Secular Introductions
| The Following User Says Thank You to Murray4x5 For This Useful Post: | damselfly (12-08-2010)
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Hi Damselfly, Welcome to SoberRecovery, the secular section.
Originally Posted by amselfly
I have no interest in religious debate or putting down others' beliefs, just trying to find what works for me.
. And its just as well I do better because SoberRecovery.com has the following rule. Secular Connections
12 Step Programs are off topic for this forum and posts discussing 12 Step Programs will be removed. Please use the Secular 12 Step Forum for positive topics on Secular 12 Step Recovery.
12 Step Programs are off topic for this forum and posts discussing 12 Step Programs will be removed. Please use the Secular 12 Step Forum for positive topics on Secular 12 Step Recovery.
Please feel free to post and reply anywhere on this site if you like. There plenty of SR members that use nontraditional recovery practices outside of the Secular Connection form. But theirs nothing wrong with staying in this forum, just thought share the other thought.
| The Following User Says Thank You to Zencat For This Useful Post: | damselfly (12-08-2010)
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 15
Hello all, I'm new here. I'm going to try to introduce myself without writing a novel (so keep your fingers crossed).
I got clean and sober in a faith-based group in 1988, and I was very involved there until 2-3 years ago, put a lot of time into volunteer work, and in fact I ended up quite out of balance with my involvement there.
So a few years ago I started have some awarenesses that began with realizing I was burned out with my involvement there and that I was around a lot of toxic people too much of the time. I also felt like a lot of what was being practiced there wasn't really helpful to where my recovery is today...like it wasn't as good a fit for who I am today as it was when I was newer in recovery.
At the same time (coincidentally or not) I found myself questioning the faith-based premises involved. I came into that fellowship fairly open-minded...raised by an agnostic and an atheist who didn't push anything on the kids...so I was like clay ready to be molded, I think. I bought into the faith out of a sense of necessity and "practiced" that faith pretty much blindly for almost 20 years without question.
But now I was asking myself what I really believe, and over the course of a year or two doing a lot of reading and talking to the few people I felt I could be really honest with, I have come to find that I'm a non-theist...right now, anyway. I would guess I am leaning toward being an atheist. And when I first read the principles of humanism I was, like, YES!
I'm not worrying too much about defining it or picking up another "-ism" or "-ic" right now. If I could define a few of my wants today one of them would be to not become close-minded.
So now I'm in this state of transition. I still participate in the fellowship because I have a lot of excellent and real friendships there...and I learned what I needed there to get and stay clean and sober...but I've cut my participation back drastically compared to what it was. And there's been a sense of loss in that even though I realized it's what is best for me today.
What I've been hoping for is to find a place where I can support others in recovery, and get whatever support I might need, and develop some new friends outside the parameters of religious faith. I've really had it with dogma and litany and this-is-the-only-way.
And as I work online 5 days a week, a forum like this seems as good a place to start as any. I'm looking forward to hanging out and seeing what's up.
I got clean and sober in a faith-based group in 1988, and I was very involved there until 2-3 years ago, put a lot of time into volunteer work, and in fact I ended up quite out of balance with my involvement there.
So a few years ago I started have some awarenesses that began with realizing I was burned out with my involvement there and that I was around a lot of toxic people too much of the time. I also felt like a lot of what was being practiced there wasn't really helpful to where my recovery is today...like it wasn't as good a fit for who I am today as it was when I was newer in recovery.
At the same time (coincidentally or not) I found myself questioning the faith-based premises involved. I came into that fellowship fairly open-minded...raised by an agnostic and an atheist who didn't push anything on the kids...so I was like clay ready to be molded, I think. I bought into the faith out of a sense of necessity and "practiced" that faith pretty much blindly for almost 20 years without question.
But now I was asking myself what I really believe, and over the course of a year or two doing a lot of reading and talking to the few people I felt I could be really honest with, I have come to find that I'm a non-theist...right now, anyway. I would guess I am leaning toward being an atheist. And when I first read the principles of humanism I was, like, YES!
I'm not worrying too much about defining it or picking up another "-ism" or "-ic" right now. If I could define a few of my wants today one of them would be to not become close-minded.
So now I'm in this state of transition. I still participate in the fellowship because I have a lot of excellent and real friendships there...and I learned what I needed there to get and stay clean and sober...but I've cut my participation back drastically compared to what it was. And there's been a sense of loss in that even though I realized it's what is best for me today.
What I've been hoping for is to find a place where I can support others in recovery, and get whatever support I might need, and develop some new friends outside the parameters of religious faith. I've really had it with dogma and litany and this-is-the-only-way.
