Q: Quick question maybe you can help me with.
If a person who is an alcoholic has this disease for life, which I believe now, how can people claim to be recovered? I am certainly feeling strong and have no intention of drinking or drugging. I love my new sober life. Am I recovered? I feel like I have a long way to go. I feel like it may always be right around the corner.
A: The Word Recovered is used over 20 times and is the first promise of the BB:
"“We of Alcoholics Anonymous are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book."
I personal identify with the word Recovered because I have. It's just the truth. Recovering means that you are in a constant state of getting over it. So it's like if I got the flu, and I no longer have it, I have recovered from it, right? Yes, I could get the flu again, but would I be in recovery until then?
Yes, I'm still alcoholic, and I can't drink/use because of my allergy to it. Allergy just means a abnormal reaction to somthing. So if my sister drinks a glass of wine, no big deal....if I drink a glass, I will always want more. My allergy is triggered the obsession of the mind to "need" more then a few....and then I am up and running and completely back in my disease.
I am Recovered because I don't even think about it...I have been restored to sanity in that my mind no longer has the power to convince me that drinking is and option. I don't worry about being around it, having it my home, being at bars, weddings, parties...no big deal. I have zero desire so hence, I no longer struggle with it. I am free from any fear of being around others who drink because I did the work and found that the alcohol was just a symptom.
When I drank I got relief from me, my head and from the world-Now I no longer seek relief from anything accept God. I also continue to work with others daily, daily inventory, daily prayer, daily gratitude...seek God first thing in the morning to guide and direct me. If he is running the show then the day goes smoothly...it's when I get in the way that SHTF!
Big book says....and I bear witness to...
"We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help. Love and tolerance of others is our code.
And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone - even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality - safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is our experience. That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition."
Recovery to me sounds half in half out...aka...half measures which avail us nothing and gives the impression that we are barley hanging on, can't be around alcohol, or always "craving it". If we do the work and continue to grow spiritually, and work with others-there is absolutely no reason to relapse-period. No matter what has happened to me in sobriety or what will happen I know that drinking will not be an issue.
When you are backed by Gods power, wearing his armor, trust Him fully, and have the tools that we have....we are solid. I know what to do when somthing "happens"...I know how to handle it without falling apart-and if I get really upset, I am over it by the next day.
It's all God, because I drank everyday...no matter what the reason, I was drinking! Emotional sobriety and physical sobriety....will come with the work....and it will remain solid if we don't get complacent in our spiritual growth :)