasting along the addiction highway, oblivious to the need to stop and unwilling to even consider it. I was all caught up in the self-centered thinking that if it made me feel better, then I had no desire to stop. I had tried AA before, tried online recovery, even tried anti-drinking medication. None of that worked at all because there was no desire. I was doing it to please other people. When I hit rock bottom, I woke up and I said there is no way in hell that I was going to continue this madness, it had to stop and it had to stop now. That was desire. That was April 27, 2016. That day started my road to recovery.
My Recovery Program
Here is the gist of my recovery program. It centers around secular beliefs (please don't be offended but I do not believe in God).
DESIRE TO BE DRUG AND ALCOHOL FREE
WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.
NEVER PICK UP
Treat myself well. Eat good food, take care of my body, keep in close contact with my doctor, engage in breathing exercises, practice stress management techniques, control anger, reduce workload.
Engage in complete and utter honesty - with others and with myself. Take personal responsibility for my actions. Never stop trying.
Rehab (got me sober) Continue benefitting as an alumni.
Blogging (keeps me sober) link is on my about me on my profile if you are interested
Medication (manage depression and ADHD)
Meditation (mindfulness). Not religion based, more of mindful concentration on the Earth and life within it. Daily. I feel horrible during the day if I don’t start my morning with this.
Psychological therapies like CBT, DBT, behavior modification, weekly one on one therapy
Reading of science backed theories, recovery programs, self help, addiction studies, behavior modification
Practice theories from Smart Recovery and AVRT
Soberrecovery.com(helping others, fellowship, sharing my blog posts)
One on one interactions (like emailing other addicts). I attend the SR chats on Fridays. No offense to anyone in AA/NA. I have been to AA and NA meetings many times, but it is not for me, I don't like war stories, won't be getting a sponsor, and (see next)
Step work (technically I can't get past Step 1, so I work steps out of order, like making amends, helping other addicts, maintain personal inventories, etc).
Restriction of people/places/things. I dumped my old doc who prescribed me my drug of choice, I avoid particular stores that I bought wine at, I refuse to buy beer for my husband, I won't let him keep it in the house, I stopped interacting with influential users, etc.
Have a support structure planned put in case of crisis. A phone list of people to talk to. List of online resources like urge surfing, AV slaying, etc.
Plans happening soon:
Go to Smart Recovery meetings on Wednesdays. I'm trying, but I work too much.
Evening IOP. If I can find one.
Exercise (yeah, probably not. I may be thin but I get winded huffing it up a flight of stairs.)
Stopping smoking (started in rehab, aged 42. Still can’t believe I did after a lifetime as a nonsmoker)
Stopping the energy drinks like Redbull (I abuse caffeine and I have to stop like any other drug)
That is my program. I add to it all the time.
There is more to a recovery program than going to meetings, in fact you are minimizing the power of your recovery by believing that you are working a program just by going to meetings. Meetings by themselves are fellowship events and your attendance is not your program. For example, AA will tell you that their program is not about meetings, but about working the steps. That is where the real work is to be done. Meetings are just a tool to help you get to the steps.
A program is a toolbox packed full with tools that help you get and stay sober and achieve real recovery enriched with support that will last forever. Your program is not AA, NA, Smart Recovery, Celebrate Recovery, or Rational Recovery. Your program is yours. My program is mine. They are all different because we are all different. We have to fill up our toolbox.
You don’t build a solid toolbox by going all at once to the Home Depot and buying all the fancy gadgets they have. You don’t build it with all the tools your neighbor has because you think if it works for him, it will work for you. You build it over time by starting out with the essentials and then branching out with new ones as you get better in your craft. You may even find that a tool you already have is not working and you can feel free to take it out. Through fellowship you can discover tools you didn’t even think you needed. The end goal is to have a toolbox filled with tools that work for you.
There is one required tool and you can think of it as the toolbox itself. It is the desire to stop drinking or taking drugs. Once you have that, you can put all your tools neatly inside. Desire is important because it means you are at a place in your life that you know you have a problem and you want to do something about it. This step doesn’t require anything else, but it is usually closely followed by putting the drug or drink down, sobering up, and then be open-minded enough to think about what it all means.
Desire came to me in the early morning hours at a hotel in south Florida. I have spoken about my rock bottom before, but not in terms of desire. Up until that event I was coasting along the addiction highway, oblivious to the need to stop and unwilling to even consider it. I was all caught up in the self-centered thinking that if it made me feel better, then I had no desire to stop. I had tried AA before, tried online recovery, even tried anti-drinking medication. None of that worked at all because there was no desire. I was doing it to please other people. When I hit rock bottom, I woke up and I said there is no way in hell that I was going to continue this madness, it had to stop and it had to stop now. That was desire. That was April 27, 2016. That day started my road to recovery.
My Recovery Program
Here is the gist of my recovery program. It centers around secular beliefs (please don't be offended but I do not believe in God).
