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.
The C2C reading for October 1 is an interesting one. It speaks about thoughts racing through our heads. The reading portrays these thoughts as crashing around at alarming speeds bringing up painful memories, broken promises, fears about the future, lost expectations. In other words, chaos.
Prior to Al-Anon, I was not aware of these thoughts because I was always focused outside myself on others. and not inside. These crashing thoughts were moving around inside my head without my knowledge and flavoring my interactions in the world.
Entering Al-Anon and learning to focus on myself, stay inside my own thoughts,not directing myself outward as a coping tool , I was able to see and feel the damage my A NTS (automatic negative thoughts) were causing to my serenity. Al-Anon gave me the tools to simply acknowledge that the chaos was in there , step back,recite the serenity prayer or slogan and allow the thoughts to calm down. We can then making Al-Anon telephone call, share about it and not give them any true validity.
The thought for today is from: In All Our Affairs; "bringing things out into the light, they lose their power over us."
Another way to say this is: we are as sick as our secrets.
What a great reading today. I can definitely relate. For so many years I was in denial about my AH and what alcohol was doing to my marriage. It took my husband to be in the throws of his disease and for me to reach a point where my life was unmanageable before I was able to start telling people what I was going through. What a weight off my back and soul once i started to tell family and close friends about the situtation at home. Once these secrets were out in the open I was able to start to heal and my AH finally got into a program.
-- Edited by Jazzie18 on Thursday 1st of October 2015 08:19:36 AM
Have learned so much from Al-anon about the chaos, and am so
grateful for the lessons. Not feeding into the chaos and under-
standing where it comes from and why have literally saved my
sanity!! {{HUGS}}
__________________
"Forgiveness doesn't excuse bad behavior, but it
does prevent bad behavior from destroying your heart". ~ unknown
