Dying taught me how to live...
Redmayne
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Manchester, England, UK.
Posts: 1,543
Dying taught me how to live...
As I understand it, alcoholism is the only disease/illness that will kill you whilst at the same time telling you, you haven't got it. The only respite from which is abstinence.
When I arrived at my present address in June, 2007 still drinking I was probably best described as one of 'the walking dead', the only person who didn't know it was me!
My recovery began on the 15th, Feb.,2008 and began to improve aided and abetted by the contents of the book,'Alcoholics Anonymous'read whilst listening to one of 'Joe & Charlie's: Big Book Study Meetings'...
As the years progressed, as now I adhered to my basic Christian beliefs, note not faith, belief! Particularly in 'the God of my understanding,' see 'Bill's Story' in 'Alcoholics Anonymous.'
Enhanced by fundamental Buddhist and later Stoic philosophy, the two complement each other. With, for the purpose of this thread, emphasis on what is and isn't within our control and 'what is up to us', (Epictetus).
In my 'drinking days', I couldn't understand why I couldn't stop drinking, I do now with an explanation that is built on logic and reason.
Well over eight years passed in sobriety when I was suddenly, without warning struck down and faced with a surgeon telling me that whilst he and his team where prepared to operate my chances of recovery were slim!
To make matters worse the operation was followed by my spending five weeks in a medically induced coma of which any medical health professional will tell you, here's no guarantee as to how, mentally you're going to come out of it... there's hope but there's no exact diagnosis.
Using William Knauss's, one of the pioneers of cognitive thinking thought that what happened to you may not be your fault but it is your responsibility to think about it.
Reflecting on all these experiences and the lessons learned in both the adversity and my ongoing recovery from both, dying taught me how to live and brought a hitherto peace and quality to my life. one which, a day at a time, that has nothing to do with those imposters wealth, status or fame which you can't fake or buy...
It's all about quality not quantity, like a life, any life lead in sobriety is not about longevity but how you live...
When I arrived at my present address in June, 2007 still drinking I was probably best described as one of 'the walking dead', the only person who didn't know it was me!
My recovery began on the 15th, Feb.,2008 and began to improve aided and abetted by the contents of the book,'Alcoholics Anonymous'read whilst listening to one of 'Joe & Charlie's: Big Book Study Meetings'...
As the years progressed, as now I adhered to my basic Christian beliefs, note not faith, belief! Particularly in 'the God of my understanding,' see 'Bill's Story' in 'Alcoholics Anonymous.'
Enhanced by fundamental Buddhist and later Stoic philosophy, the two complement each other. With, for the purpose of this thread, emphasis on what is and isn't within our control and 'what is up to us', (Epictetus).
In my 'drinking days', I couldn't understand why I couldn't stop drinking, I do now with an explanation that is built on logic and reason.
Well over eight years passed in sobriety when I was suddenly, without warning struck down and faced with a surgeon telling me that whilst he and his team where prepared to operate my chances of recovery were slim!
To make matters worse the operation was followed by my spending five weeks in a medically induced coma of which any medical health professional will tell you, here's no guarantee as to how, mentally you're going to come out of it... there's hope but there's no exact diagnosis.
Using William Knauss's, one of the pioneers of cognitive thinking thought that what happened to you may not be your fault but it is your responsibility to think about it.
Reflecting on all these experiences and the lessons learned in both the adversity and my ongoing recovery from both, dying taught me how to live and brought a hitherto peace and quality to my life. one which, a day at a time, that has nothing to do with those imposters wealth, status or fame which you can't fake or buy...
It's all about quality not quantity, like a life, any life lead in sobriety is not about longevity but how you live...
Redmayne
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Manchester, England, UK.
Posts: 1,543
Not for the faint hearted...
Yes, and one I certainly would not recommend, not for the faint hearted much like any of thee other life experiences I've had, often not as a 'high functioning alcoholic, by my drinking but by the selfish, irresponsible actions of others. Which in the 1990's (remember them?) twice caused me to lose everything and I do mean EVERYTHING other than my son, now a father himself and a successful, university educated professional musician and my ability.
Some years ago a lady member on SR identified me, in a complimentary way, as a 'bad ass', not a term we're familiar with in the UK, the definition of my being 'a determined, uncompromising or intimidating ( not sure about the last bit)made me smile then as it does now...
Adversity taught me how to make the best of it and the art of forgiveness all lessons that held me in good stead in my recovery, as they do now in my sobriety.
Some years ago a lady member on SR identified me, in a complimentary way, as a 'bad ass', not a term we're familiar with in the UK, the definition of my being 'a determined, uncompromising or intimidating ( not sure about the last bit)made me smile then as it does now...
Adversity taught me how to make the best of it and the art of forgiveness all lessons that held me in good stead in my recovery, as they do now in my sobriety.
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