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Share Tips About Dealing with the Holidays
ANONYMOUS ALCOHOLIC ^ | 12/16/04

Posted on 12/16/2004 8:18:49 AM PST by SweetCaroline

Holiday Tips -Take Care of Yourself First-Join the Discussion

"After enjoying sobriety for a few years I realize how many holidays I wasted, drinking in bars, drinking in the kitchen and becoming too drunk to join the family for dinner!" Magic

I lived with the book "Living Sober" for seven years. It offered me very helpful suggestions in some very tricky situations. I learned that no one cares if I'm drinking or not and that "what" I carried in my glass was rarely noticed by anyone. At first I had the usual questions and fears about social activities like, what do I drink and what do I say, etc. I was one of those people that learned to say "Not right now, thank you".

The holiday hype is just another world situation that we have to deal with and with peace and serenity in our lives, it just happens. We must remember that in times of hype and high stress, it's okay to withdraw and quiet our insides until we feel strong again. It took me awhile; it is not an overnight accomplishment. It takes time and that's okay too.

We first have to learn to take care of ourselves and that's not selfish. It's self preservation and growth. We can't give to others what we do not have ourselves and I can't be carried on the whim of other people especially when I realize that at the other end, I will be left with whatever has been created by the situation and the other person probably won't be there nor will they care about my insides or about the level of my peace and serenity.

If I let myself go off the deep end because of people, places, and things, who is there to catch me? No one. Except, GOD. If my life is right with GOD then me and God can handle anything.

Don't let life be controlled by any person or thing or whatever. Be in balance with things as they happen and let you soul be with the Lord and nature and things will work for the good.

Later, An anonymous alcoholic


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: christmas; homeparty; newyear; officeparty
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To: TexasCowboy

TC could you post the 12 steps? I would really like to know what they are and don't know how to find them.


61 posted on 12/16/2004 10:18:52 AM PST by SweetCaroline ( I promise God & myself that I will let go of this addiction that is destroying me!)
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To: Lazamataz

I worried about Holiday parties when I got sober.

When I first got sober, I practiced saying
"I'll have a coke, please"
"plain coke"
"Coke for me".

It worked. More than ten years now.

I thought people would care. THey didn't.

"What the H@@@ Happened to You?" One friend said.
"You have skin-tone now!!!"

That was it.



Also, Ginger Ale with a splash of Orange Juice is really tasty!!


62 posted on 12/16/2004 10:20:05 AM PST by Syberyenta ([My dad said: Free food has no calories])
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To: SweetCaroline
  1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable.

  2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

  3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

  4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

  5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

  6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

  7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

  8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

  9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

  10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

  11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

  12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

63 posted on 12/16/2004 10:20:35 AM PST by Lazamataz ("Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown" -- harpseal)
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To: SweetCaroline

http://www.recovery.org/aa/bigbook/ww/

Check this out. The Steps are there, and much more.


64 posted on 12/16/2004 10:22:20 AM PST by Syberyenta ([My dad said: Free food has no calories])
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To: WVNan
That is why Christian programs work where others fail.Alcoholics Anonymous, the most successful program is founded on the principles of helping others and it is not a Christian program.
65 posted on 12/16/2004 10:22:52 AM PST by Hildy ( The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue)
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To: Lazamataz

She is a wonderful friend, caring, thoughful and funny. We have such a great time together, but out husband's don't get along. Which is another problem with our relationship. He is the loud mouth drunk that knows everything, I think we all have met some one like this.


66 posted on 12/16/2004 10:25:42 AM PST by SweetCaroline ( I promise God & myself that I will let go of this addiction that is destroying me!)
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To: Hildy
Alcoholics Anonymous, the most successful program is founded on the principles of helping others and it is not a Christian program.

Correct. It is a spiritual, not religious program.

67 posted on 12/16/2004 10:25:44 AM PST by Lazamataz ("Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown" -- harpseal)
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To: SweetCaroline
He is the loud mouth drunk that knows everything, I think we all have met some one like this.

I haven't.

