The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
Hi all- not posted for a while but quietly working my steps & I feel well.
My AH has been dry for 4 months after a drinking binge that put his life at risk. Gave him the wake up call he needed & he went to AA a few times. In those months he's looked after himself well. Obsessively exercising & dieting. we are due to go on vacation soon with friends & he plans to drink. I don't think this will be a problem for the week as our friends are not big drinkers so he will do his best to adapt. But fearful of what may be afterwards. I have discussed with him & shared my concerns when he asks my opinions, but otherwise keep my distance.
Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease that can be arrested and never cured. The ability to drink normally, like everybody else is the dream of many alcoholics when they first find AA. AA meetings and sponsors hope to smash that idea and stress that it is the first drink that should be avoided.I have many family members who believe that if they stop for a while they can start again with no problem.
Knowing that I am powerless over people places and things, helps me to be able to manage the insanity of this disease and still keep my serenity. Staying detached, having a plan A, B and C, attending my meetings(and I would check out if there are meetings at the vacation spot, if not I would plan to attend the online ones here), doing my daily readings all help to make the vacation more tolerable for me.
Good morning and the best advice I can share echos Betty....take as many tools with you as you can and focus on enjoying yourself.
When I first got to recovery, people talked about 'Act as If'.............I struggled with this as I didn't understand it. But, I began to use it as best I could.
So - when planning a trip that I was not sure about or dreading, I would 'Act as If I was thrilled to go.'
When listening to someone that was unusually boring, I would 'Act as If I was intently intrigued.'
For me, this became a way to begin to normalize and fit in as I often wore my emotions on the surface.
You deserve this vacation, and vacations are to be fun, relaxing and a break. Try to take your HP with you, and have an open mind - one never knows what is around the next corner.
Make it a great day!
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
