where can i find personal stories of recovery....i'm looking for literature about experiences with early recovery and success...something written not less than 5 years ago...i really think this would help me a lot in addition to the other things i know i must do (prayer, meetings, sponsor, etc)...any free downloadable articles or websites? thanks
Hi-you can Google for material on this subject , and Hazelden has a great bookstore http://www.hazelden.org
Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on the less-than-5-years-thing. There is some incredible literature on stages of recovery that was written decades ago and is foundational to our "success" today, including, of course, NA literature of all sorts. You can order How and Why from NA directly.
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From dying and surviving to living and thriving. LeeU
And of course personal recovery stories in our Basic Text...
If you think you can only learn how to stay clean when you're new from someone with less than 5 years clean you're focusing and looking for differences rather than similarities.
KISS.
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Work the Steps or Die MF. (My Friend :) Clean One Day At a Time by The Grace of God through The Power of NA
I'm with Mike on this one Sullen. Another thing you could try is the NA chat rooms. I have found a lot of newcomers frequent the chat rooms you will also find older sober members there that help mediate these sites. You can also ask questions here we have all been through early recovery no matter how long we've been clean.....
You think you need to read recovery stories written less than five years ago. Why? You think just because we have some time we forget what it was like? Think again, that's why I'm still here! I know exactly what's it's like to cold turky heroin like it was yesterday. I know the depths of despair I fell to before coming back. I know how hard it is to finally really surrender and get and stay clean. We all do that have some time. We know how hard it is because we've done it and continue to do it.
Bottom line, QUIT thinking! Remember, our (my) best thinking got us (me) here. I had to become as a small child and become teachable. I didn't know squat about how to stay clean or how to live life on life's terms.
Yeah, shit happens. Shit happens clean as well as wreakage of the past. I didn't have a clue how to deal. But I learned and continue to learn. One Day At a Time. If you're expecting all your problems to suddenly go away it ain't gonna happen. I had to learn (and keep learning) how to clean up my messes Clean instead hiding in the temporary euphoria of drugs. It's simple to stay Clean, don't use no matter what, keep putting one foot in front of the other. Use you lose and it all gets worse. Yeah, I'm a frakkin' broken record. Never said it was easy. Hell no, most things of value aren't easy. But really is simple.
-- Edited by Mike M on Monday 17th of January 2011 12:51:25 AM
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Work the Steps or Die MF. (My Friend :) Clean One Day At a Time by The Grace of God through The Power of NA
Read the stories in the NA basic text. Time doesn't matter. It's all about relating to the pain people have gone through and what they're doing now to recover.
I have been on the recovery treadmill for six years. I know I need to quit thinking. And by the way: WHY THE HELL CAN'T THIS CONDITION JUST GO AWAY! There I said it. I know that's not the way of life. But this particular challenge is exhausting. I won't give up trying. The paradox is that I have to surrender to live. I'm the kind of addict who has to have my back against the wall, with solid evidence before I will admit to defeat. I.E. I won't quit a job when I'm in over my head, I have to be fired or asked to resign. I was a nurse with access to all kinds of narcs. I will keep keepin' on. Clean for today, by the Grace of God.
