by Chris M » Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:06 pm
Melissa: If you're going to meetings, keep going! Many of us kept going while we were drinking until whatever it was in The Program that clicked, clicked for us. Let me ask if you've got a sponsor, that one or group of special, trustworthy confidants you can call 24/7? If not, start looking for one. One of the things that works for me, as far as NOT drinking goes, is what's called the relapse prevention model. It's a psychological series of some 17 or 18 questions that leads to the last self-judgment: if we drink or use, knowing that there will be consequences, are we willing to be held responsible to those consequences. For me, the consequences might stay stable for a while, but they never - NEVER - get better and, eventually, they WILL get worse, consequences involving the usual hangovers, shakes, losing family, jobs, a DUI, jail, court-ordered alcohol education classes, and a triple increase (at least) in car insurance rates for at least three years. For me, I'm not willing to be responsible to those consequences. Keep going to the meetings; if you don't have a sponsor, get one; if you have one, use him or her and, remember, the only requirement is a desire to stop drinking.
Melissa: If you're going to meetings, keep going! Many of us kept going while we were drinking until whatever it was in The Program that clicked, clicked for us. Let me ask if you've got a sponsor, that one or group of special, trustworthy confidants you can call 24/7? If not, start looking for one. One of the things that works for me, as far as NOT drinking goes, is what's called the relapse prevention model. It's a psychological series of some 17 or 18 questions that leads to the last self-judgment: if we drink or use, knowing that there will be consequences, are we willing to be held responsible to those consequences. For me, the consequences might stay stable for a while, but they never - NEVER - get better and, eventually, they WILL get worse, consequences involving the usual hangovers, shakes, losing family, jobs, a DUI, jail, court-ordered alcohol education classes, and a triple increase (at least) in car insurance rates for at least three years. For me, I'm not willing to be responsible to those consequences. Keep going to the meetings; if you don't have a sponsor, get one; if you have one, use him or her and, remember, the only requirement is a desire to stop drinking.