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From: Joe R. N.J.
Category: Category 1
Date: 15 Jan 1999
Time: 12:47:45
Remote Name: client-151-198-130-45.bellatlantic.net
Recovery & Relapse Part 1.
Part 1. Things that put our recovery in jeopardy or prevent us from enjoying complete recovery and acceptance within society.
1. Dishonesty- Acts of lying, cheating or stealing (Suggestion) Share it with someone you trust
2. Self-deceit- Lying to ones self (Suggestion) Listen to my support group and my sponsor
3. To step out alone and run our own lives again- Moving away from a third step
4. Do not use what we have- Not giving back what was so freely given to us (Suggestion) help a newcomer, service work, and do some twelve step work
5. Apathy- An absence of emotion or enthusiasm , getting lazy in our program (Suggestion) reapply ourselves to the basics of the N.A. program. We stay in close contact with our sponsor, work the steps, and go to meetings
6. Procrastination- Putting it off until later -(Suggestion) Delay gratification
7. Overtime some addicts lost contact lost contact with other recovering addicts and eventually returned to active addiction- losing touch with our network. - Alienation (definition) separation as a result of hostility
8. Those who do not work our program of recovery on a daily basis may relapse - A day at a time program
9. We begin to slight (neglect) our program and leave loopholes -- Reservations may come back
10. We stumble blindly in the belief that we can make it on our own- self will run riot (Suggestion) recommit to my third step decision
11. We fall into the illusions that drugs make life easier; 12. We believe that drugs can change us; 13. We believe that drugs can solve our problems - The committee at work - (Suggestion) those thoughts grow in the dark and die in the light of exposure.
14. Forgot what they can do to us- Not keeping it green- (Suggestion) Help a newcomer - take on or speak at an H&I commitment- do a 12 step call with other experienced members
15. Not taking care of our personal affairs lowers our self-esteem- Falling into laziness
16. Missing meetings- (Suggestion) break the cycle and go to a meeting- don't listen to the committee
17. Neglecting twelfth step work- Carrying the message to still sick and suffering addicts (Suggestion) You can only keep what you have by giving it away
18. Not getting involved- (Suggestion) Take on a commitment- Get people's numbers and use them- go to the diner after the meeting
19. We may sense a change coming over us- That inner gnawing (Suggestion) listen to your conscience
20. Our ability to remain open-minded disappears- Close-minded (definition) Intolerant of the beliefs and opinions of others - (Suggestion) When the pain gets great enough -No matter what don't use
21.We may become angry and resentful- Anger (Basic Text Pg. 94) Is our reaction to present reality- Resentment (Basic Text Pg.94) Reliving past experiences over and over again
22. We may begin to reject those who were close to us-- Cut off close friends -Fear of intimacy (Suggestion) Take a risk and discuss the issues
23. We isolate-Separation between persons or groups (Suggestion) Share about it at a meeting -make a phone call
24. We became sick of ourselves-Our conscious convicts us when we do things unspiritual
25. We revert back to our sickest behavior patterns without even having to use drugs-Clean and crazy (Suggestion) Recommit to the foundation of the program
26. Failure to practice the steps-(Suggestion) Work the steps or die
27. We often become extreme in our self-obsessive attempt to cover our tracks-Covering up and hiding from others, things that we our acting out on (Suggestion) Share it with someone in recovery who you feel won't judge you.- Share with someone who doesn't know you
28.We focus on anything that isn't going our way and ignore all the beauty in our lives- Life on life's terms (Suggestion) reapply the first three steps
29. Cockiness is a red light indicator- Offensive assertiveness (Suggestion) Get humble or get humiliated
30. When we forget the effort and the work that it took us to get a period of freedom in our lives-Selective amnesia (Suggestion) help a newcomer, service work, and do some twelve step work
31. Relationships can be a terribly painful area. We tend to fantasize and project what will happen. We get angry and resentful if our fantasies are not fulfilled we forget that we are powerless over people. The old thoughts and feelings of loneliness, despair, helplessness and self-pity creep in. Thoughts of sponsors, meetings, literature and all other Positive input leave our consciousness-Problems that pop on in the relationship ,or the breakup of a (Suggestion) Stay in the foundation of the program
32. When being clean is not the top priority-Anything that I put before my recovery (Suggestion) Share and listen to your network and sponsor
Recovery & Relapse Part 2.
Part 2. Things that will prevent a relapse
1. We have to keep our recovery first and our priorities in order -
2. Writing about what we want, what we are asking for, what we get and sharing this with our sponsor or another trusted person helps us to work through negative feelings-
3. Attending meetings daily-
4. Living a day at a time--
5. Reading literature-
6. Willingness to try what has worked for others is vital-
7. It is Important to share our feelings of wanting to use drugs-
8. It is important to remember that the desire to use will pass-
9. We come here powerless, and the power we seek comes to us through other people in Narcotics Anonymous, But we must reach out for it-
10. We need each other-
11. Reaching out is the beginning of the struggle that will set us free-
12. Honest sharing will free us to recover -
13. We must totally surrender ourselves to the program-
14. We tell those we have harmed that we were to blame and make whatever amends are necessary-
15. As long as we maintain an attitude of thankfulness for being clean, we find it easier to remain clean-
16. If we are plagued by an obsession to use , experience has taught us to call a fellow recovering addict and get to a meeting-
17. With the help of our sponsor or spiritual advisor, gradually we learn to trust and depend on a higher power-