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OG Stiggs · Member

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mikef · MIP Old Timer

Welcome to MIP!

From your post ,it seems as if you know the drill.Wnat it more than anything,do the daily work and don't pick up/ WE are here for each other ..In support and prayer.... smile

OG Stiggs · Member

Thank you Mike. Yeah, I got cocky and figured I could deal with it my way; did pretty well for about 10 years (kept it under control for the most part) but retired last year and crawled into the bottle

Part VII · Veteran Member

OG Stiggs wrote:
Thank you Mike. Yeah, I got cocky and figured I could deal with it my way; did pretty well for about 10 years (kept it under control for the most part) but retired last year and crawled into the bottle

Welcome back OG Stiggs.

I got cocky several times over seven years - the worst part of my drinking.

In my case, where I thought I had 'kept it under control for the most part' contained various degrees of hidden resentment. The resentment was "having to put it under control". This resentment grew over time, and then I rebelled, and got drunk more frequently until I lost all control.

It took me a while to learn that to stay sober also had nothing to do with control. Trying to control my cravings, or urges, was of no avail. I had to accept my unmanageability of such things and hand it over to my concept of a Higher Power... and it worked.

May you never relapse again.

-- Edited by Part VII on Wednesday 30th of July 2014 04:45:34 PM

Pythonpappy · MIP Old Timer

Welcome to MIP OG, ... and Part VII ... ... ...

OG, ... 'been there, done that' with a little difference in timing ... ... ... glad you're still alive ... I almost wasn't, when I committed myself to the AA program and 'way of life' ... I'm only 2 years younger than you ... so, I do know where you've been ... wore the same shoes for a while ...

Welcome guys ... & God Bless,
Pappy

Hello its me · Veteran Member

Welcome OG,

If you follow the directions, I'm sure you'll make it.

Surrender?

OG Stiggs · Member

Surrender. Thats the hard part

Stepchild · MIP Old Timer

Welcome to the site OG.....It's not that hard really. Have you taken the 12 steps?

OG Stiggs · Member

Never completed, hell didn't get a quarter thru

Pythonpappy · MIP Old Timer

You must ask yourself OG, am I willing to go to any length to stay sober ??? ... ... ...

Stepchild · MIP Old Timer

OG Stiggs wrote:
Never completed, hell didn't get a quarter thru

There is a good part of surrender in taking the action that this recovery program requires. They tell us half measures get us nothing. So you can imagine what a quarter measure will get you. I was beaten badly when I was introduced to AA....While I was in a rehab actually. I was ready to do whatever was suggested.....And it worked...As promised. I can promise you this...You do those steps honestly....And it will change your life. More than I ever thought was possible.

-- Edited by Stepchild on Wednesday 30th of July 2014 10:19:08 PM

Pythonpappy · MIP Old Timer

A man without 'Hope' is dead, or may as well be ... OG, if you have any thoughts like'I'm too far gone' or anything like that, then you are ... you need 'hope' to come to AA and at least try ... and you'll need 'faith' in some HP(Higher Power)(whatever suits you) to grant you the strength to carry on ... and of course in due time, 'love', enough to help others you don't even know, to recovery from this disease too ... this requires 'time' to help others when we can ... just like me and Stepdude are doing right this minute ...

We believe that we get to keep our sobriety as long as we are willing to give away what we've learned ... but in the beginning, he and I needed to listen to those who had gone before us and who had stopped drinkin' ... we wanted to learn how they did it ... (and most of us were 'lost causes' ... we were at the jumping off point in our lives ... but we recovered ...)

INTERESTED ??? ...

Mr_David · MIP Old Timer

Welcome, sir.

I know all about relapsing. I experienced 10 myself over the course of 30+ years. They were some of the most difficult times ever. I'm just glad you made it back alive. I hope that journey continues. Keep the faith.

-- Edited by Mr_David on Thursday 31st of July 2014 02:35:56 PM

OG Stiggs · Member

Thank you folks. I don't feel I'm a lost cause. Most of my resistance (I believe), is the surrender to God or a higher power. I don't believe in that. My folks were Baptists and rammed that stuff down our (myself and siblings) throats. None of us are followers to this day. I do wish to say that my folks were good parents for the most part, so I don't have a tragic story. Never saw G or HP during my time in service. And for the last 40+ yrs I was a science researcher. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm an alky, it broke up my marriage. I don't mean to offend any of you, however the concept of a higher power is fairly repugnant to me

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Welcome back OG

Stepchild · MIP Old Timer

They talk in the Big Book about letting go of our prejudices....This was key for me. I was like you. I was spritually shot when I came to AA. Zero in the tank. If you have a little time to kill. Give this a read....

http://anonpress.org/bb/Page_44.htm

It can't hurt you. I like how they talk about where we find this power. Within ourselves. I'd never even thought about looking there.

Hello its me · Veteran Member

OG,

You don't have to consider someone else's conception of God or a Higher Power. You can choose your own. Think about that for a second, that should make it much easier. Throw away all that you know, all of your preconceived ideas and knowledge.

YOU get to choose what works for YOU.

One things that is important here, you must know that YOU are NOT God.

:)