And as I work online 5 days a week, a forum like this seems as good a place to start as any. I'm looking forward to hanging out and seeing what's up. | The Following User Says Thank You to houdini56 For This Useful Post: | LaFemme (12-11-2010)
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Welcome houdini56 to the secular forum of soberrecovery.com. Thanks for sharing something about yourself.
I was born in to Christianity, but due to childhood abuse issues I never really had any chance of being indoctrinated into the faith. Too much rebellion flowing through my veins. So latter in life I had a chance to leave the church, I bolted away from that jazz in a flash and instantly became an strong atheist.
When I entered recovery for the first time some 13 yrs ago I was introduced to the faith-based recovery community. I went along with it for a wile until got situated with some housing and income. Then I began to investigate addiction and related topics. I even took some college courses in addiction studies. I came across SMART, RR, WFS and other recovery modalities like Motivational Interviewing, CBT and the like. I discovered my addiction treatment options were plentiful.
Only in the past 7 yrs did integrate my addiction recover with mental illness recovery. In the past 5 yrs have I become relativity stable with my mental illness, with good and bad days, enough so that I'm able to stay in treatment even when I have relapsed in both illness.
Today I consider myself a non-theist (big
improvement from strong atheism in my book). Have taken to Zen Buddhism and have a comprehensive secular dual-diagnosis treatment program going. The past 3 yrs have been great.
Here at SR, along with a treatment group plus faith-based meetings and my SMART/CBT/WRAP program keeps me on-track with treatments and sobriety.
Anywho, that enough out of me...must have been the sharing mood...LOL.
I was born in to Christianity, but due to childhood abuse issues I never really had any chance of being indoctrinated into the faith. Too much rebellion flowing through my veins. So latter in life I had a chance to leave the church, I bolted away from that jazz in a flash and instantly became an strong atheist.
When I entered recovery for the first time some 13 yrs ago I was introduced to the faith-based recovery community. I went along with it for a wile until got situated with some housing and income. Then I began to investigate addiction and related topics. I even took some college courses in addiction studies. I came across SMART, RR, WFS and other recovery modalities like Motivational Interviewing, CBT and the like. I discovered my addiction treatment options were plentiful.
Only in the past 7 yrs did integrate my addiction recover with mental illness recovery. In the past 5 yrs have I become relativity stable with my mental illness, with good and bad days, enough so that I'm able to stay in treatment even when I have relapsed in both illness.
Today I consider myself a non-theist (big
improvement from strong atheism in my book). Have taken to Zen Buddhism and have a comprehensive secular dual-diagnosis treatment program going. The past 3 yrs have been great.Here at SR, along with a treatment group plus faith-based meetings and my SMART/CBT/WRAP program keeps me on-track with treatments and sobriety.
Anywho, that enough out of me...must have been the sharing mood...LOL.
| The Following User Says Thank You to Zencat For This Useful Post: | LaFemme (12-11-2010)
|
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
Welcome houdini!
Thanks for sharing and for getting zencat to share to
I'm the resident theist...lol...you know the eccentric crazy aunt lafemme who talks to God but who all the good folks of the secular forum tolerate because she's cute and makes good cookies
Looking forward to seeing more of you!
Thanks for sharing and for getting zencat to share to
I'm the resident theist...lol...you know the eccentric crazy aunt lafemme who talks to God but who all the good folks of the secular forum tolerate because she's cute and makes good cookies
Looking forward to seeing more of you!
| The Following User Says Thank You to LaFemme For This Useful Post: | Zencat (12-11-2010)
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Good to meet you all!
| The Following User Says Thank You to houdini56 For This Useful Post: | Zencat (12-11-2010)
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Sea Tac
Posts: 15
Hi all!
I've been lurking for awhile and find you all to be and interesting and inspiring group of people. It seems that to get a different result (hopefully sobriety), I'm going to have to try some new things. I'm hoping that participating a little on this forum and going to some SMART meetings in the area will help to facilitate my lifestyle changes. I'll be going to my first SMART meeting on Thursday so that should be interesting. Nice to meet you all!
BTW, any creative ideas for New Years Eve? I have been following a pattern of college style binge drinking and am trying to think of options that will be fun but not involve booze. Unfortunately most of my roomates and friends are quite heavy drinkers.
I've been lurking for awhile and find you all to be and interesting and inspiring group of people. It seems that to get a different result (hopefully sobriety), I'm going to have to try some new things. I'm hoping that participating a little on this forum and going to some SMART meetings in the area will help to facilitate my lifestyle changes. I'll be going to my first SMART meeting on Thursday so that should be interesting. Nice to meet you all!
