http://www.ppgaadallas.org/

I think the support we have here in our transformation community is awesome, but just remember Alcoholism/Drug Addiction is a FATAL disease and should be addressed sooner than later.

I understand I can come across harsh at times about this topic, but it's because I'm a full blown addict (I have recovered August 20,2006) and I come from a family that has suffered from this disease. My sister died in 2002 from a drug over dose, my brother has 5 years sobriety, and my nephew on this site Bobby is an addict. Plus for 2 years I worked with addicts of the most severe kind.

Your the only one who can diagnose you as in if your an alcoholic or and addict. If you feel you are or don't know, email me and I can help qualify you. Remember the disease is patient, progressive, permanent, and fatal. If your being a meeting maker or just trying to get sober on your own, your making a BIG mistake.

The big book of AA's first 164 pages is precise instructions on how to get free of the obsession. If you can find a qualified sponsor who will take you through the steps you too can be recovered and experience how cool it is to help others.

If you will check out the link at the top, you can see how "old school" AA is and how it's not about going to meetings and sharing about your day, but that it is about rapidly working through the steps and then going out and helping others. There are 3 meetings a week at my home group Primary Purpose Group (link above) 2 of the meetings are just studying the book on how to help others and 1 meeting is a step speaker who covers the steps. Then the other 4 days they encourage you to go to 1 of 40 "wind up places" (where people wind up) such as half way houses, jails, hospitals, treatment centers, etc. We go and work with others there as part of our commitment.

You can also browse the site and see if there is a similar type group in your area.

I love you guy's

I can always count on you, my friend. Thank you.

Thanks Stoney - I totally agree with you! My homegroup focuses on just what you stated, the first 164 pages of the Big Book - we focus on recovery and then have a responsibility to share what we have learned with another alcoholic who is still suffering. I attend a women's meeting to give me the opportunity to share what I have - they do whine a little and share about their day but it is my hope I can share the real message of AA. My homegroup has two meetings and they keep me focused on the program.

I will only repeat what Stoney has to say - it is a matter of life or death - for us alcholics/addicts it is important to find a solution because our options are very limited, it is serious. If anyone would like further info please feel free to send me a message.

BJ

BJ,

Thank you very much and please please don't be shy about letting folks here know the truth. I got your back.

Sometimes, Stone...your posts just yank on my heart. The first two paragraphs just did it again. Can you say HERO, Stoney?

For years I drank alone fooling myself that one day I would stop. When my third child was born I told myself ok.. now I have to stop. I tried but it only lasted a few days. One day my oldest (5 yrs old) found a picture of this happy, fit, vibrant man and asked me who it was… It was me 40 pounds and thousands of drinks ago. In that moment I could not believe where alcohol had taken my life. That was it I told myself that if I could stop drinking for 30 days that I would reward myself by joining B4L and Transformation challenges. On June 30th 2008 it was a full thirty days sober! Longest time sober in six years. Then I committed to B4L and Transformation.

Stoney was one of the first members to welcome me and offer support. Before then I never once studied, understood, or even talked about alcohol addiction. I completely avoid it! Today I freely admit that I am an alcoholic, powerless to it, and need the help of God to guide me to sobriety so I can gain the strength to one day help others. I go to a Big Book AA, have a sponsor, been sober for 67 days as of posting this response. Oh yeah, I have also gone from 201 lbs to 182 lbs in five weeks, look 10 years younger but that pales in comparison to my sobriety. Stoney although we have only corresponded with each other a few times know that you have had a powerful affect on my life. Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwinters For years I drank alone fooling myself that one day I would stop. When my third child was born I told myself ok.. now I have to stop. I tried but it only lasted a few days. One day my oldest (5 yrs old) found a picture of this happy, fit, vibrant man and asked me who it was… It was me 40 pounds and thousands of drinks ago. In that moment I could not believe where alcohol had taken my life. That was it I told myself that if I could stop drinking for 30 days that I would reward myself by joining B4L and Transformation challenges. On June 30th 2008 it was a full thirty days sober! Longest time sober in six years. Then I committed to B4L and Transformation. Stoney was one of the first members to welcome me and offer support. Before then I never once studied, understood, or even talked about alcohol addiction. I completely avoid it! Today I freely admit that I am an alcoholic, powerless to it, and need the help of God to guide me to sobriety so I can gain the strength to one day help others. I go to a Big Book AA, have a sponsor, been sober for 67 days as of posting this response. Oh yeah, I have also gone from 201 lbs to 182 lbs in five weeks, look 10 years younger but that pales in comparison to my sobriety. Stoney although we have only corresponded with each other a few times know that you have had a powerful affect on my life. Thank you!

You are my hero!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Humdinger Sometimes, Stone...your posts just yank on my heart. The first two paragraphs just did it again. Can you say HERO, Stoney?

And you and Stoney are my hero's too!

Deb and Cwinters I'm so excited and so proud of you both, and lets give God all the credit, but I do always appreciate the kind words.

and Kevin you know I think you ROCK!!!

Hey Stoney and everybody else! Today is 2 weeks in control for me- feel great, somehow I thought that the pounds would fall off since I'm not taking in excess of 1500 calories of booze a day- go figure? Now to step up to the workout plate, not the dessert plate LOL.
Last night I went to a first meeting and is it weird to say I had fun? Thanks Stoney and Deb and all of the rest of you who saved my life. There but for the Grace of God...

Jennifer

Way to go Jennifer.....Stay connected and close to us!!!!

Many meetings...Many choices
Few meeting...Few Choices
No meetings...No choices
Meeting Makers...Make it.
This Disease wants you Dead, but it will settle for "isolation."

