Re: "Recovery Options for the New Year"


Awaken21 wrote:
> Julian wrote:
> > Awaken21 wrote:
> > > Julian wrote:
> > > > V wrote:
> > > > > The New Year is coming up and many of us make New Year's resolutions,
> > > > > so I'd like to take this time to awaken those in need to some options
> > > > > for recovery if you suffer from addictions as I do. I do not need to
> > > > > wait to the years end to take self survey, since doing written
> > > > > inventory work and introspection is part of my 12 step work. I started
> > > > > with 12 step programs in 1974 and am now in 8 - 12 step programs
> > > > > myself. The 12 step programs branched out from Alcoholics Anonymous and
> > > > > all operate more or less along the same principles of the 12 Steps and
> > > > > 12 Traditions of AA.
> > > > >
> > > > > A thing is addictive for me when I lose control of it and the addiction
> > > > > has control of me. Is the activity placing unreasonable demands on my
> > > > > time and energy, will it place me in legal jeopardy or endanger my
> > > > > mental, physical or spiritual health? There are more specific questions
> > > > > that each 12 step program uses in its literature that can guide you.
> > > > >
> > > > > We must remember that not having control over a certain area once in a
> > > > > a while does not make a person an addict. Even normal people drink too
> > > > > much once in a while, normal people might eat too much once in a while
> > > > > and normal people spend or have sex or spend too much once in a while.
> > > > > The difference between addicts and normal people is, normal people can
> > > > > stop when they see they have gone too far, whereas addicts cannot stop
> > > > > even under penalty of death.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > An important thing to remember with recovery is the 3-D's: Desire,
> > > > > Determination and Diligence.
> > > > >
> > > > > Desire:
> > > > >
> > > > > Desire is the foundation for all recovery quests. You cannot help
> > > > > someone without the desire in them to be helped. Desire is what gets us
> > > > > taking that first step in the right direction when all seems hopeless.
> > > > > Have you every tried to give advice or help someone in need and they
> > > > > respond: "I don't care." They lack the desire or at least this is what
> > > > > they say. Desire must come from within, you cannot force someone to
> > > > > change, they must change themselves. But, before a desire to change can
> > > > > be manifested, one must come to a "realization" that a change needs to
> > > > > occur in ones life.
> > > > >
> > > > > Determination:
> > > > >
> > > > > Determination serves two purposes here. When something is "determined"
> > > > > it is accepted as fact. We have determined that we are powerless over
> > > > > our addiction and our lives are unmanageable. We have determined we
> > > > > must abstain from certain people, places or things that we cannot
> > > > > comfortably have in our lives. We are in the process of determining a
> > > > > new set of rules on how to live. We have also determined what injuries
> > > > > we have caused and what needs to be repaired through taking personal
> > > > > inventory.
> > > > >
> > > > > Determination serves a second purpose and that is it keeps us on the
> > > > > long road to recovery. We cannot keep on this long road without being
> > > > > determined to change our lives day in day out. Whether it is debt
> > > > > recovery, clutter, restructuring our complex lives or losing weight it
> > > > > all takes time and determination to stay on the path of recovery. Many
> > > > > distractions, detours and set backs along the way, but we should always
> > > > > be determined to keep pointed in the direction of recovery.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Diligence:
> > > > >
> > > > > Diligence keeps us from going backwards once we finally arrive at the
> > > > > recovery place we are aiming for. It takes diligence once we get to
> > > > > where we want to be to maintain that serene spot, otherwise we fall
> > > > > back on our old "natural" ways of living. Once you get sober and
> > > > > abstinent from your drug of choice, once you lose the fat, once you pay
> > > > > off your debts, once you clean up the clutter, it takes diligence to
> > > > > keep you that way.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Most of the following 12 Step programs are on the web via a search.
> > > > >
> > > > > ADD / ADHD Anonymous
> > > > > Adult Children of Alcoholics
> > > > > Alcoholics Anonymous
> > > > > Al-Anon & Ala-Teen
> > > > > Arts Anonymous
> > > > > BODA (Business Owners DA)
> > > > > Cancer Anonymous
> > > > > Clutterers Anonymous
> > > > > Co-Anon
> > > > > Cocaine Anonymous
> > > > > Co-Dependents of Sex Addicts
> > > > > CODA (Codependents Anon)
> > > > > Compulsive Eaters Anonymous / H.O.W.
> > > > > Computer Addicts Anonymous
> > > > > Couples Anonymous
> > > > > Crystal Meth Anonymous
> > > > > Debtors Anonymous
> > > > > Divorce Anonymous
> > > > > Dual Recovery Anonymous
> > > > > Emotions Anonymous
> > > > > Emotional Health Anonymous
> > > > > Families Anonymous
> > > > > Fear Of Success Anonymous
> > > > > Food Addict Anonymous
> > > > > Gam-Anon
> > > > > Gamblers Anonymous
> > > > > Herpes Anonymous
> > > > > He-She Anonymous
> > > > > HIV Anonymous
> > > > > Incest Survivors Anonymous
> > > > > Jews in Recovery
> > > > > Lesbians Anonymous
> > > > > Marijuana Anonymous
> > > > > Manic Depressive Anonymous
> > > > > Messies Anonymous
> > > > > Money Anonymous
> > > > > Nar-Anon Family Groups
> > > > > Narcotics Anonymous NA
> > > > > Nicotine Anonymous meetings
> > > > > Nine Step Pagans (I won't discriminate even if they only use 9 steps.)
> > > > > Overachievers Anonymous
> > > > > Overeaters Anonymous
> > > > > Obsessive Compulsive Anonymous
> > > > > Parents Anonymous
> > > > > Pills Anonymous
> > > > > Procrastinators Anonymous
> > > > > Rageaholics Anonymous
> > > > > Recoveries Anonymous
> > > > > Trauma Anonymous
> > > > > Twelve Steps for Pagans
> > > > > S-Anon
> > > > > Sex Addicts Anonymous
> > > > > Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous
> > > > > Sexaholics Anonymous
> > > > > Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
> > > > > Spenders Anonymous
> > > > > Survivors of Incest Anonymous
> > > > > Vulgarity Anonymous
> > > > > Vulganon
> > > > > Workaholics Anonymous
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Wishing You All a Healthy and Peaceful New Year,
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > V (Male)
> > > > >
> > > > > A Christian-Buddhist practitioner living a life of Voluntary Simplicity
> > > > > and grateful recovering Debtor, Drug, Alcohol and Substance Abuser,
> > > > > Compulsive Overeater, Clutterer, Hoarder, Rageaholic, Speculative
> > > > > Gambler, Compulsive Spender, Sex and Sensation Addict.
> > > >
> > > > I've heard the best place to score is NA.
> > > > http://ptlslzb87.blogspot.com/
> > >
> > > Great thanks, I'll put it on the short list.
> >
> > At the top?
>
> Position pending further research. :-)

Bottom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Sutra#External_links
http://ptlslzb87.blogspot.com/

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