Jil

Hey everyone. I'm having a difficult time, at this point in my sobriety, of figuring out who I am and who I want to be. I'm quite young (21 years old) and I know that mostly everyone my age- addict or not- has these same questions. But the fact that I have been sober for 5 months and 2 weeks has allowed me to clearly see the importance of finally finding answers to these questions.

My question for you is if you've come across any books that could begin helping me on my journey to finding myself. They can be books for recovering alcoholics, or not. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks,

-Jil

bayliss

Hey Jil!

Check this thread out - a TUN of great books! The best of luck to you.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-may-help.html

bayliss

Ps. I took my Seven Weeks book to a doctor appointment and was advised that it would not be wise to take these many vitamins in a day. The vitamins will begin to deposit in other - unhealthy - areas of the body over a period of time of taking them.
Just an opinion on it. I didn't see that it helped me a tun...I am still taking all the vitamins but in way more moderation.
B-Vitamins are absolutely great and I heard that when patients enter treatment they receive Thiamine vitamins.
Be wary of the B vitamin NIACIN - I took it and I had the most scariest reaction - I thought I was having a severe allergic reaction. The flushing was insane and it took about 2-3 hours before I began feeling back to my normal self.
Niacin is used for people with low cholesterol I believe.
I would suggest though to check with your doc about any vitamins or detoxes you may start.
Best wishes Jil!

eJoshua

Congrats on your sobriety!!! I'm only 26, but I wish I got sober 5 years ago. Thank God that we both got sober early in our lives though, we spared ourselves a lot of pain.

I'm not sure about books, although I know what you mean about trying to decide what to do next. For myself, I just today registered for college classes this for this fall semester. I was in school before I got sober, but have been out for a year since I started working on getting clean. I'm thinking about changing majors though, and trying to go for something a little more manageable than what I initially chose.

If you're looking for a more spiritual answer to your question, I've gotten the best answers from church and the Bible. That may not be exactly what you were hoping to hear, but that's what has helped me a lot.

Best of luck to you in your continued sobriety!

sugarbear1

I am in a 12 step program. That's all that I have for now.

stanleyhouse

I read Your Sacred Self by Wayne Dyer. I wish I had read it when I was 21. It suggests looking at what you are not; like your name, job, degree, social status, criminal record, etc. These are all external labels not part of your soul.
SH

MycoolFitz

Hello Jil. You pose a good question. I'm 64 (will you still need me, will you still feed me?) and I still ask that question. I'm sober and recovering, thats a big part of me. Learning and relearning me things lost in addiction. I read a lot on Buddhism and the like which I find valuable for me. I did before recovery too but it was like shining a pen light into a black abyss. It took rediscovering the sober me to go any deeper into the who I am. Thanks for the post.

"I think it is time to face yourself again.
Than again, it is always time." Alan Watts

saphira

This might sound a bit weird but "Women, Food, and God" hit home with me in all kinds of areas. It's not just about weight and food but about addictions and pretty much how to handle anything! It made me look at myself and my life in a completely different way. Just a thought!

Symmetry

Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self Through Shamanic Practice (Paperback)
Sandra Ingerman
*
Return to the Garden
****** Gawain

Siddartha
Hermann Hesse

I read these books when I was in my early twenties and am tapping into the knowledge I have received from these readings to maintain my sobriety. I am also doing yoga and meditating everyday.

Good luck to you. Sobriety is a gift:day6

Soberpotamus

This probably may not interest you as it's not one of the self-help type books. It's a novel by a master... Jose Saramago. In his book All The Names, there's almost a palpable experience of loneliness, love and a discovering of self-identity in society. It's impressed me more than most novels I've read. I'd have to say it was very surprising, the effect it had on me. It's hard to even describe it. I highly recommend this book.

Snarf

There are several books that have helped me discover "who I am" and the path I am on. The Bible (for religious and spiritual growth), AA Big Book (for obvious reasons), and comic books. Yeah, the comics are kind of my hobby since I've stopped drinking. I was big into them as a kid, and I just picked back up with them when I put the bottle down. I like following different stories, cataloging and arranging the books, loaning them out to other people, looking forward to New Release day each week, and talking about them online. Heck, since I can't drive right now, I even get in some exercise and kill some time by riding my bike to the comic book shop.

Now that I write that, I probably spend waaay too much time on my comic book hobby. But hey, it helps keep me off of booze and out of jail, so I guess it's working.

bayliss

Oh no. I totally didn't read your post correctly. :/ Sorry!

Some books that have helped me are:

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
The Right Questions by Debbie Ford

That's all I can think of for now.

EmeraldRose

I just got glasses so hopefully some of these book suggestions will work for me, as well. Hehe
At 47, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up although I do know that I have come closer to finding out who I am. I think that in itself is a lifelong process.
After years upon years of masking emotions and going through the motions I am discovering that I am a true human soul and a productive member of society. What brought me to that conclusion was my spiritual thoughts and maturing within my own heart.
Good Luck on your quest.

Fenris

Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead have always had a pretty big impact on my thoughts of who I am and who I'd like to be.

And like Snarf, I read a lot of comic books. Also probably spend too much time and money on them, but it's a hobby that helps keep me sane(ish).

--Fenris.

sugarbear1

I, along with many others, have learned a great deal from self help books. The greatest way to learn about myself, in my experience, is by studying and applying the 12 steps to my life. It's simple, not easy, and I constantly learn more about me everyday.
I tried reading my way to self discovery and learned to live a program of self discovery. My experience.
I wish you well

SindyLuhu

I think you should be commended for asking these questions and trying to figure this stuff out at such a young age. I wish I had the wisdom and clarity to do the same at 21.

I have about 20 years on you and I'm just now trying to figure out who I am. I've always been so-and-so's wife, so-and-so's mom, so-and-so's little sister, so-and-so who sits in the cube on the 7th floor. I thought I was happy being in those roles for many many years. Then one day I woke up and realized I have no friends (acquaintances, yes) but no real close girlfriends I could call up and hang out with. I always thought I was better off that way. Now I'm realizing that somewhere along the line I lost my identity...to the point where I don't know if I ever really had one. Maybe I do and just don't know it because the alcohol made me believe I was something that clearly I was not.

Good on ya!