Done_With_It

I personally don't attend AA/NA much, but I am still afraid of drugs! Especially my doc. When I wasn't afraid of it, I was doing lines.....

Just curious, why would you not want to be afraid of what could destroy you?

nogard

I go to AA and NA but am also radical in this as I do things like colour my hair

Kevin

Phinneas

Not to speak for Sugah - I will speak only for myself here. I have some healthy fear around drugs and alcohol because I know where they will take me, and fast. But no, I do not walk around with that fear present in my head any more than I fear being in a plane crash. 12 step programs have given me a way to remove the craving and obsession. I was able to white-knuckle it once for 7 months, but the entire time was misery beyond comprehension. Yup, yup, I'll take the AA way any day over that!

One general comment about this thread - it appears that some who got bored with AA or don't like it only went to meetings and did not get a sponsor and work the steps. Is that correct? I ask because, see, to me, there is a huge difference. I, too, started out with a few meetings and quickly decided that I didn't belong there. After my last stint in hell, I quickly decided otherwise and became open and willing. The difference is like day and night. Today the mental obsession is gone as are the physical cravings. I am rebuilding my life and living with integrity. I have people I care about and who care about me. Not a bad trade - Hell for serenity, eh?

All that said, I want to reiterate (as I have said many times on this board) that I support ANY recovery that gets and KEEPS a person sober and happy. AA is not the only way, by far, it's just the only way that worked for ME.

Done_With_It

I wouldn't say I walk around craving it. But my fear of meth is strong. The fear of it that I have is what drove me to throw away the last couple bags I found, drove me to call a few friends when my cravings got out of control.

For me, I need to be afraid of it, for so long I wasn't. I thought I could control just doing a line here and there. It didn't scare me at all, it just made me feel good.

But I don't wake up in the mornings afraid of it, just like I don't fear a plane crash either.

Sugah

I'd say that we're on the same page, Phinny. Say...page 83, 84, somewhere thereabouts?



Peace & Love,
Sugah

drew_61

if you have no problems with boredom, envy, lust, laziness, depression, or anger and resentment, then I strongly suspect that you can stay sober without any program at all . . . so long as you feel calm, serene, and at home in the universe on a daily basis.

If you do not presently have the kind of life above, even then you might still be able to stay sober without a program. You could trade in booze for ice cream and pizza whenever you needed added enjoyment in being alive. You could take up gambling on a big time basis if life seems too boring. Perhaps experimenting with kinkier and kinkier sex would work. There are other escapes from growing along spiritual lines out there, and they all seem to work for a while at least in staving off the feelings which come from not wanting to become willing to be moved by truth from egoism towards humility.



Looks like you'll become a perved out, gambling addicted freekazoid if you don't stick with the program...

Dreamz

I resepct everyone's opinion, and I know different things work for different people. So I thought I'd throw my 2 cents.

I have stayed clean without the program...for 5 and a half months. It gets hard at times but there are other times when its easy. I don't want to sit there and think about drugs and alcohol and talk about drugs and alcohol because when its on my mind all the time, sometimes the cravings get worse.

I think you just need to find something that suits you - but for the mean time stay on SR - it has really helped through some tough times!!!