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Moving forward with my sober wife
(Preview)
After living with my alcoholic wife for 10 years, I moved out of our shared home (rental) two and a half years ago. I initially bounced between sublets and a friend's house for one year, and then moved into my own one-bedroom apartment in Jan 2016. During that time my wife had 7-8 stays in residential t...
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thos17
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3
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2720
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End of the Struggle
(Preview)
My father died today. I spoke with him yesterday and he was looking forward to my visit this weekend for Father's Day.
There is a possibility that he had not actively been drinking for a week or two before he died, but the damage had already been done.
I'm relieved that he is no longer suffering. I wis...
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Mikhail
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24
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821
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Father's Day
(Preview)
My daughter turned to me today and said Mom I know the moment I was just done with dad .. and as done I was D was beyond done. It was Father's Day 3 years ago. That was the day my children reached out to their dad and asked him to spend Father's Day with him. He declined stating that his mother was sick and in t...
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SerenityRUS
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21
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965
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First meeting expectations
(Preview)
Hello,
I WANT to go to my first f2f meeting but I always come up with excuses for why I can't...such as I don't like the time/day the meeting is at or who's going to take care of things at home if I'm not there or I'm tired/sick I'll go next week...you get the picture.
Have I not hit my rock bottom yet? What...
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Sadhana
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11
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483
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Photos, Memories, Downsizing, Musings....
(Preview)
I started this morning bright and early - went to watch the two grand-babies for a while. Both parents started new jobs a couple weeks ago, and they just can't grasp the whole schedules, day-care, etc. so - I was asked and able to be of service. I went to their home as mine is clean for overnight company t...
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Iamhere
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7
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507
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Detachment and other thoughts
(Preview)
Hi all! Thoughtful today, and want to share my thoughts with you. I'm living on my own now for almost a month, having finally made a boundary with my abf that I'm going to live separately for 3 months, and after that time, if he is living sober and working on maintaining his sobriety, I will move back in. I h...
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Aline
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7
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6986
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6/21/17 C2C - Meditation
(Preview)
Step 12 begins "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God..." Today's page reassures any with concerns about meditation that it is nothing mysterious or otherworldly but a way to think thoughtfully, contemplatively in quiet moments. This is something we of...
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Enigmatic
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10
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525
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The chaos continues
(Preview)
You all know how it goes. It's a little different for my ex-AH, because he's a binge drinker, so there are periods of calm. He was in one of those for a while, and he moved in with a friend and things seemed to be on an even keel. But then of course everything fell apart. I got word that the friend came home a...
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Mattie
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8
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518
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Usual teen isims vs family disease...
(Preview)
At my wits end with my 15yr old. Between her funky mood swings and all that goes with having a teen girl and the isims of the family disease I am truly at a lost for what is real and what is just teen BS. Twice today she did what I felt was blaming me for the decisions she makes..." I only did it because you did tha...
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Hopefull15
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9
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534
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Accepting Reality/Loving What Is
(Preview)
or... accepting what is. So as advised, I have been attending Alanon meetings and taking care of myself.My ex is in her first year and half of recovery - she broke it off with me in a particularly brutal, unilateral way that took me completely by surprise. When people are in pain they cause pain. She sim...
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Bailey71
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5
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701
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I Left, I really left
(Preview)
Just left today. :( Even though abf
is still in AA and doing well, he is still very selfish in real life and the things that have been mentally and physically done to me over the past 5 years have never really left me. He seems to forget the hitting me and breaking my ribs. Obviously I am
super co-dependan...
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Aerin
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23
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711
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Still In Love With My Alcoholic Ex
(Preview)
My ex fiance and I were together for 5 years, then broke up for a year, then got back together for 6 month, then I finally called it quits.
What ended the relationship after all that time and everything he put me through, was that while we broke up for a year (and yes I did date someone else during that time...
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Mother of Poodles
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16
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2962
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Prayers for me & my mom.
