Posted by ClearSkies on September 21, 2007, at 8:19:34
In reply to anyone learned to control their drinking w/o AA?, posted by Dragon Black on September 21, 2007, at 2:43:44
I can't say that I ever managed to control my drinking, despite many years of serious attempts to. And I tried weed, to, which makes me feel just dandy - but it also makes me feel like drinking! So I consider that experiment a failure.
AA just wasn't for me, but it wasn't because of the policy of abstinence. I just found that I needed a lot more positive reinforcement in my life than negative in order to maintain my sobriety for any length of time. For me, the ideal model turned out to be from the Women For Sobriety organization (try googling them), who use daily affirmations to uplift us and reinforce the positive aspects of abstaining from alcohol.
And I guess that the answer for me was that I learned to replace alcohol, not with another substance to recreate the feeling, but with healthy habits that keep me grounded and in touch with the natural beauty of the world. It sounds totally hokey, but a walk outside, appreciating the sights and sounds of the world around me, makes me profoundly grateful to be in possession of all my senses in order to be able to feel them all.
That's my story, anyway. (2 years' sober last month.)
ClearSkies
poster:ClearSkies
thread:784274
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20070626/msgs/784289.html