Just wanted to know if some of you would like to share ideas about that.This pandemic gives me a lot of time and I found myself thinking about this. It’s not gonna happen, but I find the exercice fun.
If it was a book for sobriety, from which angle would it takes? What kind of structure it would take, like short stories, novel, spiritual writings, experiential, steps, your story, tool kit…? Maybe your own philosophy about sobriety or the struggle to get to it?
Do you think it would be a “trigger” to write the story of an addict? Therefore would you prefer writing a story that especially does not talk about this, but focuses on something else you like and have passion for?
This topic interests me as I am a person who journals (a lot)! I’ve never been able to stay on 1 topic long enough to make sense to anyone other than myself. But there have been some things that have happened in my life over the last couple of years that now bring me to a place where I need to re-evaluate many aspects of my life. Continuing to write will not only be therapeutic for me, but, just might help someone else.
In thinking about this venture, I think my book would be written by my telling ‘my story’, a timeline of my life, good, bad, lessons learned and specifics of how I got through each time. What motivated me, both good and bad, what worked, what didn’t, how each event affected the other parts of my life and future. I would somehow want to work in my spirituality and how my belief in God affected the other parts of my life. What lessons did I learn?
I think my book would be directly about addiction and all that being an addict encompasses. More than that it would also be about the overpowering, debilitating effects that GRIEF, (grief of the worst kind, the loss of a child) have on a person, a person in the throws of active addiction, a person in early recovery.
So, that’s my ideas on writing a book, I really believe that given some guidance on how you go about putting it all together, it’s something I could do!
Thanks for bringing up the topic and encouraging us to think about it and discuss it. What a great idea.
I personally do not think it would be a trigger for me. If I thought it would be a trigger for my addiction or grief I wouldn’t even consider doing it.
Thanks again for the opportunity to discuss the idea.
If I wrote a book, it would not be about sobriety per se. I would invite people into one of the fictional settings in my head and the characters there. Maybe there would be addiction and substance abuse, maybe there wouldn’t be. Maybe it would be “triggering”, and maybe it wouldn’t. I don’t care. It’s my creation and people opt in to read it if their own volition, knowing that reading unknown material involves risk. Therefore, I’m going to tell the story however I feel it’s best told. It’s up to the reader to choose what they expose themselves to.
@liv_m would it be for public (sober-ish community) or professionals? are you working as a therapist? “Sobriety and relationships”, sounds very interesting!! sounds like a practical approach too.
@Kat1 I’ve been having the same “issue” with my writings too. I would like to know how people who write on a specific subject for like a year or more, or even just for couples of months, how do they manage ? how they keep going with one idea and not put it down for the one that came up the right next month or even through the writing process itself? 2 days ago I was reading a philosopher that I like very much, and figured his writings were all over the place at once, in some of his firsts writings, but it all made sense later on in his life, when all his writings were combined into “his philosophy”. So I thought: maybe if there’s too much ideas, we just got to start somewhere, and if there’s not enough room to be explicit on some points into the same book, well we have time to write some more on the specifics topics that would come out of this first experience of writing a book. Just some thoughts. I really like you idea… you seems to be talking about resilience… Thanks for sharing! How would you insert writing practice into your days if you’re already journaling?
@Acall111484 interesting?!? how about confess a little bit of information about theses confessions chronicles
I have actually thought about it. And have a notebook full of little things written down that would be added if I ever decide to do it.
I would write about the struggles I over came with getting sober. The relationship I was in when I first started getting sober how it helped and could have potentially hindered my sobriety if I let it.
The difference between who I was before I started drinking, while I was and now that I am sober. I have journals from my whole sobriety that I would use to help write it.
I would add in how my first real sober relationship is, how it feels compared to others.
How my mind works these days. The daily struggling I still have. I would be honest about my anxiety being higher today then ever before because I feel I used to cover it up with booze.
I would talk about going through my health issues while drinking, my cancer, hip replacement, being in the hospital with a extremely rare throat issue. All while being dependant on alcohol so it through me into withdrawal but I refused to tell my dr so I had to suffer.
There is so much I could add into a book. Would anyone honestly read it who knows but I would write it. Lol
It’s never to late would be the title & basically it would be a book encouraging people to find the strength & wisdom to turn whatever situation around and live a life with purpose. At one time I felt like things were hopeless & I had messed up so much that I wouldn’t be able to get out of the hole I found myself in. But you can
I think my book would be for the public. If you can share, what philosopher are you referring to that you identify with? I am always interested in reading about another person’s philosophy. I do agree that I would just have to start somewhere, whether it made sense or not. Then as I go on, maybe I could tie it all together in a way that makes sense to most people!!!
I believe, since I have an unlimited supply of time on my hands right now, that I could easily fit writing time into my day without having to do away with anything else, especially my journaling. Meditation and prayer are also a big part of my daily routine which I would never give up. It is only through meditation and prayer that I am able to get through each day as I continue to live with so much grief after the loss of my 31 year old son almost 2 years ago to an accidental overdose. So I believe that this book project would be extremely beneficial to me.
I truly was not aware that I was describing resilience as I rambled on about my future book? Thank you!
@SoberHappyJessi I would like to read it, sounds like an inspiring story you got there!!
@Dens33 Wow I like it!! I’m also in the mental health field, and I think literature for children/teens lacks in psychopathology explanation … I had the idea of writings short stories based on each or some type of personality disorder/ mental health disorder, featuring young men and women discovering their particularity… clearly there’s a gap in the kids literature about those things.
@Kat1 I was referring to the lecture of a French existential philosopher named Gabriel Marcel… I’m really into existential philosophy since my early 20 - and it’s also my approach in psychotherapy, humanist-existentialist. These days I’m reading Kierkegaard, Gabriel Marcel, Karl Jaspers… I felt resilience in your books idea because of the things you said you went through and the way you talk about it… you seem to have done a lot of work on this and found some peace into your habits of prayers and writings and sharing… You seems to be a resilient person for what I can read.
