geno198

Ow soon did this happened to you? I was just wondering. It feels like it was instant for me. The second day I was sober it felt like I had a Breyer prayer life and was greatly in tune with God. I feel better. Now sanity verys to different degrees. Most addicts coming off of addicts in my opinion are used to insane behaviors. I don't know about you but I feel old or boring. But this is the point where I can get more involved with my kids,help the wife out more, the moment I was sober, it felt like god restored me back to the original me. Just my opinion. God bless

Joe Nerv

I didn't believe it until it happened. Took a couple of years. And contrary to popular belief, I was able to work all the other steps really well, without a firm belief in the 2nd. Nor the first, for that matter. I believed in a power greater than myself, but I wasn't so sure he/it would restore me to sanity. Lots of god loving, faithful people wind up institutionalized. Makes me now trust in the power of the 12 steps even more. If that makes any sense .

anotherquitter

Nearly 2 years sober. No real belief in a higher power. I still attend meetings for the fellowship and support. Posting here so that others that have trouble with the 'higher power' thing can see that even without this it is still possible for at least one person to stay sober.

FreeOwl

this is an excerpt from my post on another thread but it pertains here...


AA and God.... It's funny, because I have felt and known a force that I am comfortable calling Spirit at work in my life a few times.

Yet even though I've personally known that force - the word "God" conjures up immediate resistance for me. Yet I have opened to it more. I have let down my defenses and my secret fear that I'd be converted somehow into a scripture-quoting automaton by the Christian masses or otherwise allow my own views on spirituality to be abandoned to the rote-recitation approach that I have experienced in churches in my past.

But that hasn't happened. I've become more willing and able to hear "God" and equate that to what I know and can relate to about Spirit. Sometimes, I can hear "God" and simply see that as the powerful force that exists in my fellows in recovery.... the people here on SR and in the rooms and my friends who have also chosen sobriety. That, itself, a power greater than myself. That, itself, a manifestation of the energy that creates and powers life. If you question that there is a power that creates life.... look into the eyes of an infant.

To me, there is no question whether there is a Life Force that moves in all things. That's enough for me. And when I've opened myself just enough to let that in... to let the possibility that I can connect with that life force in a positive way that can help me stay sober.... that has been enough.

And the support and connection that I've found in the rooms since allowing that in has been tremendous in my ability to honor my choice of sobriety.

I hope that you'll find your own path toward opening that door at least a little bit. It doesnt have to be scary and it can be on your own terms.... and it can make all the difference.
__________________

FreeOwl

^^Some of us would observe that the "Power greater than yourself" is the fellowship and support you feel you get from the meetings.....

Just saying, even though the word "God" is used as a term for it - the power greater than ourselves can be whatever resonates for us.

GracieLou

It was a gradual process.

I never not believed in God, I just never thought he could do much for me. I had no faith.

Then slowly people were placed directly in my path when it seemed I needed them most or I was the most open to listen or take suggestions from them.

It happened so many times I just could no longer ignore them and call them a coincidence. It was God doing for me what I could not do for myself.

I surrendered to AA before I surrendered to my HP. I am grateful for AA, the fellowship and the people that held on to me until I was able to surrender to my HP who then gave me enough strength to walk the journey to sanity.

AuntieSoso

I'm like FreeOwl. I've often used the term "the universe" as an explanation for something larger than myself, the energy of spirit that is a force that has affected my life in many ways, from "coincidences" to blessings to what I've perceived as actual conversations in my head that were separate from my own thoughts. Yet I resisted the term "God" because to me it implied a Christian god, and I immediately had this fear surrounding that, for a lot of reasons. I do yoga and meditate and one day it dawned on me that meditation is like prayer. I call it one thing, someone else calls it another thing, but it is the same thing. And I decided for myself that God is like that. Some call it Creator. Some call it the Universe. Some call it Great Spirit. Some call it God. Some call it Allah. Some call it Yaweh. Some call on aspects of it and give those aspects a name (Krishna, Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, etc.).

To me it is all the same. I still use interchangeable names, but to me there is just One.

FreeOwl

yep. I use the universe too sometimes... though sometimes that feels like a moniker that denotes something almost as fruity as the Guy in the Lazy boy in the Sky....

But I bring my kids to the beach at sunrise and we watch the stars at night... and it's a simple thing in those moments to EXPERIENCE directly that there is clearly a 'power greater than ourselves'.

The sun rises, the stars shoot, the Northern Lights dance..... whatever you want to call it, there is something palpably greater than ourselves.

Admiral

It took years, and even now, I don't really think of it in the terms that are described in AA.

For me it was not a higher power, but a higher understanding.

sugarbear1

after working step 7

FeenixxRising

What is Breyer prayer? Or was that a typo?

geno198

Was support to be a better prayer life. Love auto correct sorry guys

jakec

Coming to believe in a power greater than myself is an ongoing process for me. I have yet to establish a solid understanding of God, but I do pray every day. I see powers greater than me working in my life every day like people from AA and NA reaching out to me, or someone saying something I needed to hear, having the courage to call someone when struggling - all things that are greater than me and my addiction that are slowly restoring me to sanity.

DagnyTaggart

Sometimes I feel as though praying for the obsession to be lifted is like praying to win the lottery. Still waiting for the miracle to happen.

Joe Nerv

I'm not too sure it works that way, although it may have for some. I'm sure some people who won the lottery, prayed for that, too.

How it worked for me was I prayed for the strength to get through each day, hour, or moment, without picking a drink. And the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other. That meant going to meetings, even when I really didn't want to. Going to after care, again... when I didn't want to. And getting involved with the rest of the steps, which actually, I DID want to.

I didn't suddenly not want to drink. At the time I stopped there wasn't a whole lot of talk in meetings about losing the "obsession" or "cravings". I was hanging on to the one day at a time thing.

As others here have stated, for most people the healing starts and obsession gets lifted once we start utilizing the steps in our lives. Not by some magical, mystical miracle that just happens cuz we prayed for it.

I love the steps. They always seemed like very simple instructions on how to live the spiritual life I always wanted to live. If I could change anything about them however, I'd change step 2. I'd change it to say simply, "Came to believe there was a power greater than ourselves." Adding any other expectations IMO is taking a leap of faith, which is all well and good, but a tall order for many. I had a belief in a power greater than myself. That was all I needed to move forward with the rest of the process. If I were anal about working the steps, and waited until I believed that power could or would restore me to sanity, I'd have never moved past it. If I'd have waited until I believed I was powerless over alcohol, I'd have never moved past step one, actually. 3rd step was the perfect starting point for me. And it served me, and still serves me, very well.