As a newly realized Nephalist I guess I'll take the pledge and adhere to the tenets of teetotalism.

From the Preston Temperance Society.

The Pledge: "We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality whether ale, porter, wine or ardent spirits, except as medicine."

Will G (T)

Hey zen...I like that! Might add it to my signature line:) it sums it up nicely!

Neonephalist does sound cool....hmmmmmm;)

Zencat, I'm with you on the pledge!

I can't even pronounce that word.... in my head it make me think of 'nefarious' which I guess I used to be...

I'm with OTT now- I have no plan -I'm done recovering I don't drink; I don't eat onions or mushrooms either cause they upset my stomach as well

The no-plan plan is a good plan! At least it is for me. I found that the "alcoholic" label joined me with other "alcoholics" but separated me from the larger society as being somehow different from them. What I've found is that except for my inability to injest alcohol (green peppers too) I am pretty much the same as the rest of humanity.

OTT

I am glad you guys are doing so well. I would need a fair number of sober years before I would be comfortable with a 'no-plan' plan. At 4 months sober, I work very hard at recovery everyday. I don't feel any cravings or desire to drink, it feels very much like something I used to do, but I do remember the insanity of it. That insanity ran far deeper in me than an intolerance for a type of food. I never ate green peppers until I passed out and then woke up and started eating green peppers again.

I think the no plan plan is more of a lack of a formal program. I work hard at my life...not because I am an alcoholic or in recovery but because I want my life to be all that it can be. I don't know if I would have realized this without the drinking problem so in a way I am deeply grateful for it...if that makes sense.

I have no program or plan other than a promise to myself that I will not drink again and that every day of my life I will work to be the best me I can be.

Lafemme, I think you make a great point! I struggle with bringing BALANCE & HARMONY to my life. My natural tendency is all or nothing! I have to work hard to keep from obsessing over different things whether it be work or play. With alcohol I can’t control it so I must eliminate it! It is hard work keeping things in balance, but I want to have A balanced life!

I remember the last day I was in the hospital from RX drug overdose and had just accepted the day before that I could not and would not ever drink again and 1 of my sisters called me, she kept asking me "what is your plan, what are you going to do", it annoyed the heck out of me! I wasn't even out of the hospital yet and was still basically in a state of shock; 2 other sisters had invited me to come stay with them but this sister didn't (they all live in different states than I), I chose to recover on my own and didn't talk to that 1 sister for at least a year cause she ticked me off so much with her "what's your plan" cr*p. I never had a plan, I went to a couple AA meetings, read the AA book a couple of times, and I prayed; with me my recovery just kind of happened naturally because I wasn't drinking I was able to deal with all the issues I had accumulated with a sober mind and heart; and with prayer I found forgiveness for the worst (both for myself and for those who had harmed me) and that forgiveness truly did set me free. I still pray, always have even when drunk (heck I think I prayed harder when drunk), and I always will.

Lol Judy...today I pray out of gratitude...6 months I was praying out of desperation.

I think sometimes a program simply evolves organically and holistically. I tried several plans that never worked...but They all gave me tools. This time I had no plan but now I do...its SR and life work...pretty simple really.

It was different when I was newly sober/abstinent. It is hard to quit drinking, there is no doubt about it. I don't want anyone here to think I'm making light of that fact, and I can see how what I wrote would seem flippant. The truth is that I have been sober for many years now and have no need of a plan. My point was really that there is, or can be, a life after the early phase. I see so many people hanging onto the idea that recovery is a lifelong struggle requiring a program or a plan or some sort of formal mechanism to keep it going. Certain recovery programs are geared towards this idea while others are not. SMART Recovery in particular is not. If I had to get sober again, I would use SMART Recovery as my support group.

I really am sorry if I seemed flippant before.

OTT

OTT no need to apologize. You are an intelligent, thoughtful contributor to SR and I value your posts. With more than a decade of sobriety behind you, you are in a different place than I am. I would hope that in 10 years I don’t have to look at every action and every intention and how it relates to drinking. Right now I am in a period of radical transformation, and everything is on the table. For me, at this moment, it is get comfortable with sobriety or die. That sounds dramatic, but I believe it is a pretty mundane and factual account of my situation at this time. I am heartened by your experience.

Actually, I would have written that myself when I was in the early months of sobriety. It was a huge, absolutely radical transformation for me as well.

Notice, though, that you wrote that you must get comfortable with sobriety. To my mind, that is the key to the whole thing. To get comfortable with sobriety. To feel secure. It's kind of like growing up, I guess, and becoming a mature, healthy adult. It's a painful process, but once you get there, you know what you're doing, and you aren't worried that you're going to suddenly find yourself facing life with only the tools you had at age 12.

OTT

recycle, I only understand 2 words out of that whole poster (I'll let you figure out which words) Please interpret

I'm afraid I might fall into this group. I do see my dual-diagnosis treatment, especially the mental illness side needs ongoing attention. Like my medications, I do plan on keep up with them. I think for me treatment is more like a conscious decision to practice wellness principals. I'm always finding new ways to improve my lot in life. But I don't see all this as a struggle, more like an effort to grow. An effort that has been rewarding.

It is poster from the Danish Nihilist Peoples Party from the last elections it reads:

Stop Church bells!

Fcuk your salvation
-we have a hangover

Sounds crazy, but I heard they won a seat either in parliament or the Copenhagen city council, I don't remember which.
.
In case you think this approach might fly in Oklahoma: Nihilistisk Folkeparti

I thought that was Danish...alas...the parliamentary system of elections allows some interesting parties to get The occasional seat.

Zencat...I think I agree with you that we are on a lifelong path. I will take it further and say I believe all people should be on this path...that it improves all lives...however for us it is perhaps more a matter of life and death.

I hope to be a weaker throughout my life...that implies a journey rather than a struggle I hope:-) although at times I anticipate it will be both.

Absolutely, and I'm again sorry if I gave the impression that my way is the only way of thinking about things.

I think what I've been reacting to is the perspective that "recovery" is a fragile and precarious thing no matter how long someone has been at it and no matter how well developed their coping skills have become. I heard an AA guru on the TV a few years ago exclaiming that "for a recovering alcoholic, the truth is that life is a ongoing struggle against emotional pain". I'm just afraid that too many people have absorbed this negative and depressing message.

My own experience is that I've dealt with some fairly serious stuff in my life, both a severe eating disorder and alcohol dependence. And today neither of those things affects my life, and haven't for a long time--25 and 12 years, respectively (I guess I am old). It wasn't easy to deal with those disorders, to unravel the underpinnings of them, to go through the whole painful process of learning a whole new set of coping skills, but I've found that there is life after that process and it looks nothing like life before it. I think that this is an important message and an important experience to share.

OTT

;) Its all good OTT. I appreciated your perspective that you share here at SR. One thing I don't do (at least try not to) is get trapped inside of one single ideology.

I feel that the struggle, be it in addiction recovery or life, needs to be transcended. Like suffering, there is a way out. The idea that one has to battle their way through life doesn't appeal to me one bit. I'm looking forward to a life where I can leave my struggles behind once their conquered. That way I'm free to move forward in life, unencumbered by my past difficulties. Opening myself to new possibilities.