In this meditation we will focus on addressing our inner critic that is constantly speaking to us.  

You may find any position comfortable for this meditation.  You may sit, lie down, or do it while walking.  As before, begin by centering yourself, however works for you.  When you find yourself in a calm, present state, bring up a negative emotion you have recently felt. It may be anger, jealousy, anxiety, fear, or anything else that comes to mind.

As an emotion comes to mind, focus on how you feel about having had this emotion. Do you feel embarrassed or ashamed? Do you feel as if you should have prevented it from arising? Do you judge yourself based on it?

Change the label from bad or negative to painful in your mind. Recognize that this emotion was neither negative nor wrong. It simply was a painful emotion you experienced. Truly touching the pain behind the emotion, change your relationship to it.

You may notice where you feel the emotion in your body. You may feel it in your neck, knees, back, feet, hips, etc. Treat the emotion and sensations with loving-kindness; recognize the pain and don’t be harsh.

It is our tendency when we experience a painful emotion to judge ourselves, feel like we could do better, or avert from it. Don’t run. Simply recognize the pain behind it, and touch it with a compassionate heart. When “bad” or “wrong” come back into our minds, let it go by touching the suffering.

When you feel ready, you may end this meditation. If you would like, you may continue with another emotion you have experienced recently.

http://theeasiersofterway.com/2013/05/metta-meditation-quieting-the-inner-critic/

Comment (0)

Hello everyone this seemed like a really awesome website but unfortunately it died down. But the good news is that there is another social networking website for people in Recovery! It is very similar to this website in a lot of ways and very different in a lot of ways. Recovery Social Network has online meetings, narcotics anonymous as well as alcoholics anonymous. And shortly they are even introducing a smart recovery meeting which is an alternative to 12 steps.  You guys should like them on face book as well they post a lot of awesome information and inspirational pictures. When i get the pictures in my news feed it really keeps me going, and keeps me on the right track. Here is the link to their face book page!!!   www.facebook.com/recoverysn  The website is 100 percent free and they don't blast you with advertisements like many of the money hungry Recovery networks! Here is the link to Recovery Social Network and make sure you add me as a friend on RSN my name is Jesse Logue, you can find me on RSN  www.recoverysocialnet.com

Comment (0)

In recovery, we go through the steps with our sponsor.  However, the steps also must be worked in our daily lives.  As the Twelfth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous suggests, we must practice these principles in all our affairs.

Powerlessness

In everyday life, powerlessness is constantly affecting us.  Specifically, we must always remember our powerlessness over our addiction. Keeping close the memory of what happens when we indulge helps drive us every day to work the steps.  Remembering what our addiction looks like is a great motivator.

After working the steps and gaining insight, we discover that we are powerless over much more than our addiction.  Essentially, we are powerless over everyone and everything except ourselves.  We must stop trying to control outside events.

Dr. Paul O. said, "When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation- some fact of my life- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment... When I complain about me or about you, I am complaining about God's handiwork. I am saying that I know better than God."

Unmanageability

Unmanageability affects our daily lives as well.  With the powerlessness over other people comes the unmanageability.  Other people, external events, and anything else outside of ourselves is certainly unmanageable.  When we don't recognize our powerlessness over these things, unmanageability grows even stronger.  Trying to exert power over external phenomena creates distress and anxiety.  Recognizing our powerlessness, we must see that everything is unmanageable to us.

In regard to ourselves, unmanageability is quite relevant.  Even with our own actions, thoughts, and emotions, we encounter unmanageability.  In everyday life, we experience thoughts and feelings that we are powerless over.  We sometimes act in ways that we don't intend to, often as a result of living without being mindful.  Our thoughts, actions, and feelings are unmanageable because we are trying to manage every aspect of our lives.  As the steps go on, we must turn our will and our lives over to a Higher Power.  Recognizing the unmanageability of our own lives, we see that we must rely on a greater power to direct us.  At first, this may be the Twelve Steps, the advice of a fellow, or a mentor.  Regardless of what this power is, it helps us manage our lives.