(Preview)
Today I sit here concerned for my sanity. My mom has been running again. I just want to see her & give her a hug. I am grateful that she is in town at least.
The reason I am concerned for myself is because I don't know if I can handle any more. I have used tough love until it has made me sick.
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Hoot Nanny
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3
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590
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Hope for Today June 20
(Preview)
Good morning Everyone- Today's reading mentions step 9 and the difficulty we might have in making direct amends to people in our lives. The writer speaks of making a list of traits that he/she can be grateful to his/her parents for. The writer easily makes a list attributable to the father, but is stu...
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yanksfan51
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4
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508
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6 weeks of peace
(Preview)
My spouse is ending a 6 week intensive eating disorder program with a no drinking contract. She was referred to AA but of course didn't go. I felt hope for our marriage for the first time in years. I asked her what her aftercare was going to be, and she said she will see an alcohol counselor 2xmonth, and...
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Lyne
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3
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584
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ODAT READING 6-18-2017
(Preview)
The ODA T reading June 17 speaks about the Third Step. It points out that when we arrive at the Third Step, we gradually begin to see truths that we never realized possible. The Third Step challenges us to" make a decision", to let go and let God in our affairs. Step Three is a distillation of all the phil...
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hotrod
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6
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536
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6/19/17 ODAT
(Preview)
Today's reading emphasizes that recovery is a process rather than an event. In that sense, Step 4 inventory is not a one and done, but perhaps even a daily search that reveals something new each time it is performed. These findings can then be shared with a higher power for help and resolution. Today's...
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Enigmatic
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5
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424
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My Exit
(Preview)
Well since I found out the info revealed by HP after I asked him, I have kicked my AH out of our home. I could stay with someone who is sick but not someone who is betraying me. That's a hard boundary for me. What really stinks though is that of course he doesn't seem to care about any of this, and I feel like I'm...
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Jayla
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10
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601
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Fear and recovery
(Preview)
My AH has been sober over a year now (though not in a recovery program) and I still fear the future.
I've been circling the first three steps and attending meetings sporadically, getting comfortable in the way things are now. But that comfort is pretty superficial. I'm still fearful of the idea that...
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Taraxacum1
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11
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712
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time alone
(Preview)
A couple of weeks ago I posted about the worry I have with "varicies" possibly with my ah. But also I get a week to myself due to a business trip my ah is taking. (he did ask me to go but I'd rather stay home for obvious reasons) Thank you all to those who responded or read my post. Now I have this week to mysel...
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pixie
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4
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702
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4th step without a sponsor
(Preview)
Hi! I would appreciate your thoughts on the topic of doing the 4th step without a sponsor. I approached a fellow Alanon woman to be my sponsor after the last meeting, but she can't take any more sponsees right now. I'm doing the steps on my own for now, with the help of the step work board here and some other...
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Aline
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8
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791
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Courage to Change (C2C) 6/16/17
(Preview)
Today's reading discusses detaching with love. Many of us have interfered not only with a loved one's problems but also with their achievements. We may have the best of intentions, but when we take over other people's responsibilities, we rob them of the chance to accomplish something and feel go...
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Iamhere
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8
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680
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Working on detachment
(Preview)
Detachment from my A did not come easy for me. It took several years of surviving pain and disappointment repeatedly. My sponsor taught me to have no expectations, and that was very helpful advice. Now I must learn to detach from my son, who could use some Alanon himself but is not open to it. I have b...
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Lyne
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4
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884
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From Survival to Recovery
(Preview)
Just got finished reading Tara's share which reminded me to return to my own recovery work which currently is reading the Titled Work ...Survival to Recovery. This is major work for me because it is about growing up in an alcoholic home which I have done and the book knows the thoughts, feelings and...
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Jerry F
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5
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571
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The Difference?