DESIRE TO BE DRUG AND ALCOHOL FREE
WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.
NEVER PICK UP
Treat myself well. Eat good food, take care of my body, keep in close contact with my doctor, engage in breathing exercises, practice stress management techniques, control anger, reduce workload.
Engage in complete and utter honesty - with others and with myself. Take personal responsibility for my actions. Never stop trying.
Rehab (got me sober) Continue benefitting as an alumni.
Blogging (keeps me sober) link is on my about me on my profile if you are interested
Medication (manage depression and ADHD)
Meditation (mindfulness). Not religion based, more of mindful concentration on the Earth and life within it. Daily. I feel horrible during the day if I don’t start my morning with this.
Psychological therapies like CBT, DBT, behavior modification, weekly one on one therapy
Reading of science backed theories, recovery programs, self help, addiction studies, behavior modification
Practice theories from Smart Recovery and AVRT
Soberrecovery.com(helping others, fellowship, sharing my blog posts)
One on one interactions (like emailing other addicts). I attend the SR chats on Fridays. No offense to anyone in AA/NA. I have been to AA and NA meetings many times, but it is not for me, I don't like war stories, won't be getting a sponsor, and (see next)
Step work (technically I can't get past Step 1, so I work steps out of order, like making amends, helping other addicts, maintain personal inventories, etc).
Restriction of people/places/things. I dumped my old doc who prescribed me my drug of choice, I avoid particular stores that I bought wine at, I refuse to buy beer for my husband, I won't let him keep it in the house, I stopped interacting with influential users, etc.
Have a support structure planned put in case of crisis. A phone list of people to talk to. List of online resources like urge surfing, AV slaying, etc.
Plans happening soon:
Go to Smart Recovery meetings on Wednesdays. I'm trying, but I work too much.
Evening IOP. If I can find one.
Exercise (yeah, probably not. I may be thin but I get winded huffing it up a flight of stairs.)
Stopping smoking (started in rehab, aged 42. Still can’t believe I did after a lifetime as a nonsmoker)
Stopping the energy drinks like Redbull (I abuse caffeine and I have to stop like any other drug)
That is my program. I add to it all the time.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: US
Posts: 5,095
Thanks Lightning Bug. I believe recovery is hollistic too. It can take time to fill that tool box so if starting just AA is all one can handle at first then that's ok too. I know that exercise, sleep and eating right all support my ability to resist alcohol so very important early on....and ongoing!
I started smoking in rehab too! Stupid but its not a full blown addiction. I'm down to one a day. Gonna rip the band aid off this weekend. Even just one noticeably affects my exercise so not gonna keep that up!
I started smoking in rehab too! Stupid but its not a full blown addiction. I'm down to one a day. Gonna rip the band aid off this weekend. Even just one noticeably affects my exercise so not gonna keep that up!
Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,025
Great stuff Lightning Bug! Couldn't agree more. Like you I have also clearly noticed when I had the desire to stop, funny thing is it wasn't after a heavy session, it suddenly just took over my mind.
Recovery plan is a game changer, I will always be thankful to SR not only for this forum, but for introducing me to building plans. I am now not only using it just to stay sober, but to also to achieve more, plan no goes way beyond not drinking (though that s first on the list! Hehe)
P
Recovery plan is a game changer, I will always be thankful to SR not only for this forum, but for introducing me to building plans. I am now not only using it just to stay sober, but to also to achieve more, plan no goes way beyond not drinking (though that s first on the list! Hehe)
P
Psalm 118:24
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ILLINOIS
Posts: 15,203
Normally when I ask someone coming back from a relapse what happened, I usually get the same response " I stopped going to meetings"
I place more importantce on two alcoholics sharing with each other then anything else.
I do hope, what ever you try to help you on your recovery works for you
I place more importantce on two alcoholics sharing with each other then anything else.
I do hope, what ever you try to help you on your recovery works for you
Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 322
Originally Posted by CAPTAINZING2000 
Normally when I ask someone coming back from a relapse what happened, I usually get the same response " I stopped going to meetings"
I place more importantce on two alcoholics sharing with each other then anything else.
I do hope, what ever you try to help you on your recovery works for you
I place more importantce on two alcoholics sharing with each other then anything else.
I do hope, what ever you try to help you on your recovery works for you
A Smart Bug is a Sober Bug!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Hot and Muggy South Florida
Posts: 1,396
Originally Posted by CAPTAINZING2000
Normally when I ask someone coming back from a relapse what happened, I usually get the same response " I stopped going to meetings"
I place more importantce on two alcoholics sharing with each other then anything else.
I do hope, what ever you try to help you on your recovery works for you
I place more importantce on two alcoholics sharing with each other then anything else.
I do hope, what ever you try to help you on your recovery works for you
To illustrate a program I listed mine. All programs are unique.
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