These are the simple sayings that have helped me recently. And I'm using the same transferable concepts to stay connected in this community so I will work "this program" as well. Otherwise I can so easily isolate, turn to alcohol, food....and forget the tools that have given me "Life!"

Scot

I think if going to many meetings helps you then great, all I'm saying is there isn't anything in the big book that says meeting makers make it or that you have to do many meetings. What I'm sharing is I am a recovering 90 meetings in 90 day guy who at 91 when out again. So I have did all the little sayings on the wall and so forth. I'm here to tell you that is NOT the correct way or the way they did in the beginning. I got out of treatment having completed 4 steps in 30 days at 45 days I was done with he 12 steps and I was working with guys at the salvation army. At 55 days I think it was I'm driving and realize I'm not thinking about drinking or drugging and God had removed the obsession and I'm free 2 years later NO desire at all.

Now is that the only way, no but it is the way to freedom where you don't have to go and listen to someone talk about their day or walk around in fear of slipping, it does not have to be that way, believe me.

I would be more than happy to guide you to a group that is similar to my PPG here in Dallas. If your up for it shoot me an email, if not maybe later. By the way I go to 3 meetings a week all Big Book study and then I have 1 commitment where I carry a message of hope to those who are still suffering, and that is it and believe me I'm a FULL BLOWN drug addict who has RECOVERED as long as I stay spiritualy fit!!!

Thanks my friend

I love checking this site - I will add my two cents - For five years I "worked the program" did the 90 and 90 and was of extreme service at the expense of my family and sanity - at five years I snapped, didn't drink but snapped. I did everything on the checklist that I was supposed to do, what happened? Somewhere along the way my sobriety was driven by me - I was producing the show again. I did not drink, stayed dry and returned to the program several years later, sober.

When I returned I came to a group that is committed to the Big Book and found a new sponsor who took me through the steps, again. I read the book and there was this really important part that I had missed when I first went through the work-

page 53 We Agnostics- We had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn't. What was my choice to be?

I never heard that in meetings, everyone always tiptoe around God, but I will tell you, when I honestly answered that question my life transformed and along with it my approach to the program. Today God is everything.

The truth is we are alcholics or addicts, that is what we do, we drink or drug - I could log off of this site right now and have a drink - who knows - I only know that if I maintain my relationship with God and committ to doing His will I may hit the pillow with another day sober.

Now that the heavy stuff is done - Congrats to everyone who is taking it one day at a time! If you need me for anything please stop by my place.

Bobbi Jo

I'm new here, just started Round 4 Challenge, 5th day today. I received my 2 year chip for being clean and sober in June. I am a recovering Alcoholic and addict. I chair the Wednesday night Big Book study meeting for my home group. Coach Stoney is correct. Recovery is not just about going to meetings and not using. It's about giving back what has been so freely given. Working with others who are coming in the program has helped me continue to stay sober and out of self. I am merely a vessel God uses to send his message of love, grace, and compassion.

hi. John M. Listening Post, Bronx NY. 17 years One day at a time. I have just started the body for life challenge and I am about 63 day in and I lost over twenty pounds already. I feel great I now feel that I am now working a full recovery program. Mental Physically and spritually.. I work the challenge the same way that I work the program... One day at a time, Putting one foot in front of the other. I have a BFL sponsor. I call him JoeyBFL... together we encourage one another and sometimes we work out in bally total fitness.

any way this is my first post so I will keep it simple... and learn to listen and listen to learn!

I am new to this site and I think this is great! I was in treatment back in May and almost lost my life to alcoholism. I appreciate your honesty and am glad that someone promotes the A.A way which I believe in my heart is the right way and is more about having an awesome spiritual life than just meeting hopping and not drinking. In the big book it says alcoholism is BUT a symptom of our unmanageable lives and I believe that. I look foward to sharing my journey.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach-Stoney http://www.ppgaadallas.org/ I think the support we have here in our transformation community is awesome, but just remember Alcoholism/Drug Addiction is a FATAL disease and should be addressed sooner than later. I understand I can come across harsh at times about this topic, but it's because I'm a full blown addict (I have recovered August 20,2006) and I come from a family that has suffered from this disease. My sister died in 2002 from a drug over dose, my brother has 5 years sobriety, and my nephew on this site Bobby is an addict. Plus for 2 years I worked with addicts of the most severe kind. Your the only one who can diagnose you as in if your an alcoholic or and addict. If you feel you are or don't know, email me and I can help qualify you. Remember the disease is patient, progressive, permanent, and fatal. If your being a meeting maker or just trying to get sober on your own, your making a BIG mistake. The big book of AA's first 164 pages is precise instructions on how to get free of the obsession. If you can find a qualified sponsor who will take you through the steps you too can be recovered and experience how cool it is to help others. If you will check out the link at the top, you can see how "old school" AA is and how it's not about going to meetings and sharing about your day, but that it is about rapidly working through the steps and then going out and helping others. There are 3 meetings a week at my home group Primary Purpose Group (link above) 2 of the meetings are just studying the book on how to help others and 1 meeting is a step speaker who covers the steps. Then the other 4 days they encourage you to go to 1 of 40 "wind up places" (where people wind up) such as half way houses, jails, hospitals, treatment centers, etc. We go and work with others there as part of our commitment. You can also browse the site and see if there is a similar type group in your area. I love you guy's

omg! I just read your post about addiction! I am an addict and all though I haven't used my drug of choice for almost 2 years(Jan.), I know for sure I have switched from my drug to food. I have gained 55 pounds since I quit using, but feel so out of control right now. This is exactly how I feel right before I start using, it's my weight that is my trigger. I also stopped smoking 6 months ago and almost want to start up again! That's my addict mind working. I hated going to meetings. I always felt like it was just a lot of complaining about how life was so bad, can I be a part of your group via email?? Stacy