Love Sobriety

After about forty years of beating myself up, had lost my job,marriage and my dignity. With all the drugs and drinking, finally was in my full blown addiction. Hitting my rock bottom,and was in the Internal Brotherhood Home for six months of rehab. In the Internal Brotherhood Home is where my foundation for alcoholics anonymous program started. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience,strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism.The only requirement for the program is the desire to stop drinking, to aquire a foundation for sobriety, and to providing service for the still sick and suffering alcoholic. There is a formal part of our Alcoholics Anonymous philosophy of life is four absolutes,the twelve steps,and the twelve traditions. Our sobriety had to become number one to gain a spirituality,mental,also physical well being while working the program. Because the Absolutes are not specifically repeated in our Steps or Traditions, some of us are inclined to forget them. Yet in many old time groups where the solid spirit of our fellowship is so strongly exemplified, the Absolutes receive frequent mention. A twelve-step program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems. The Twelve Traditions of twelve-step programs provide guidelines for relationships between the twelve-step groups, members, other groups, the global fellowship, and society at large. Often there are special beginner's, or "First Step,"meetings that are attended both by newcomers and those who have been sober a long time. The home group provides a foundation where they go every week, so people get to know them. Part of the home group functions are chairing the full month with speakers on their experience,strength, and hope. Leads or speakers help develop relationships with camaraderie,joyousness, and democracy pervade in our alcoholism. One of the most important things in Alcoholics Anonymous program is to get out of yourself by helping other people,volunteering, and twelve step calls. The assistance of Alcoholics Anonymous services helped me to get out of myself,and to focus on that new individual. Along with sponsorship,working the program,we encourage them to work with that new individual to aquire sobriety. Twelve step calls amount to carrying the message to the alcoholic that still suffers. Volunteering signifies we must work together in a more urgent need for continuous,effectiveness, and permanent unity. There are gifts of recovery,a journey,a program, and the 12 Steps. For the newcomer, this can provide inspiration and hope, but it can also bring despair.To recognize that they have drinking problems, alcoholics have to be completely miserable and willing to change. When they get to this point, it is called their "bottom." There are "high bottom" and "low bottom" drunks, but it doesn't matter as long as they get sober. Focusing on progress, purpose, and transformation can blind ourselves to the path of enrichment we are seeking, that we all seek.The beginning of our search was our first drug or drink. Oh, how beautiful. It was our first awakening. It was bliss. Our fears were calmed, and we suddenly felt alive, worthwhile. We felt part of, instead of outsiders looking in at a world strange to us. It worked for awhile, and then it changed. There are people in recovery talking about progress in their program, finding purpose in life, transformation of self. The words may sound redundant but "One Day at a Time" must be the focus. What does the one day at a time philosophy give addicts? It gives us what we're all seeking is the experience of being alive, feeling truly alive. Men and women believe that this is what we, as alcoholics and addicts have always been seeking. Your purpose in life may change, your progress in recovery might not progress as rapid as you hoped for.