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 topic for Monday, May 20, is obsessive thinking. The author suggests not letting it get started by making a choicerecognize the danger and drop the thought of it. Use all available alanon tools so that the topic does not get locked inside ones head. The author says that once obsessive thinking begins, it is very difficult to interrupt it.
Reminder: I am learning to pay attention to my thinking. If there is something I cannot contemplate without becoming obsessed, I will respect that fact and act accordingly. I will gather the strength and support of my alanon program, my friends, and my HP before I try to reason it out. And if it is none of my business, I wont pick it up at all.
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Im afraid I know all too well the power of obsessive thinking. In years past it could dominate my thinking for days. I felt I could not control nor stop it, and it often brought me great emotional pain.
Fast forward to program, and putting much of my focus on me, and trying hard to treat myself with courtesy and self-respect, I rarely suffer from obsessive thoughts any longer. It if does get started, I am able to let go and let God. I no longer need or want to punish myself, nor give anyone else the power to control my thinking. This is not an easy task, but with consistent practice, it works! Lyne
Thank you Lyne for your service and the daily for tomorrow! I've got early plans so this is perfectly timed for me! I can certainly relate to obsessive thinking before recovery. I also had no issue taking on problems that were not mine to manage. I love how this reading gives ideas on what to do if/when I start to obsess. I too have had success in letting go and letting God as well as talking things out with another in active recovery.
When the fog began lifting in recovery, I was amazed at how much time I had wasted obsessing about other people, places and things. I am so much happier today now that I practice healthy habits, focusing on me and have tools to redirect me when needed. It does work when we work it!
Happy Monday to all - 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
Great reminder Lyne I am aware that I need to keep the focus on myself to avoid obsessive thought. When I am able to do this i set myself free from troubling obsessions
Thanks for your sevrice..
I appreciate the shares above. This is a great reminder.
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"The wolf that thrives, is the one you feed." - Cherokee legend
"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields... Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness." Mary Oliver
Hi all,
Is it obsessive thinking? Or is it "being prepared?"
I thought if I was prepared for the conversations I was going to have with the alcoholic, that I would fare better. So I would have the whole conversation finished in my head, "I said,...", "he said,.....", "I said,....", he said,....". Well you know the picture. It gave me a way to spend my time (way too much time) but the conversation never went the way I thought it would, or I could never get quick enough with my remarks/retorts. I never won! That's ok. Now that I am older and wiser I know that it was never meant to be the way I envisioned. It turned out just fine the way it is right now. I had to be ridden of the obsessive thought by many years in AlAnon to teach me a better way.
Mary
Ahhh yes.....obsession who was my companion for decades! Who said what, who meant what, what that look meant, what decision to make, replaying scenes and arguments and even wonderful events. My mind wouldn't/couldn't stop. My mind still wants to go there, but I am soooo much better at putting a stop to it. Sometimes I will give myself permission to think about it later, but right now, I am done with those thoughts. It's a tough thing to overcome, but with the help of alanon, the slogans, and asking HP to guide my mind elsewhere, I am much more successful.
