How The Heck Are You 5/31: Magic and Dark Spells

I'm enjoying a streak of happiness and I'm going to enjoy it for all it's worth while it lasts. Now, if I were to go back and look at my posts of a week ago, I would probably roll my eyes at my dramatics, but that's how quickly we can change and why we so often tell each other to hang on just one more day. So many things can change in a day or a week or a minute. We see this all the time in the recovery realm, people who feel completely hopeless one day, can become totally different people in the space of a week-it's magic and the magic is brought about by sobriety, whether you reach that sobriety by not drinking at all or by drinking within the limits you have set for yourself.

I had at least three different conversations yesterday with people who have struggled with their drinking for a long time, and the common thread was perplexity. These brilliant people just couldn't figure out why they drink when they don't want to, when they know they feel better and happier when they don't drink. We decided the most logical explanation is that alcohol casts a dark spell over us and ensnares us. (these were people who wanted to quit drinking completely). The only way to break the spell is to not drink. Duh. I guess the point is, we're probably never going to understand it, but, thank God, we don't have to understand it to break the spell.

And, on another note, I ran across some interesting websites yesterday I thought might give some food for thought. These sites may cause some controversy for those who have found or are finding sobriety through traditional methods but I'm a big believer that everyone has to find what works for them instead of trying to make something work for them.  I listened to Beej, our MM member who is a Harm Reduction and Mindful Meditation Coach-(podcast coming soon to the MM website) and she said if she could tell people who are looking for help one thing it would be to approach recovery with curiosity. Explore it. It's going to be the rest of your life, you need to make it what you want it to be.

http://www.soberforever.net/different-treatment.cfm


http://www.baldwinresearch.com/alcoholism.cfm

And here's Beej's website:  http://www.insightoutnyc.com/


How The Heck Are You?