A.a. Thread

[Guest]

Good meeting....People shared this meeting...I'm still yet to share at a meeting...I'm not a real talkative person so I don't know when I might share in the future....I like listening to what people have to say....Mabey one day I will...

[Guest]

Good meeting....Glad to be there by the Grace of God...People shared....They handed out raffle tickets and called numbers....When your number was called you shared....Number didn't get called....Well it might of but I didn't look to see if it did because I don't want to share at this point....lol

[AnneLine]

he he he  

[Guest]

Good meeting but could barely keep my eyes open....Was tired....Made it through without falling asleep though....

[Luigi]

Good meeting yesterday...Had a guest speaker....He was good....Although I find I don't relate a lot of the times to what people share...My bottom wasn't as bad as a lot of people nor did I experience a lot of the things they did....And sometimes it makes me think if I should really be in aa and stop drinking for the rest of my life....But on the other hand my bottom was my bottom for me....It might have not been another persons bottom but for me it was bad enough to make me go to aa on my own....And if I keep drinking who's to say I might not experience a bottom even worse then the one I experienced....So for me its important to not get a mindset of I'm not as bad as a lot of these people and let that talk me into drinking again and getting drunk again...Although I know I could make a really solid effort of drinking in moderation in the end its not worth it.....Because more then likely it will end up just like before and soon enough I will hit a worse bottom then the one before and I will be right back in the hell I never wanted to go back to....

Dear Ol' Dad was a "functional drunk." He never missed a day of work, he did his job well, he paid the bills - all of which indicated to HIM that he didn't need AA. He never had a "movie style" bottom, but he still needed to go to AA. He looks back now and says he was always functional, but he made a lot of bad decisions because of the booze (his preferred term). 

 

So, yeah - maybe your bottom wasn't as bad as some other people's, but it was your bottom. It moved you to do something about the problem, and you're doing it. And it seems to be working. 

 

Are you doing 90 meetings in 90 days? I think they didn't used to do that, but I've heard other people recently talk as if that's the norm - or at least the ideal. 

[Guest]

Ya my dad was the same way....He always worked and paid the bills....But alcohol cost him a lot...Ultimately it led to my parents getting divorsed when I was in the 6th grade....My mom didn't drink and she remarried someone else who didn't drink and came straight home after work.....I've been going to meetings everyday although I have missed a few times....But I'm trying to do something like the 90 in 90 days....It has helped and I believe the spirit of God is at thoise meetings and is giving me graces not to drink....I haven't even thought about having a drink and I'm around alcohol all the time.....

[NotreDame]

Josh,  It sounds like you have both a familial/genetic tendency to drink as well as painful experiences in your past which might encourage various sorts of abuses (alcohol is by no means the only form of escape available to people.)  That's a tough combo, but it's common.  I have it.  A lot of my friends have it.  Dont' beat yourself up about it. 

 

You have to remember that in this fallen world, this is somehow Christ calls us sinners to a conversion of the heart.  It's a grace if you recognize this as a sin and you want to stop.  Just don't treat it like an isolated issue, like an wounded limb... It's your entire soul that you need to address. 

 

It's the pain from our pasts that unsettles us and drives us to these outlets.   This type of pain, like original sin, creates concupiscence.  When you 'replace' that pain with the peace of Christ you'll get, well, peace.  The pain will slowly heal.  And with peace there isn't the need for outlets, compulsions, excess.  It lessens concupiscence and gives you that freedom from sin that you want.  It's what they call integration, where the intellect and the will are aligned.  A spiritual and personal maturation should come with it as well.

 

It's easy to say, but it took a long time for me to really grasp what it took to get to that point.  for me I had to make my spiritual life a priority... THE priority...  time for prayer becomes first on the agenda, not something you tack on at the end.  Your saturday night plans revolve around your sunday morning mass plans and not the other way around.  Staying away from mortal sin?  If not, then frequent confession becomes a priority too.  If you are staying in one place, then looking around for an SD makes sense as well.  Spiritual reading is a must.  And in every other aspect of your life, friends, goals, etc., you need to make sure you have the right priorities.  Sometimes, as Christ said, that involves plucking out an eye and cutting off a hand - ie. getting rid of the bad things in your life. 

 

I'm not positive, but I think some would say this is the beginning of the purgative stage of one's spiritual life.  There's actually a lot written on these stages, although more time seems to be spent on the latter stages than this first stage.  Anyway, keep in mind you are not alone in having gone through this and that there is a spiritual solution to it.

[Guest]

Tonight we read from the 12 step and tradition book.....We read about step 2.) Came to believe that a Power greater then ourselves could restore us to sanity......Then shared about that topic....Good meeting....

[Guest]

Good meeting last night...

[Guest]

Good meeting today...Had a guest speaker...Her story was pretty cool....She said something about how she used to think of discipline as punishment but has learned to see discipline as leading to reward....Or something like that....Another lady celebrated a "birthday" of 21 years sober or 23 I forget....They gave her a cake and brought in these great cupcakes they shared with everybody.....Very tasty....

[Guest]

Meditation meeting

[Guest]

Meeting sucked

[AnneLine]

Happens sometimes. 

 

Most important thing is that you went.  :)

 

Josh, one of the other Phatmassers, Brandelynmarie, sent this to me and asked if I could post it for you.  She has limited internet access and thought you might find it interesting....

 

Might be a good night to have something good to enjoy!

 

Here's the article....

 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/11/07/take-three-minutes-with-this-video-of-a-homeless-vets-time-lapse-makeover-to-see-the-potential-in-people-we-ignore-every-day/

 

And the video....

 

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a6VVncgHcY[/media]

 

[Guest]

Tonight was a open meeting and the topic was relapse...Hmmm when will mine be....

Edited November 11, 2013 by Guest

[Guest]

So my last couple post were negative....The meeting before last did suck but most meetings haven't sucked....So that was in poor taste for me to write that....And .my last comment about relasping was dumb also....I don't plan on relasping....Sober life has been good so far and going back to drinking to get drunk would be a bad idea....Drinking in moderation sounds very appealing but I don't think its is the answer.....Aa has been cool so far...Going almost on 2 months now of hittting a meeting everyday for an hour...It honestly reminds me of going to a protestant church except with cussing and f bombs...That's what it feels like...and to most people there it is their church....Its where they come to meet God and I believe He's there....I'm thankfull I have Mass though and that is the real Aa....Although God uses these daily meetings too as a way of extending His grace....

Edited November 12, 2013 by Guest