I was too busy being the loud mouth drunk that knew everything.

68 posted on 12/16/2004 10:26:54 AM PST by Lazamataz ("Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown" -- harpseal)
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To: Lazamataz

It works like a charm. Oddly, they usually thank us the next morning. That last drink is the one that causes the hangover.

I went on a bachelor party weekend a month or so ago. One of the single guys stayed up until 2AM drinking. I got up to cook breakfast at 6:30AM and he staggered in at 8AM asking if everyone hurt as bad as him. Nothing but stares and a unison "Uhh...no".


69 posted on 12/16/2004 10:28:14 AM PST by AppyPappy (If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
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To: Lazamataz

LOL! You and I would have gotten along just fine!!!!


70 posted on 12/16/2004 10:29:07 AM PST by Hildy ( The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue)
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To: SweetCaroline; Lazamataz
Well, Laz beat me to it.

Thanks, Laz!

71 posted on 12/16/2004 10:29:15 AM PST by TexasCowboy (Texan by birth, citizen of Jesusland by the Grace of God)
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To: Lazamataz

But some of us exclaimed, "What an order, I can't go through with it!!!!"


72 posted on 12/16/2004 10:30:24 AM PST by Hildy ( The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue)
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To: AppyPappy
We always kept Syrup of Ipecac around the frat house for bad drunks. One shot and aim them out the door.

Ohhhhh AppyPappy your so funny. I laughed so hard at this one!!!!!!!!!!!!

....and I decided I didn't want to eat the rest of my breakfast after that vision you placed in my head!!!!!!!!

73 posted on 12/16/2004 10:31:10 AM PST by SweetCaroline ( I promise God & myself that I will let go of this addiction that is destroying me!)
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To: Lazamataz
"I was too busy being the loud mouth drunk that knew everything."

In trying to pick up babes in bars, I've been everything from a brain surgeon to a helicopter pilot, whatever fit the occasion.

74 posted on 12/16/2004 10:31:46 AM PST by TexasCowboy (Texan by birth, citizen of Jesusland by the Grace of God)
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To: SweetCaroline
is the loud mouth drunk that knows everything,

Some people's IQ's double when they drink. Even better are those who call people on the phone. I had one friend who would call me at 2AM screaming "COME ON OVER. WE'RE DRINKIN". I would always respond "Ok, I'm coming right over". That ended the call and I'd go back to sleep. I never argue with a drunk.

75 posted on 12/16/2004 10:32:24 AM PST by AppyPappy (If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
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To: Lazamataz

in 1991, about the time of the first Gulf War, I had this conversation with an old friend. He told me that he and a mutual friend were watching the war unfold and when the news that Israel was being attacked by scud missles was discussed, the mutual friend exclaimed, "Hey, speaking of Jews getting bombed, anyone hear from Hildy lately!!!!" (True story).


76 posted on 12/16/2004 10:33:26 AM PST by Hildy ( The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue)
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To: Hildy
But some of us exclaimed, "What an order, I can't go through with it!!!!"

Don't be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.

77 posted on 12/16/2004 10:33:26 AM PST by Lazamataz ("Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown" -- harpseal)
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To: Lazamataz
opppsssI didn't mean to offend you, but that was funny.
78 posted on 12/16/2004 10:33:58 AM PST by SweetCaroline ( I promise God & myself that I will let go of this addiction that is destroying me!)
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To: SweetCaroline
opppsssI didn't mean to offend you, but that was funny.

(wide, accepting grin)

79 posted on 12/16/2004 10:35:19 AM PST by Lazamataz ("Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown" -- harpseal)
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To: SweetCaroline

So what are you saying? Are you saying I have a problem? Because I don't think I have a problem. How would you know? You don't know me, you don't know the pain I go through. If I drinks a bit, well thats understandab....

Just Kidding! Three Years, Nine Months Sober and Fat (: but reasonably happy. Seasons Greetings.


80 posted on 12/16/2004 10:36:28 AM PST by johnb838 (To Hell They Will Go. Killmore.)
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