Some thoughts on this forum

[Justpat]

I love this place. It has been a sanctuary in times of sadness, a place where I can share with
no fear of ridicule and it has helped me stay sober with some of the great discussions here.

This is an addiction/recovery forum. As such it implies that I did not find my way here
because I was a model citizen. Before I came to AA, I experienced hospitalizations,
jail, despair, poverty and not once in the days before AA did I draw a sober breath.
People who come to a place like this do so because we are hurting or recovering and want
to share our journey with others. I did not come to a recovery forum to engage in debate
about the worthiness of other paths to sobriety. I am a lousy debater.

When I first got sober I was very serious about the spiritual journey that was part of recovery.
My willingness to open myself to this journey led me to study other means of sobriety and
other faiths. I went back to school to take comparative religion and studied the other
avenues of sobriety spoken of here. I can honestly say I studied for about a decade about
other means of mental, spiritual and physical health. I came to the conclusion that for me,
the steps were a way to find my way back to my family, my community, but most of all, myself.

I have encountered a means of growing and changing every day of my life as long as I
don't drink or use today.

If others have found a means of achieving stability and growth, that is so great.

I think that the concept of live and let live is an process of letting go of those
we have serious differences with and doing that in an attitude of loving kindness.

I love being sober. I appreciate all experience, strength and hope found here among
our diverse group.

I am a seriously flawed person trying to get better.

OB

[NMDemDist2]

1. edit -- I am just sorry we have added to Skinner's grey hair and work load

with silly debates with people who mostly claimed they aren't even addicts.

I know there are some lurkers who *do* need help and they (for whatever reason) can't use AA. I wish them well and hope they find peace and wellness on whatever path they find.

I can only share what *I* have done and what's worked for me. I truly hope that there will be someone (or several someones) who will come here and share how they quit drinking for a period of time without AA. I would love to learn of another way that really works for long term comfortable sobriety.

It would be great to have another resource to offer a suffering alcoholic/addict.

and OB, you are a treasure :yourock:

Never ever doubt that :hug:

[Justpat]

2. I think what I was trying to say is this;

None of us found our way to this forum because we had all the answers.


I learn from others experience and strenght and love how to get better in spite of myself.

:hug:

[Kajsa]

3. Thank you, Old Broad.

i came into recovery the hard way.
I fought it, tooth and nail. Even though
deep down inside I knew I was an alcoholic,
just like my dad, I did not accept that fact
for years.

I was a multiple retread, but I finally hit a sobriety date
after a full year of going in and out.

Like you, I come here for the fellowship of other alcoholics/
addicts. Here we can share what we do and how we do it
when life throws us another curveball. Learning to live clean and sober is
a lifelong process for me. My brain is still refusing to grow up.

This is the last place I want to debate how I stay sober, and the worthiness
of that program. It's the program I use to stay sober and therefore, stay alive.

I love you and the great people in our A/R forum.
This place has helped me so much, when I just needed to get in touch
with whatever the hell was/is going on with me.

Thanks so much for posting this thread.

:hug: :grouphug:

[idgiehkt]

4. /

/

[RetroLounge]

5. ...

:hug:

RL