Today’s meeting was very good. One of my fellow alcoholics, who has about 2 weeks less than I do, asked the room “What Keeps You Sober?”. I have worried about him. I have known him for about 2 years. We attend the same church and have attended an addiction life group together as well. He went to rehab for 2 months and then had a slip after he got home. It happens to the best of us! I did the same thing the first time I went to rehab. The important thing is that he came back to the group. We talk on a regular basis. I just get the feeling that he is really struggling to maintain his sobriety.
There was a lot of great information shared in the meeting. I was one of the first to share so I will give you a synopsis of that. What I do that keeps me sober is to pray, go to meetings, talk to other alcoholics/addicts, talk to my sponsor, talk to my wife and my church friends (who all know about my addiction). I pray at least twice a day. In the morning, my wife and I pray to God to keep me sober today. At night, we thank God for keeping me sober this day. Sometimes I need to pray more often when I feel something weird coming into my sick head. It doesn’t have to be a knee hitting prayer. It can be while I am sitting at the computer or standing outside with my dogs. I pray that God will relieve me of the obsession or thoughts. And amazingly He does! I also make a meeting every day. I get there early and I stay late to talk. Sometimes we talk about the topic of the day, other times we just shoot the shit. I also talk to my sponsor regularly. It may not always be daily, but the line is always open. That holds true with my friends from church as well. We try to have lunch once a week in addition to our life group meeting and of course at church. Last and certainly not least, is my wife. She has stood beside me through the worst of times and now through the good times so far. We have strengthened our relationship considerably in the last 2 months.
Many of the others there today reiterated the same things that I mentioned. Usually in different ways. Sometimes it takes that repetition and/or different way of saying something for it to sink in. I hope it helped him. I know it helped me and reinforced the things that I am doing are the right things for me. I hope this helps you! I know me sharing it with you, most definitely helps me to stay sober!
God Bless