In our daily lives, we can practice both these principles by putting into practice the Serenity Prayer.  We must accept that which we cannot change (everything external and some things internal even), change the things we can (internal things and our relationship with our Higher Power), and recognize the difference.

Comment (0)

The Ninth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous suggests that we make amends to those we have harmed.  We make direct amends wherever possible, focusing on the exact nature of our wrongs.  We take accountability for our actions.  However, there is far more to amends than just making a direct amends.

Living amends is the practice of changing our behavior.  We must not just rely on direct amends to change our lives.  The essence of the ninth step and amends is to amend our behavior.  If we make direct amends, but continue behaving in that way, then we really aren't amending anything at all!

The word amend means to improve upon or to make better.  Knowing this, we recognize that making amends has to do with changing our behavior.  When we go through the 6th and 7th Steps, we become willing to let our character defects go.  For alcoholics and addicts, our character defects have often been driving our actions for a period of time.  When we become willing to and humbly ask our Higher Power to remove these defects, we must also take action.  God can move mountains, but we must bring shovels!

Amending our behavior is simple, but not easy.  We must look at where our behaviors are harming us and others.  Recognizing these behaviors, we must act in the opposite way.  For example, if we are asking to be freed of selfishness, we must act selflessly.  Taking the action, we leave the rest up to our Higher Power.  When we make direct amends to somebody, we must follow it up by behaving in a new way.

Looking at our character defects that cause harm to others, we practice the opposite of each one.  There are opportunities every day to practice good qualities, both with the person we have harmed, and with everyone else in our lives.  In this way, our behavior changed, and we no longer are causing harm to those around us.

http://TheEasierSofterWay.com

Comment (0)

Each one of us works our own individual program.  In twelve-step programs we are given many suggestions, but there is only one requirement: the desire to stop drinking.  Attending meetings or speaking with our fellows, we see how differently each of us works our program.  It is a beautiful thing that we are encouraged to work the program how it works for us, and there are always people more experienced than us who have different experiences to offer.  The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous says on page 29, "Each individual, in the personal stories, describes in his own language and from his own point of view the way he established his relationship with God."

Our Own Higher Power

In my personal experience, the ability to choose your own Higher Power is one of the greatest examples of people working their own programs.  I have met people of all faiths and traditions in the rooms: Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan, Atheist, and simply spiritual.  Regardless of your spiritual/religious beliefs, there is a place for you in twelve-step programs.

Although Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by Christians and on many Christian principles, it was created with an expressed intention to work for people of all belief systems.  I practice Buddhism myself.  My sense of a "Higher Power" or "God" is very different than a lot of my fellows.  I choose to utilize the Dharma as my Higher Power.  Rather than a supernatural or ethereal force or figure, I use the path of Buddhism as my Higher Power.  It works well for me, for I am able to turn my will and my life over to it.  I am able to pray and meditate, be grateful for my Higher Power, and not fully understand my Higher Power.

Whatever your beliefs are, the principles are the same: trust in God, pray, meditate, turn your will and life over.  I have met many atheists in my time sober, and have found the principles also apply there.  In Buddhism, there is the teaching that we all have seeds within us; we have seeds of doubt, anger, love, fear, acceptance, etc.  When we take action, we are watering these seeds within us.  Being of service waters the seed of compassion, love, etc.  Punching somebody waters the seed of anger, hatred, etc.  Speaking with atheists, I have heard a very similar account of things.  Even though they do not believe in a greater deity, they do believe they have a better person within them.  I see atheists in my home group be of service, share eloquently, relate to others, and be wonderful members of our fellowship.

As discussed in a recent post, it is important to keep religion out of twelve-step meetings.  I have heard speakers that truly move me that I find out have completely different beliefs than I do.  I have heard other Buddhists share that I do not especially relate to.  Religion (or lack of) is not important in twelve step meetings.  We are all sitting there for the same reason, and sharing our differences only separates us.  If somebody is Christian, Hindu, atheist, or whatever, it is their program, not ours.  It is my honest opinion that it is absolutely none of my business unless they are directly hurting me or the integrity of the program.  The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous says on page forty-five about the program, "Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem."