(Preview)
It's been a rough 2 days... Lord how I hate paydays. I have begun calling them "Drunk Thursdays," but lately it's more like "Drunk Thursday/Fridays. It was especially fun to wake up this morning and have my AH cheerfully tell me, "Good morning!" Then wonder how come I didn't respond in kind. I mean, I di...
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PosiesandPuppies
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6
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447
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Courage to Change 17/6
(Preview)
Today's C2C discusses the fact that when we work a program and start to arm ourselves with al-anon tools, we can find ourselves growing through difficult situations that we might previously have thought were intolerable. But whether we learn to be at peace with an unpleasant situation or find a way o...
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MissM
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2
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442
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Lost, Confused and Devastated
(Preview)
Hello - I am new to this group. I have been attending meetings since March 3 and just yesterday got a sponsor so I can begin the 12 step process toward healing. I don't even know who I am right now, but I am completely lost and devastated. My h is an alcoholic. We have been together for almost 24 years and marr...
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Crushed16
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8
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638
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On Line meeting chairs needed
(Preview)
Courage has just posted the following request to the Alanon Business Board: Since the website is continuing to run as in previous years, it's time to re-build the meeting chair schedule. Every meeting spot was filled in 2015 and then we let go of it ... and now we need to start from scratch to recruit pe...
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hotrod
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6
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626
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A Success Perhaps?
(Preview)
I brought up something with my AW when I got home today. Something that I was pretty sure she wouldn't want to hear. But, I tried to do it the Al Anon way and not project or expect or hold resentment before the conversation even started. I said what I meant and tried not to say it mean. It was something that in...
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WestMan
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8
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552
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Back again for another "Is this normal ?" check
(Preview)
When I wrote, "Is this Normal?", I started chuckling - like ANYTHING is normal with this stuff! Anyway, what I'm wondering is, as we begin to get some measure of serenity in our lives, I understand that it's normal to not agonize about the alcoholic all the time, but is it normal to think less and less of...
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texas yankee
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4
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894
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Courage to Change (C2C) 6/15/17
(Preview)
Today's reading talks about sarcasm and how many of us use this to cut down others. Often, it's habit and we don't readily see how damaging and unhealthy it is as a response or reaction to what is going on around us. Often we feel it justified and 'scoring a hit' when we use it as a response to anger or frus...
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Iamhere
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3
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476
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Happy day!
(Preview)
Today I am moving some of my belongings from my home with my A to a condo near my son. I will be living half the week (in another month or so), apart from my A. She is currently working a program and making progress, but as I cannot predict the future nor control it, I have taken steps for ME! This is a huge st...
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Lyne
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5
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545
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Leave or stay
(Preview)
After being married 19 years the drinking has gradually gotten to be a must have stop off after work at a buddies wont answer phone comes in lit no matter how it effects me or my just turned 18 yr old daughter, it continues. Remorse is getting less and less. Living like i'm on a rollercoaster not knowing wh...
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Coasting
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6
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535
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6/14/17 ODAT - 12 Steps
(Preview)
If medication could be purchased that promised it would change your entire life for the better by delivering powerful and clear insight into practical and spiritual concerns, wipe out guilt and pain of past events, help you face challenges with confidence and calm, and bring you a lasting sense of s...
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Enigmatic
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5
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540
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Step 8
(Preview)
Learn How The Twelve Steps Work.Participate in your own recovery as well as the recovery of others, by being active on this board as we go through the 12 Steps Step 8 has been posted to the step Work Board Please share your thoughts..Here is the link http://stepwork.activeboard.com/t636492...
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hotrod
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1
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441
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4th Step. Oh!
(Preview)
I've not started working the steps yet. As I've read and heard them talked about at meetings I have been anxious about the 4th step and what that will be like. This morning I was reading "How Al-Anon Works" and the descriptions of the steps. I had thought the step was basically going to be about making a li...
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WestMan
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8
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541
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Question about the steps
(Preview)
I heard from another family member that my sister, who has been sober for fifteen years, had to "start going through the steps all over again". Does this mean that she had a drink? Or are there other reasons why someone in AA might need to go through the steps again?
