Forgiveness..
Redmayne
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Manchester, England, UK.
Posts: 1,543
Forgiveness..
All of us in recovery who have followed the 12 suggested Steps to recovery are aware of the provisions of steps 8 and 9 dealing with making amends with no mention of seeking forgiveness whether or not that is given or not. There is nothing wrong with this effort to repair harm done during our 'drinking days'.
But how, if you are, like me a 'real alcoholic' and therefore as science has not necessarily proved or even less found an answer or antidote, been born genetically disposed to alcohol, forgive ourselves?
Just to recap, and I accept others may posses far more authoritive knowledge than I, to me, a 'real alcoholic', first mentionedin the opening line to Chap.3 of the'Big Book' 4th Ed. is someone born with a digestive system that does not process alcohol at the same rate as a 'normal social drinker' about 1oz per hour, so that the enzymes that breakdown the carbohydrates (alcohol) work at a much slower rate allowing the drug (alcohol) to 'ferment' in the body passing messages to the brain, saying,'Give Me Some More!!!'.
Now that's bad enough in itself, but of course the other identifiable character trait, along with their being friendly,able and intelligent people , is that , nomatter where they are orwhat their personal circumstances are, a drink will always make everything AARRRLLLRRIIGHT! of course it doesn't and as we all know the process just keeps repeating itself bankrupting you physically, mentally and spiritually.
Returning to my question , my view is that I don'thave to forgive myself, others may do, that's their choice, in my recovery and sobriety I has both to recognise and accept that my prediction to alcohol was not of my doing, because of course if you're a 'real alcoholic' you don't know that and nobody's going to tell you until it's to late, I mean, you see others drinking with impunity, it's a leading social activity in the western world,so why shouldn't you?
So for me, of myself there is nothing to forgive, to make amends, no problem, people will accept them or they won't, do I turn to the god of my understanding expecting an apology so I can forgive, NO!!!
I accept me as I am and hand my life and will over to the god of my understanding in the belief, not the faith , the belief, big difference, that having accepted my illness, as an alcoholic, I know exactly who I am and what I have to do on a daily basis to not only stay sober but to maintain my daily existence. Now how many people do you know who can say that!
"A man who knows himself, knows God" an Arabian saying.
But how, if you are, like me a 'real alcoholic' and therefore as science has not necessarily proved or even less found an answer or antidote, been born genetically disposed to alcohol, forgive ourselves?
Just to recap, and I accept others may posses far more authoritive knowledge than I, to me, a 'real alcoholic', first mentionedin the opening line to Chap.3 of the'Big Book' 4th Ed. is someone born with a digestive system that does not process alcohol at the same rate as a 'normal social drinker' about 1oz per hour, so that the enzymes that breakdown the carbohydrates (alcohol) work at a much slower rate allowing the drug (alcohol) to 'ferment' in the body passing messages to the brain, saying,'Give Me Some More!!!'.
Now that's bad enough in itself, but of course the other identifiable character trait, along with their being friendly,able and intelligent people , is that , nomatter where they are orwhat their personal circumstances are, a drink will always make everything AARRRLLLRRIIGHT! of course it doesn't and as we all know the process just keeps repeating itself bankrupting you physically, mentally and spiritually.
Returning to my question , my view is that I don'thave to forgive myself, others may do, that's their choice, in my recovery and sobriety I has both to recognise and accept that my prediction to alcohol was not of my doing, because of course if you're a 'real alcoholic' you don't know that and nobody's going to tell you until it's to late, I mean, you see others drinking with impunity, it's a leading social activity in the western world,so why shouldn't you?
So for me, of myself there is nothing to forgive, to make amends, no problem, people will accept them or they won't, do I turn to the god of my understanding expecting an apology so I can forgive, NO!!!
I accept me as I am and hand my life and will over to the god of my understanding in the belief, not the faith , the belief, big difference, that having accepted my illness, as an alcoholic, I know exactly who I am and what I have to do on a daily basis to not only stay sober but to maintain my daily existence. Now how many people do you know who can say that!
"A man who knows himself, knows God" an Arabian saying.
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