Alcoholism and FEELINGS/EMOTIONS
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Minneapolis, Mn. Minnesota Alligator Controll
Posts: 286
Alcoholism and FEELINGS/EMOTIONS
Well where do I start, I volunteered to do a meeting on Mon. the 14th.
And decided to do it on the 12 steps and feelings/emotions.
Being a recovering alkie, 23 yrs. emotions come bubbling up out of no where.
Not knowing how to react to them, they often leave me in a mess.
I've located a few on the net, and there are all kinds of sub catagories.
Buzzle.com offered these.
FEAR
JOY
LOVE
SADNESS
SURPRISE
ANGER
Where and how do you throw a step at these
seems at any given time, any given step may work.
Is this where everyone gets so messed up.
And decided to do it on the 12 steps and feelings/emotions.
Being a recovering alkie, 23 yrs. emotions come bubbling up out of no where.
Not knowing how to react to them, they often leave me in a mess.
I've located a few on the net, and there are all kinds of sub catagories.
Buzzle.com offered these.
FEAR
JOY
LOVE
SADNESS
SURPRISE
ANGER
Where and how do you throw a step at these
seems at any given time, any given step may work.
Is this where everyone gets so messed up.
Belgian Sheepdog Adictee
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: In Today
Posts: 6,101
Here some research for you to check out:
Page 27 of the Big Book
THERE IS A SOLUTION
Page 27
without disaster, provided he remains willing to maintain a
certain simple attitude.
Some of our alcoholic readers may think they can do
without spiritual help. Let us tell you the rest of the
conversation our friend had with his doctor.
The doctor said: "You have the mind of a chronic
alcoholic. I have never seen one single case recover, where
that state of mind existed to the extent that it does in you."
Our friend felt as though the gates of hell had closed on
him with a clang.
He said to the doctor, "Is there no exception?"
"Yes," replied the doctor, "there is. Exceptions to cases
such as yours have been occurring since early times. Here
and there, once in a while, alcoholics have had what are
called vital spiritual experiences. To me these occurrences
are phenomena. They appear to be in the nature of huge
emotional displacements and rearrangements. Ideas,
emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces
of the lives of these men are suddenly cast to one side, and
a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to
dominate them. In fact, I have been trying to produce some
such emotional rearrangement within you. With many
individuals the methods which I employed are successful,
but I have never been successful with an alcoholic of your
description."
Upon hearing this, our friend was somewhat relieved, for
he reflected that, after all, he was a good church member.
This hope, however, was destroyed by the doctor's telling
him that while his religious convictions were very good, in
his case they did not spell the necessary vital spiritual
experience.
Just and example, go here:
Big Book Third Edition Word Search
Type in the individual words and you will get plenty of info for your meeting.
Hope that helps.
Love and hugs,
Page 27 of the Big Book
THERE IS A SOLUTION
Page 27
without disaster, provided he remains willing to maintain a
certain simple attitude.
Some of our alcoholic readers may think they can do
without spiritual help. Let us tell you the rest of the
conversation our friend had with his doctor.
The doctor said: "You have the mind of a chronic
alcoholic. I have never seen one single case recover, where
that state of mind existed to the extent that it does in you."
Our friend felt as though the gates of hell had closed on
him with a clang.
He said to the doctor, "Is there no exception?"
"Yes," replied the doctor, "there is. Exceptions to cases
such as yours have been occurring since early times. Here
and there, once in a while, alcoholics have had what are
called vital spiritual experiences. To me these occurrences
are phenomena. They appear to be in the nature of huge
emotional displacements and rearrangements. Ideas,
emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces
of the lives of these men are suddenly cast to one side, and
a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to
dominate them. In fact, I have been trying to produce some
such emotional rearrangement within you. With many
individuals the methods which I employed are successful,
but I have never been successful with an alcoholic of your
description."
Upon hearing this, our friend was somewhat relieved, for
he reflected that, after all, he was a good church member.
This hope, however, was destroyed by the doctor's telling
him that while his religious convictions were very good, in
his case they did not spell the necessary vital spiritual
experience.
Just and example, go here:
Big Book Third Edition Word Search
Type in the individual words and you will get plenty of info for your meeting.
Hope that helps.
Love and hugs,
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,322
I am not knowledgeable on the 12 step AA program in as far as meetings go, but I think I would first talk about the negative emotions you mentioned above (fear, sadness, etc.) and how they do not accomplish anything and are a waste of our precious energy, then flip to the positive ones (joy, love) and how they both accomplish a peaceful serenity within us and therefore are a better use of our energy. I also see a much more direct connection between the positive emotions and the steps, starting with acceptance, with the negative emotions more connected with denial and non-step thinking.
Good luck, Geees!
Good luck, Geees!
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