stubbs

Was looking for a program lately,Its getting tough on my own.was wondering is celebrate recovery like AA?I believe in god so that's not the problem.I just don't like how AA is structured.Anyone who can tell me the differences In the two would be great.I have several meeting within 15 miles from home.
I'm on day 16 no alcohol.I really was hating my life today.anxious,irritable,and just down right depressed.Ihave been thinking a lot lately of drinking again too.I am so fed up with this cycle.I wish I could find a passion in life,a new career,But I think till my brain smokes and I can't think of a single thing that would spark even a little interest in me.
I should be feeling better but I'm feeling worse.Maybe I have paws?I did use opiates for a couple years also.I never really used a ton of them but was getting a little out of control at the end,eating more then I usually did and got little effect.That is main reason I came to the conclusion to quit drinking.Drinking brought out my craving for them more.
Just confused I guess,Dont want to give up my battle but I want to feel at least a little better.I wasn't the type to get hammered and feel like complete crap the next day,at least not to often.Well I'm off to bed,Hope to wake up in a better mood......

tomsteve

Home

this may help ya.
I will admit im a lil jealous. I would love to have some of the meetings close to me, but the closest one is 75 miles one way.

SereneEdition

16 days is awesome! Congrats!

It does get better. It took me about a month to get through the 'acute' stage & start feeling better. It's a sign that you're healing & the brain chemistry is resetting.

A day can make a huge difference in my mood, even today at 4 months in.

stubbs

Thanks guys,
I'm feeling better today so far.Does anyone know the differences in celebrate recovery and AA?

visch1

Hi. When I first went to AA over 35 years ago there were things I didn't like either. I was asked how my way was working, it wasn't. After a couple more years of serious research things got too bad and I started to sit up front and took the cotton out of my ears and put it in my mouth so I could listen. They said give it a try for 90 days and if I didn't like being DRY I could leave and my misery is refundable. My big problem was being honest with myself and accepting things I didn't like. For instance, I don't like being an alcoholic but I accept it as something I can't change. AA has worked for many millions and is world wide for access which I was able to use when I got sober. BE WELL

Received

Hi stubbs and welcome to SR.

I'm sorry you are not getting your specific question answered. Here is a link from our Christian Recovery Forum about Celebrate Recovery (there are several other threads if you do a search):

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-recovery.html

Since this is a Christian based Recovery Program you may want to post your question at that forum. Here is the link to that specific forum:

Christians In Recovery - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

It may take a bit of time to get a response as that forum is not quite as busy but our members there are very passionate in their faith and will be along.

Best to you.

instant

16 days is great.in my experience i was driven mentally for three months. It took six for my emotions to settle down. It takes the time it takes irrespective of what we think "should" happen.

It is doable, but i had to get put of my own way.

doggonecarl

Just go, stubbs, and make your own conclusions. You're struggling to maintain sobriety, no time to put up roadblocks on what can help.

stubbs

You may be right,struggling bad today,I haven't taken my antabuse for a couple days and drinking is on my mind.

hypochondriac

Hang in there Stubbs. I felt worse before I started feeling better. In some ways anyway. There are many aspects to sobriety, even when it's tough and you feel rotten, that are way better than drinking days x

stubbs

My main struggle is I can't get myself out of my rut.I need something to be passionate in.A career change or freaking a hobby,anything!Life is super dull and depressing.I probably spend 80% of my waking hours thinking on how to fix this

doggonecarl

Spend that time focusing on your recovery and staying sober and I assure you things will get better.

stubbs

Pretty much what is on my mind all day.I am relieved when evening is here and I can just watch a movie with the wife and forget about it all for a couple hours,that and sleep if I'm not dreaming about getting buzzed.

hypochondriac

What Carl said. Focus on the moments. Don't try to fix everything all at once. Don't drink and keep moving forwards x

stubbs

Well I survived another day so to say.No beer for me,How long does it take to feel normal again?I have been drinking since I was about 15 so I don't really even remember what normal is.I just know I feel very little excitement about anything and the excitement I do feel is almost fake feeling.Well onto a movie with the wife...Ive watched more movies in the past 3weeks then I have in 3 years lol.

YVRguy

Congrats stubbs and just dealing with the issue a day at a time works for me.

As to your original post , I can only comment on AA as I don't know a lot about Celebrate Recovery.

I am not sure how AA works in your area but basically I am not sure it has much of a structure at all beyond the 12 Traditions and 12 Concept for World Service . There are regional service folks and boards , mostly with volunteers but its not really hierarchical in my area,. Nobody is in charge , each group is autonomous for the most part , its self supporting , not involved in other issues...I actually found it so contrary to any other organization I have ever been involved with. No boss , no due , suggestions only...never saw anything like it before even in place I volunteered with.

I gave AA 90 meetings in 90 days as compared to all the time i drank , this was simply 90 hours of time over 3 months. I remain active as its working for me , but that's me.

I view normal as a setting on an appliance and if I thought what I was feeling , thinking and doing before was normal , I never want to feel that way again. What I found is I feel much better across the board. Physically , mentally , emotionally and spiritually is all much better. I am not sure how long you have been drinking but I drank for over 30 years and never felt this content and peaceful in all that time. The excitement of a rolling binge run and chaos is not appealing to the excitement of being present and able to go and do what I like , when I like and how I like ( within the law of course). I am not longer trapped by alcohol.

Its a life long journey but my experience was the feeling of peace really set in , for me , at 3 months. I have crappy days still but none like the days of drinking.

I'd say look around at the support groups as there are a few and try them out. I found I made friends and we have a lot of fun without drinking.

stubbs

Thanks YVR for the reply,I have been drinking for about 22 years.everyday for about 15 or so.I worry about my health sometimes.When I use to drink I would get a build up of stomach bile and get really sick the next day.It was pure yellow acid I would try to stop drinking before I would have to face that the next day but sometimes it happened.I think I may have ulcers too.But I can say my stomach feels waaay better since I quit so hopefully no long term damage.But of to bed have a good night all!

Splash29

Hello, The Celebrate Recovery I go to uses the same 12 steps that AA does, but goes in depth to what bible versus "correlates" to those steps for support. We talk a lot more about how religion helps us in our recovery which I like so thats different than AA. The meetings are also longer. The pastor speaks for 30 min, then a recovering alcoholic or a co-dependent tells their story. I'm not really sure why co-dependents are in celebrate recovery I guess its similar to alcoholism. Then you meet in smaller groups by gender and issue (so I go to the alcoholic women's group). Also at my CR we eat dinner together so we meet for 3 hours. We are all still in AA too and have AA sponsors. CR is just an extra meeting we go to every week. It maybe different where you are though, but I really enjoy it!