How to quit ruminating on the past?
Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 701
From today's Thought for Today/Hazelden Betty Ford:
Alcoholics are unable or unwilling, during their addiction to alcohol, to live in the present. The result is that they live in a constant state of remorse and fear because of their unholy past and its morbid attraction, or the uncertain future and its vague forebodings. So the only real hope for the alcoholic is to face the present. Now is the time. Now is ours. The past is beyond recall. The future is as uncertain as life itself. Only the now belongs to us. Am I living in the now?
Meditation for the Day
I must forget the past as much as possible. The past is over and gone forever. Nothing can be done about the past, except to make what restitution I can. I must not carry the burden of my past failures. I must go on in faith. The clouds will clear and the way will lighten. The path will become less stony with every forward step I take. God has no reproach for anything that He has healed. I can be made whole and free, even though I have wrecked my life in the past. Remember the saying: "Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more."
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not carry the burden of the past. I pray that I may cast it off and press on in faith.
Alcoholics are unable or unwilling, during their addiction to alcohol, to live in the present. The result is that they live in a constant state of remorse and fear because of their unholy past and its morbid attraction, or the uncertain future and its vague forebodings. So the only real hope for the alcoholic is to face the present. Now is the time. Now is ours. The past is beyond recall. The future is as uncertain as life itself. Only the now belongs to us. Am I living in the now?
Meditation for the Day
I must forget the past as much as possible. The past is over and gone forever. Nothing can be done about the past, except to make what restitution I can. I must not carry the burden of my past failures. I must go on in faith. The clouds will clear and the way will lighten. The path will become less stony with every forward step I take. God has no reproach for anything that He has healed. I can be made whole and free, even though I have wrecked my life in the past. Remember the saying: "Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more."
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not carry the burden of the past. I pray that I may cast it off and press on in faith.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,645
Jellybean,
You did something while severely intoxicated that you would never do sober. Large amounts of alcohol inhibit brain activity in the area of our brain responsible for memory, higher-level thinking, gauging the consequences of our actions or thinking through how our actions might make others feel. Being drunk quite literally makes you stupid. Not you the person, but you the intoxicated central nervous system associated with your otherwise normal, pleasant self. Is it an excuse? Probably not. It just is. Do you have a time machine so you can go back and undo it? Probably not. What use is beating yourself up over it?
If you were a bad person, you wouldn't be constantly ruminating over this while clear-headed and sober. But you're not a bad person.
I did some jerk-ish stuff while drunk too. Do I regret it? Yes. Do I feel shame? Yes. Do I keep to myself and beat myself up from time to time?... Yes. But I'm sober today. Actions speak louder than words.
You did something while severely intoxicated that you would never do sober. Large amounts of alcohol inhibit brain activity in the area of our brain responsible for memory, higher-level thinking, gauging the consequences of our actions or thinking through how our actions might make others feel. Being drunk quite literally makes you stupid. Not you the person, but you the intoxicated central nervous system associated with your otherwise normal, pleasant self. Is it an excuse? Probably not. It just is. Do you have a time machine so you can go back and undo it? Probably not. What use is beating yourself up over it?
If you were a bad person, you wouldn't be constantly ruminating over this while clear-headed and sober. But you're not a bad person.
I did some jerk-ish stuff while drunk too. Do I regret it? Yes. Do I feel shame? Yes. Do I keep to myself and beat myself up from time to time?... Yes. But I'm sober today. Actions speak louder than words.
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