So interesting. Here in good old southern Oregon the meetings I have been to do not bring up “jesus”… and in fact one lady was stopped for doing so. I guess it depends on where you live.
In reading the book i have found no mention of jesus christ, just that you must have some sort of higher power. This is referred to as “God”, and also “He”… to each their own though.
In my meetings I like how they allow you to choose your own higher power… and agree with you;
WE CANNOT DO THIS ON OUR OWN.
I am actually looking into EMDR this week!
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EMDR worked wonders for my kid. She had situation specific anxiety being in cars after a bad wreck left her traumatized at age 11. 3 sessions and she was ready to learn to drive herself at age 17.
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In the early days of AA, remember that plenty of folks got sober on the Big Book and corresponding with AA in New York.
AA still has services for Internationalists and Loners who cannot participate in face to face meetings.
AA contact info
EMDR has helped me deal with PTSD issues as well. Ultimately people associate PTSD with wartime, combat related experiences and don’t realize anyone can have PTSD for any type of a traumatic event. I’m so thankful for EMDR.
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Sure liked this one, thank you for sharing.
Hi Lulu - try to look at it this way:
Yes, we are all the Captains of our own ship, but we sail the same sea…sometimes together, sometimes separated by vast distances. But we’re all connected.
Look at yourself. You’re in this forum seeking help, so while you are alone in Montenegro, you are simultaneously connecting with me, and me with you. We’re helping each other, best that we can.
Anything I can do to help shoulder the burden, ask. I don’t have every answer, and what works in my fractured brain may be nonsense for you. But loneliness sucks. If I can at least be a friend out here on the wire, I will be.
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Thank you!
After the updates the app became not user friendly either. Still, this is the best friend I have besides the dumpster kitties I feed and a garden I try to create.
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@Lulujo - I’m so glad you are here for many reasons. I always enjoy your perspective, and I look forward to your shares on @DowntroddenGoat’s music thread. You have fabulous taste! Most of all - I’m glad you are here, helping the rest of us stay sober. I hope you will ask if there is anything we can offer to you when days feel hard.
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We’re all in this together, my friend.
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I Think thats kinda disrespectful the higher power can be interpreted so that oneself is it. What I am is not just my soul or Body but everything else too. Such a belief can still be used to take help from the more Powerful than ones own body or soul
I will never classify it as higher power but I say; I get strength from within. I do because I have done so relying on myself and using my ways of behavioral changes. I often thought, this and that, and death could be so much easier to accept or any other situation if you had a belief system.
My only belief system is; if you really want to do it you can. Of course variables like, drunk all the time, daily drinking, binge drinking…other mental illnesses combined, the list can be complicated.
Everybody has to find their own way. Soon the medication will be tailored to you and only you, thanks to nanotechnology.
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This is in the capitol city, Podgorica. I live a two hour drive from there. I appreciate the support. Many thanks.
Very well said. I needed to read this today. Thank you!
Thank you MoCatt!
I had another tragedy, which I have not shared in the forum yet. Perhaps the best friend of mine committed suicide on January 15th. 25 years of friendship, first three dating. We were very close. I talked to him three days before the incident. He was one of the two of my friends that we never lost touch, regardless of me moving overseas.
I was on my 85th days sober and did not run for a bottle. Did not run for a drink for another week or so until his memorial. By that time the old gang old found me and wanted to make sure I will not do the same. We all reconnected again.
I thought about for what could it do to me and I thought about his perspective on life and how much he stood by me. We could talk about anything and never a bad word or a moment besides when he wanted to stir my rice, lol. He was one of the well read, a great writer, a person with an amazing sense of humor which I think only a few people really could understand his references. He was humble, down to earth, kind. He would never make you feel you stupid or inferior. He had to dumb down his content. Generous. “I invest in people” he would say. You would never get bored around him and he would not offend anybody. In our tight circle, he could go for heavier jokes.
I can write a book about him. So could many others in his life.
I decided on the memorial, I will sacrifice my sobriety. This was a conscious decision. Absolutely knowing that it will take me back. I made a dirty martini, shaken, not stirred. Just the way he liked it.
Everybody was online and I waited a good half an hour. Honestly I had no desire to drink, I was in a good place. I waited 91.91 on the counter before I raised my glass.
Struggling now? Hell yeah, but I know how to do it now and my look at life has completely changed. More obstacles piling in front of me.
He had a great taste and knowledge about music too. If you look at my profile which I started many months before his depart, now I can not change it. I would make him play it over and over until he would kindly put the Ink Spots,
Thank you MoCatt for listening. Much love.
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Oh, my friend…
There are no words to make this kind of pain go away - and nothing can fill the void he left. Sickness and suffering robs this world of so many beautiful, unique, shining lights. Thank you for sharing your love for your friend. Your words paint a picture of an amazing man. I can envision him - and his words, “I invest in people” will stay with me for a long time to come.
I’m so glad and grateful you are still with us.
So much love and strength to you…
Holly
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That’s excellent Lulujo because that is my higher power. The strength within us to conquer absolutely anything we set our minds to.
I worked with my therapist on so many things and then just plateaued. That was one thing that made me realize I needed to quit drinking because everything else should have been working but wasn’t.
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We tried EMDR many times while I was high on pills and obviously it didn’t work. My therapist and I talked about that this afternoon. It’s amazing how well therapy works when you’re sober.