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5TNTsZ
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6
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483
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Hope for Today June 13
(Preview)
Good morning everyone- Today's reading focuses on step two 'came to believe that a Power greater than myself could restore me to sanity.' The writer speaks to the idea that for him/her, the word sanity was not comfortable because it was a direct reminder of the INsanity he/she felt from growing up in a...
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yanksfan51
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4
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442
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ODAT Reading Sunday 6-11-2017
(Preview)
The ODAT reading for June 11 speaks about the slogans and how they can be used in our everyday lives. It offers ideas on my favorite:"Let go and let God". and suggests that this particulars slogan many utilize but may not completely understand the concept behind the statement. The reading poin...
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hotrod
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7
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599
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6/12/17 ODAT - Sense of Humor, Isle 7
(Preview)
Today's reading shares how great it would be if we could add "Sense of Humor" to our grocery list when we're running low. No matter how tough things are, humor can lighten the mood and ease some of the weight of serious challenges. Today's Reminder: Try to look for the brighter side, the funny side of thi...
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Enigmatic
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9
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580
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AW possibly getting out of jail...not ready for that
(Preview)
Good MorningAs I posted earlier, my AW is in jail again. Her sentencing date is in mid-july. I thought she was going to be in for a long sentence. I was relaxed, sleeping better, etc. She called me a couple of nights ago and said that her lawyer thinks she will be sentenced to time served and getting ou...
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T84
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6
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463
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one realization re. ACTION
(Preview)
i read my posts and imagine how they sound to someone who doesn't know this man i've loved and held on to for so long. and i know it looks bad (it IS bad). i think... but he's a good person, a good soul, sensitive, loving, etc. the two are not mutually exclusive. but trying to reconcile the two is a bitch. HOWE...
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Junenine
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21
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2937
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Blindsided
(Preview)
Hi there newbie here,
I have been married to a high functioning alcoholic for 10 years. I have never seen him drunk. We have never had an argument. In January he was admitted to the hospital after a seizure. He was eventually diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis. He nearly died. He is now 60 days sober an...
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Wednesday
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31
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745
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OT? Son pushing boundaries
(Preview)
I think this is off topic b/c my son is not my qualifier. But I am needing some ESH, b/c a lot of Al-Anon tools help me with my actions with all the people in my life. My son just finished his junior year, but is 16, not quite 17 yet. My AH and I have been allowing him more freedoms. Our boundaries regarding part...
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PosiesandPuppies
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8
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585
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So sad but hopeful
(Preview)
It seems my son has been calling himself a alcoholic. He has no understanding around that in terms of the nature of the disease. He lives with the feelings chaos trouble insanity discomfort obsession it brings but he doesn't believe he needs help. He thinks he can do it with will power alone. He stops fo...
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el-cee
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7
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528
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Hope for Today - 6/9/17
(Preview)
Today's reading talks about the freedom we gain in working our program to speak our truth. Many of us come to Al-Anon broken, scared and hurting. We are reluctant to share what's in our hearts and minds for fear of judgement, ridicule or shunning. We come to realize we do have the freedom and choice...
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Iamhere
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9
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2524
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Courage to Change 10/6
(Preview)
Today's c2c reading is about the eight step- "make a list of all persons we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all". The reading points out that this can be a very daunting or even distressing step to contemplate and suggests beginning with not 1 list but 3 lists..people we ARE willing...
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MissM
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4
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482
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Greetings from Alaska!
(Preview)
Just wanted to say hello to all of my MIP family. We, my RAH ( well over two years of sobriety now) and I are visiting Alaska for a month. For those who believe it can never happen for you (hubby/wife getting sober, that is), I want to share a few things. In April, just over two years ago, I would have sworn o...
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Doingmybest
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7
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968
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A very long post on trusting the process...