BTW, any creative ideas for New Years Eve? I have been following a pattern of college style binge drinking and am trying to think of options that will be fun but not involve booze. Unfortunately most of my roomates and friends are quite heavy drinkers.
Reach Out and Touch Faith
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: On a Sailboat
Posts: 3,871
Originally Posted by puddles 
Hi all!
I've been lurking for awhile and find you all to be and interesting and inspiring group of people. It seems that to get a different result (hopefully sobriety), I'm going to have to try some new things. I'm hoping that participating a little on this forum and going to some SMART meetings in the area will help to facilitate my lifestyle changes. I'll be going to my first SMART meeting on Thursday so that should be interesting. Nice to meet you all!
BTW, any creative ideas for New Years Eve? I have been following a pattern of college style binge drinking and am trying to think of options that will be fun but not involve booze. Unfortunately most of my roomates and friends are quite heavy drinkers.
I've been lurking for awhile and find you all to be and interesting and inspiring group of people. It seems that to get a different result (hopefully sobriety), I'm going to have to try some new things. I'm hoping that participating a little on this forum and going to some SMART meetings in the area will help to facilitate my lifestyle changes. I'll be going to my first SMART meeting on Thursday so that should be interesting. Nice to meet you all!
BTW, any creative ideas for New Years Eve? I have been following a pattern of college style binge drinking and am trying to think of options that will be fun but not involve booze. Unfortunately most of my roomates and friends are quite heavy drinkers.
I'm most likely going out with some new friends I've met in my recovery program. You might want to ask the folks at SMART before or after the meeting what they are doing or if they know of any sober gatherings on New Years.
Welcome to the secular side puddles.
I would love to go to a SMART meeting but there too far away. So I use the SMART tool and go to faith-based program meetings for F2F support instead. And this site is great for my recovery program.
No I don't, I'm just going to be chillaxing close to home...sorry.
I would love to go to a SMART meeting but there too far away. So I use the SMART tool and go to faith-based program meetings for F2F support instead. And this site is great for my recovery program.
Originally Posted by puddles
BTW, any creative ideas for New Years Eve?
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Sea Tac
Posts: 15
[QUOTE=Zencat;2811512]Welcome to the secular side puddles.
I would love to go to a SMART meeting but there too far away. So I use the SMART tool and go to faith-based program meetings for F2F support instead. And this site is great for my recovery program.
No I don't, I'm just going to be chillaxing close to home...sorry.[/QUOTE
Looks like I will be hanging out at home also Seems like a safer plan and I've found a yoga class I can go to at 7am New Years Day. I really like yoga so going to the class is a good incentive to not want a piece the hungoverness I will inevitably be surrounded with.
I would love to go to a SMART meeting but there too far away. So I use the SMART tool and go to faith-based program meetings for F2F support instead. And this site is great for my recovery program.
No I don't, I'm just going to be chillaxing close to home...sorry.[/QUOTE
Looks like I will be hanging out at home also
Seems like a safer plan and I've found a yoga class I can go to at 7am New Years Day. I really like yoga so going to the class is a good incentive to not want a piece the hungoverness I will inevitably be surrounded with.
| The Following User Says Thank You to puddles For This Useful Post: | Zencat (12-30-2010)
|
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 15
HI, y'all! Just wanted to introduce myself here 
I haven't had any alcohol in five days now, that is a huge accomplishment for me. I have two friends and my dh' support right now, but I am very agnostic and am having a hard time finding a place to fit in.
I haven't had any alcohol in five days now, that is a huge accomplishment for me. I have two friends and my dh' support right now, but I am very agnostic and am having a hard time finding a place to fit in.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 165
Hi Camaro! Congratulations on starting sobriety. If you're interested in secular recovery, check out SMART RecoveryŽ | Self Help for Alcoholism & Addiction to see if there is a face to face meeting in your area. There are also online meetings at that website. Welcome and keep posting!
Proud Neonephalist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: North Coast BC Canada
Posts: 1,141
Is it just me, or is it starting to get crowded in here
Hi there AnthonyV, and way to go on your 5th day Camaro! I remember how the first week sober seemed to be an absolutely impossible goal...now here I am just a couple days short of six months clean and sober.
We're all here to support each other, so keep coming back.
Murray
Hi there AnthonyV, and way to go on your 5th day Camaro! I remember how the first week sober seemed to be an absolutely impossible goal...now here I am just a couple days short of six months clean and sober.
We're all here to support each other, so keep coming back.
Murray
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