Sobriety Survival101

1ST STEP God, Creative Intelligence, Universal Mind, Spirit of Nature or Spirit of the Universe my name is ______, And I'm a real alcoholic ... and I need your help today. (pg.. 10-2, 46, & Chp. 3 BB) 2nd STEP God, I'm standing at the turning point right now. Give me your protection and care as I abandon myself to you and give up my old ways and my old ideas just for today. AMEN (p. 59 BB) 3rd STEP "God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!" (p. 63 BB) God, Take my will and my life. Guide me in my recovery. Show me how to live. AMEN (the step on p. 59 BB) 4th STEP WHEN IN DOUBT "I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. Never was

When we admit our powerlessness and the inability to manage our own lives, we open the door to recovery. No one could convince us that we were addicts. It is an admission that we had to make for ourselves. When some of us have doubts, we ask ourselves this question: "Can I control my use of any form of mind or mood-altering chemicals?" Most will see that control is impossible the moment it is suggested. Whatever the outcome, we find that we cannot control our using for any length of time. This would clearly suggest that an addict has no control over drugs. Powerlessness means using against our will. If we can't stop, how can we tell ourselves we are in control? The inability to stop using, even with the greatest willpower and the most sincere desire, is what we mean when we say, "We have absolutely no choice".  Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, Chapter 4/Step 1  Admitting powerlessness is absolutely essential to breaking the addiction cycle, which is made up of fi

The Role of an AA Sponsor The AA sponsor fulfills a number of useful functions including: * This is an individual who will usually have more experience in the program than the sponsee. This means that they will be able to share their wisdom and experience. * Most sponsors will tell their sponsee to contact them at any time of the day or night if it is an emergency. The urge to  relapse  can come at any time, and having somebody to contact can make all the difference. * A sponsor can just be a good friend. One of the things that people worry about when they first enter recovery is that they will never be able to form meaningful relationships without their chemical crutch. What they learn is that friendships in sobriety can be stronger than anything they have ever experienced previously. One of their most important relationships may be with their sponsor. * This is an individual who will offer encouragement and provide praise for achievements.

My Sober Life Day 45: Recover from a Relapse Relapse doesn’t mean you flunked recovery. Call your sponsor to help you get back on track. We learn from our mistakes and become even stronger. Action If we relapse, we may feel shame, blame, and guilt, but these thoughts can just sink us deeper into negativity. Instead, we must get help immediately. Never try to handle a relapse alone! After getting help, we must focus on the positive by learning from our mistake so it doesn’t happen again. Make sure you have a Relapse Response Plan that includes the name and phone number of the person you will call for help and where you can go (to the home of your sponsor, a family member, or friend). Thought for the Day “Those who slip know they can reclaim the program if they choose. Nothing is entirely lost and their Higher Power is always there, ready to help.” —Adapted from  Twenty-Four Hours a Day, Decemb er 6

STEP FOUR: Take a searching and fearless moral inventory. We must find out what we've got, what we need to get rid of, and what we need to acquire. There are 20 character defects to ask about -- the individual wrongs are not necessary to go over, just the defects that caused them. Going over the questions, you ask that the person be honest and admit his defects to himself, to you, and to God (where two or more are gathered in His name, there shall He be.) By admitting, the person also takes. STEP FIVE: The inventory is of our defects, not our incidents. Here are the defects: Resentment, Anger  Fear, Cowardice  Self pity  Self justification  Self importance, Egotism  Self condemnation, Guilt  Lying, Evasiveness, Dishonesty  Impatience  Hate  False pride, Phoniness, Denial  Jealousy Envy Laziness Procrastination Insincerity Negative Thinking Immoral thinking Perfectionism, Intolerance Criticizing, Loose Talk, Gossip Greed Now that you've admitted these defects, ask, "Don'

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