(Preview)
I recently had an experience that I would like to share with this group. I shared it with my face2face group and it seemed to resonate with many people and I hope it will have the same effect here online. It is very long, so get a cup of tea and find a comfy spot and read on.My family home is in a rural area of C...
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Bethany66
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12
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935
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Quacking
(Preview)
OK, so I know we need to focus on ourselves and not on our Qualifiers, but this is so funny I just had to post! Thursday is my AH's payday, so it's been a rough 2 days. Tonight he was drunk, but not enough to pass out. Just enough to be angry and obnoxious. I basically tried to leave him alone. But at one point h...
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PosiesandPuppies
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1
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463
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Clarification and Suggestions Please
(Preview)
Hello all. I am new to this board but not new to the program. I found this site looking for online meetings that I might attend while recovering from surgery.
I was reading suggestions on how to converse with the addict in a helpful way and here is a statement that I don't really understand: " In conversa...
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Jaybee
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9
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627
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Physically sober only
(Preview)
Hello all! Although I read the posts daily, I haven't written one in awhile. I can see that being physically sober only is not enough. AH had surgery and has not had alcohol for almost one month. He looks so much better! He is losing his "gut" and jowly face. His eyes are clear, his complexion is good a...
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El
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7
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495
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Can an alcoholic "forget" they have imbibed?
(Preview)
Last night was hellish for me. In fact, the last 7 days has been difficult to hellish. I have an AH that currently thinks that I am unsupportive and unloving. Today I am trying to stay in my own lane and not engage with my AH about last night's drink-fest. He is pissed at me because I wouldn't sleep in the be...
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PosiesandPuppies
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26
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4514
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Feeling happy and drained.
(Preview)
My mums here, were working on some cultural stuff. Its good. But I'm so drained. All these years I thought I was a lazy princess, I wasn't. I just get totally drained. Funny. Love her to pieces but god I'm tired.
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a4l
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5
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473
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Countdown
(Preview)
So my AW and I are pretty much co-habitating (her word) more or less peacefully these days. We really have almost no relationship. Just taking care of the kids. Our conversations are focused on the day to day workings of family and house. We both want something else. I have long dreamed of having a bette...
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WestMan
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11
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610
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Gratitude - In the Most Mysterious Things!
(Preview)
I've been slowly (and I mean slowly) going through and working to downsize my belongings and residence. Along this journey, I've found all kinds of things - pleasant memories and not so pleasant memories. Yesterday, I came upon a bag of panties I had purchased and apparently put into a closet and fo...
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Iamhere
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17
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2591
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The new chaos, same as the old chaos
(Preview)
I mentioned that my ex-AH came to visit our kid, and was living such a chaotic life that I threw him out and made him go stay in a hotel. He wasn't drunk, but his behavior was just compulsive and inconsiderate. I lost my cool, which I regret, but setting the boundary is not something I regret. He was in ver...
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Mattie
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4
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518
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Help. New to this group, haven't been to local meeting yet. Feeling lost and sad and anxious.
(Preview)
Hi. I found this site when I was looking for someone to talk to at this crazy hour of the night. I know I need to let go and work on me, but I am terrified of losing my husband and our life together. He's an alcoholic. Has been for as long as I have known him (we will have been married for 20 years in September...
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augrads
|
16
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573
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Hope for Today - 6/8/17
(Preview)
Today's reading discusses commitment to working the program.....beyond just committing to try the program. The writer discusses how she heard 'get a sponsor' over and over again in early recovery. As she felt accepted and loved by the fellowship, she found her courage to get a sponsor. The spons...
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Iamhere
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4
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354
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Trying to identify exact problem with BIL
(Preview)
Hi everyone. You welcomed me warmly around six months ago - thank you for that. I had explained that my younger sister died from cancer last summer. She has three children aged 20 (she has just finished 2nd year in university), 15 (he is doing state exams currently) and a two year old toddler. Her husban...
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Faintly Falling
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11
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2495
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