How long should recovery take?

Recovery
#1

How long should recovery take? Forgiveness? What about the healimg? Can I tally up the years, misteps and damage that has been done?

Can I put a value to the pain that I have caused myself, others. The hurt, worry, distress, the anger, the rage?

If I say recovery is a lifelong process then it stands to reason that forgiveness and the other associated feelings and actions (healing, etc) may also be a lifelong process. Both for self as well as others who have been affected.

My own experience has taught me that the sooner and better I am at applying these things to my own life the better the likelihood others will reach this great resolve.

At the end of the day we shouldn't concern ourselves with the things out of our control nor influence. which is an important key to our recovery. Knowing that today is a new day, a sober day, makes this a great day no matter the weather nor fallout from storms of the past.

One day at a time we push forward, work forward, struggle at times forward. Backward thinking leads us backwards. I am glad to be moving forward and am extremely grateful for those who choose to move forward with me. I pray for the patience necessary to allow those who I have affected to heal. I have faith in my higher power that He will work through me to continue this forward progress.

Can I put a value to the pain that I have caused myself, others. The worry, distress, the anger the rage?

If I say recovery is a lifelong process then it stands to reason that Forgiveness and the other associated feelings and actions may also be a lifelong process. Both for self as well as others who have been affected.

My own experience has taught me that the sooner and better I am at applying these things to my own life the better the likelihood others will reach a great resolve.

At the end of the day we shouldn't concern ourselves with the things out of our control nor influence. which is an important key to our recovery. Knowing that today is a new day, a sober day, makes this a great day no matter the weather nor fallout from storms of the past.

One day at a time we push forward, work forward, struggle at times forward. Backward thinking leads us backwards. I am glad to be moving forward and am extremely grateful for those who choose to move forward with me. I pray for the patience necessary to allow those who I have aggected to heal. I have faith in my higher power that He will work through me to continue forward.

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#2

Josh, the first thing that I had to do was forgive myself. I didn't understand how to do it. However, the more I talked about it and thought about it, the it happened. My Higher Power was key to this.
I then changed the way that I think.

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#3

Absolutely. People told me that for years. He!l, a decade and a half. It fell on deaf ears for so long because I didn't understand and either didn't communicate that or it didn't resonate. Not quite sure. But yes when it finally hits, the thinking g does begin to change. It is such a renewing of the mind like night and day.

#4

Yes sir. I have become a grateful person living in the here and now. Living for the moment has put to rest my anxiety, guilt and shame. I carry in my pocket a grateful rock. Every morning when I put it in my pocket and every night when I take it out of my pocket, I go over different things that I am grateful for because a grateful addict will not use.

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#5

Amen to that! Not a truer statement has been said as far as I am concerned.

#6

First , I would like to thank God and AA, for my life today. Alcoholics Anonymous is a 12 step program and I can’t sponsor myself in a 12 steps program. Our surrender to AA is in step 1. All that the steps are in the right order as we do them and that’s where the healing starts. That’s where we get the tools we need and that’s where we learn to turn it over to a Higher Power, who I call God. I go to big book studies and I hang around with men and women who have a good program. Not with slippers, because I once slipped myself and I do t wanna live life like that ever again. So how long is recovery? I’ve never heard that question inside the rooms or in any conversation or writing. All I know is that I did recover and I was shown a new way of life, without alcohol or drugs. If I’m just going to meetings and not doing any of the work, I’m a dry drunk.
There’s a saying that goes, “A horse thief got sober, but he’s still a horse thief “. He never changed the inside, his thinking was still the same. It’s progress, not perfection and we do this one day at a time. Recovery is getting a sponsor and doing the 12 steps and then getting into service.

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#7

Absolutely. I ask this question not searching for an answer but rather to promote discussion and self-reflection. I cannot put a value to that. Sobriety is priceless when we truly think about it and if we haven't paid the price for the lack of, we probably ly didn't end up here. Putting into service what we learn is a way of serving purpose as well as service the higher power we both call God. This purpose has always called out to me and I wouldn't have it any other way!

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#8

It is a day by day journey that is the best way to put it

#9

When I was new, the thing I kept hearing at the meetings. was that I needed to get a sponsor and start my step work. Because meetings were only gonna get me so far. A lot of people say, meeting makers make it, but my opinion is service keeps me grateful and sober.

#10

Yes, and as long as the sun rises each day, they journey shall go on!

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#11

I can agree. Allowing Him to make beauty of my ashes is what drives my progress.