I was a quiet-stay-at-home-after-the-kids-were-asleep kind of drinker.

Growing up in and living in a military environment I never had any inclination to try drugs.

I started going to meetings 14 years ago at the behest of another program I initally went to in order to figure out how to "fix" my sons' father.

From my first day - I realized I "belonged".

Many have helped me through tough times and in turn, I've tried to give back what was so freely given to me whenever I've had the chance to be of service.

Ending up on Redbook to support my family in a barren job market didn't make this journey any easier.

I am certainly not the poster child for perfection in any way! lol

I'm just learning along the journey like most of us are.

If you think you might have something to add - or just be of support - just inbox me and I'd be happy to share the contact information.

**BIG HUGS**

It's always Summer at my place! xoxo

Your item one here is true and deals with the reality that self diagnosed alcoholic or addict must accept the hard reality of his own situation.

To a recovering alcoholic or an addict, the ability to gain genuine acceptance of who we are, our place in this world, and the way things really are, is a pretty big deal in this recovery business.

Sometimes gaining enough acceptance of People, Places, Things, Situations, etc, etc, etc, to get and stay Clean and Sober can be a pretty damn tough nut to crack.........but it really is the key to the whole damn thing.

One of the hardest things for me to accept in sobriety is burying people, and knowing that I will bury many more that will die or be killed in their addictions. People no different than me, and no doubt, a fair share of people better than me.

Sticking with the topic of acceptance and the facts stated in your item #1, I had a couple of half-assed parallel/related thoughts.

1.(b) Some people, even in the face of strong evidence to the contrary, will hold tenuously to the irrational notion that they are social drinkers and recreational drug users.

Often such people will outwardly play off, or vehemently deny that they may (or do) have any serious concerns in regard to addictive behaviors they may exhibit and the consequences thereof.

This is not at all unusual even in cases where such a person is patently symptomatic to most truly objective and/or detached observers.

The recovering addict/alcoholic may well question what these people do, and have well founded serious concerns regarding the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of such people; but the recovering alcoholic/addict must accept and understand that he/she can not do a helluva lot to help and/or counsel another of their fellows who may be on or approaching that slippery slope of addiction.....and of course the same goes for those who are clearly still out there rippin' and runnln' in full on addiction.

*As the saying goes......

"If you wanna drink and use, that's your business.
If you think you wanna stop drinking and using', well, that's my business.

For me, I knew a long time ago I did not drink like a normal person.

I never drank around other people - I always drank alone.

So I could never call myself a "social" drinker of any sort.

As far as my serenity goes, I know I am definitely better off the more meetings I get to.

My home group has been like a second family to me for many years.

As soon as I walk in the door a sense of peace washes over me as I slide into one of my favorite chairs.

Sometimes it's hard seeing clients in meetings.

But hey - after being "the hobby" and/or working in this business for a couple of years, you could go to a meeting at the north pole and a penguin would walk in that you'd sessioned with before! lol

So I can never allow the reality of that fact to keep me away from meetings.

Some people feel a sense of peace as soon as they enter their place of worship; that's how I feel about my home group.

You'll see less wacky posts from me when I'm "living in the solution" rather than "focusing on the problem."

It's always Summer at my place! xoxo