Hi all. Just feeling a bit of cabin-fever.... nothing a good meeting wouldn't cure, at least temporarily, right?
Sometimes recovery is so busy and so full, with people and activity and newfound responsibility. Sometimes it is silent and dry and uneventful, and I just feel 'stuck'. For myself, I had gotten so used to drama and excitement, that it took awhile to sink into a quiet, clean existence.
Now that I have been clean for a couple of years, I have many 'adult' responsibilities I just wouldn't take on before. I am grateful for the stability these days. There is still a streak though, that sometimes asks, "Is this all there is...?" "POOR ME!!!"
Just for today, I will get my butt in gear and do SOMETHING besides school and cleaning the house and cooking dinner. I will get my butt OUT, in the COLD, and get to a meeting. Maybe I'll go for coffee before/after. Simple solution to the blues, for this addict.
So consoling and soothing to know that I'm not the only one who feels so... Thanks for sharing I'm not different, I'm not alone...
__________________
"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
The meeting idea worked, for last night at least. (DUH!) Sometimes I need human contact. It feels good to have rooms to go to where people know your name and care about what you are doing and how you're feeling.
I certainly am not the only one with the winter blues.~~ jjj
This meditation from the Just For Today Book is what I have used to come out of feeling stuck and falling into the pattern of "recovery's not happenin' at all" trip... Merely, reading this at those times, and to try out the suggestions herein have led me to free myself and to bring fresh perspective in my recovery and life...
Getting Out Of The Rut
"Many times in our recovery, the old bugaboos will haunt us. Life may again become meaningless, monotonous, and boring." Basic Text, p. 75
Sometimes it seems as though nothing changes. We get up and go to the same job every day. We eat dinner at the same time every night. We attend the same meetings each week. This morning's rituals were identical to the ones we performed yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. After the hell of our addiction and the roller-coaster craziness of early recovery, the stable life may have some appeal—for a while. But, eventually, we realize we want something more. Sooner or later, we become turned off to the creeping monotony and boredom in our lives.
There are sure to be times when we feel vaguely dissatisfied with our recovery. We feel as though we're missing something for some reason, but we don't know what or why. We draw up our gratitude lists and find literally hundreds of things to be grateful for. All our needs are being met; our lives are fuller than we had ever hoped they'd be. So what's up?
Maybe it's time to stretch our potential to its fullest. Our possibilities are only limited by what we can dream. We can learn something new, set a new goal, help another newcomer, or make a new friend. We're sure to find something challenging if we look hard enough, and life will again become meaningful, varied, and fulfilling.
Just for today: I'll take a break from the routine and stretch my potential to its fullest.
__________________
"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
Thanks Tahir, Good reading. I think I will 'stretch my potential', and get to cleaning out my closets. I know it may sound wierd, but believe me, it is quite the challenge. :o)
oh yes, jjj, it is indeed quite a challenge to do that, even for me
i'm glad that making a meeting did the trick. i sometimes get amazed at how wonderfully therapeutic just making a meeting is, for my state of being, no matter what the problem is... and guess what, when I make these meetings everyday, my problems seem to diminish more and more in their frequency and intensity, and even if there are problems everyday, i get the strength and energy to put them in their proper perspectives and face them all... meetings is where the recovery happens, for me...
someone said, going to a meeting is like taking an aspirin before the headache
__________________
"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
jjj wrote: If we look hard enough for the answer, it will find US!!!
Now that is one of the most powerful stuff that I have heard lately... thanks... I'm gonna remember that next time I have a situation In fact, I'm gonna have that as my signature quote here... hope you don't mind, jjj
-- Edited by Tahir at 16:52, 2007-02-07
__________________
"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
Hang in there J. add some spice to your life. I know I like to compete, with myself even . I've found that getting to the gym every other day is something I have to push myself to do, take up a hobby or 2, get out and learn all you can time is short
I like to mix things up a bit now and then by traveling to other areas for meetings. Preferrably a city or close to one. That's where I hear hard-core recovery and some really good stuff. It's all NA but ya know everyone has their own spin on it. I heard a speaker at a convention in Atlantic City who was from Jamaica, Queens, NY. He called his addiction "the general" and when the general said march, he marched. The general was in charge and when he said "Sell your children's Christmas presents so you can cop" he was a good little soldier and sold the presents. Then he talked about the soldier being on a horse riding as fast as he could towards the fort because the fort was recovery, and the indians are hot on his trail because they were relapse. He rides as fast as he can and calls out to the men in the fort, "Open the gates". The gates always open because we can recover there and the people are always welcoming us no matter how many times we relapse and leave. They say "Just keep coming back!" Finally the soldier makes it through the gates and he realizes he's safe as long as he stays in the fort. He finally surrenders and comits to stay in recovery. Anxiously he yells "Close the gates".
I probably didn't tell it right, but I'll never forget the impact it had on me. Yes travel outside your comfort zone.
I did do some dumbell exercises and switch some things up regarding my school study time and my home and so-forth. If and when I get into a funk, I really have no one to blame but me. This too shall pass, as long as I keep BUTT MOVING.
hey tvb3, that was a good share, and funny way to look at it all too, yeah, the richness and diversity of perspectives that each individual gains thru their own experience with the NA program is what astonishes me. There is so many ways to look at the same thing... so many angles... that I almost find one of those that I can make use of, for my existential situation whatever that be...
__________________
"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
I did do some dumbell exercises and switch some things up regarding my school study time and my home and so-forth. If and when I get into a funk, I really have no one to blame but me. This too shall pass, as long as I keep BUTT MOVING.
jjj
I bought a gold dredge this winter got a really good deal on it when i'm I going to find time to play with this thing? welp it's an excuse to get away from work, girlfriend, I get tired of fishing all the time, tired of spending time off doing nuthin so this just adds something more for me to do and get outside , stand in a cold stream of water and GET RICH ( yeah right)
Lots of things to do just have to figure out what your interests are and go for it.
I'm not different, I'm not alone...
)