Working the Steps

Alcoholics Anonymous was the first program to suggest the twelve steps as a program of recovery.   The twelve steps have been an incredibly useful tool that millions have used to recover in hundreds of different programs.  However, the twelve steps are fairly vague and general.  Even with the Big Book and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (Twelve N' Twelve), there is a lot left to the individual in working the steps.  In the Foreword to the First Edition, the Big Book says, "To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book."  This, to me, says that the goal was to show what helped them in order for us to have some experience to help us.  However, it does not say that we must work a program exactly as anyone else did.

My sponsor is an old-school type of guy.  He reminds me constantly that Bill went through the steps in two days when he was in the hospital.  He took me through all twelve steps before I had ninety days sober.  I take my sponsees through the steps in the same way.  However, I know many people who go through the steps much slower, and still have a full sobriety and life.

With the second and third steps, we may choose different Higher Powers as discussed above.  With the fourth step, there are many ways that people work it.  I know some sponsors have their sponsees write every single resentment they have ever had and write several pages on each one.  I know other sponsors who only want the bare minimum, for they believe the point is to get the character defects out.  All of the twelve steps can be worked in a different way really.

Steps ten, eleven, and twelve are steps that are often worked very differently in any given fellowship.  With the tenth step, some people write daily.  Writing a daily inventory either at night or in the morning helps many people.  Some even write during the day when they feel a resentment arise.  Others prefer to use meditation as their chief means of taking inventory.  Sitting in silence or after prayer is a way that many people see what is arising in themselves and take an inventory.  With the eleventh step, any given individual's prayer and meditation is most likely going to differ from his fellows'.  There are people of all spiritual beliefs who practice in many different kinds of ways.  There are those that hit their knees every morning and evening, those that meditate avidly, and those that don't do either formally.  With the twelfth step, there are those that sponsor a lot of people, those that volunteer time with Hospitals and Institutions, those that hold many service commitments, and those that participate in conventions and other committees.

Even though the twelve steps are direct in their suggestion, there is much room for interpretation.  Whatever an individual's program looks like, what matters is that they stay sober and help other addicts and/or alcoholics.

Outside of the Rooms

There are also many differences in what we do outside of the twelve-step rooms.  Some of us seek therapy or psychiatry.  Whether somebody seeks therapy, acupuncture, or attends religious meetings, these are outside issues.  People do these things because they help their recovery.  People do yoga, surf, work out,  or do a number of other things to enhance their sobriety.

People work different jobs, spend free time doing different things, and engage in different activities in daily life.  This is one of the freedoms we are allowed with the twelve-step program.

These differences in our programs are a beautiful part of twelve-step programs.  It allows us to find people that have worked the program in many different ways.  If we maintain an open mind and open heart, we will find that each way is unique, right for the individual, and we must find our personal truth.

http://www.TheEasierSofterWay.com

Comment (0)

The First Step of Alcoholics Anonymous states, "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable."  The principle behind this first step is honesty.  Step One also is closely related to Right View in Buddhism.

Step One and Honesty

The first step is a simple (not easy) declaration of our complete defeat.  Looking out our addiction, we see that our behavior has centered around our addiction.  The first part of Step One, "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol," is a look at the nature of our using.  Powerless is a strong word, and frightens many of us.  However, when we look at the way we use, powerless is indeed a fitting word.  When we drink and use, we lose all control and power.  Taking the first drink, pill, hit, etc., we immediately succumb to our own powerlessness, and give in to the power of the substance.

We also experience powerlessness with the mental obsession we have.  Even before we take the first drink, we are in constant thought of alcohol.  Our lives are centered around alcohol.  When we are not drinking, we are looking for the first drink.  We are preoccupied with alcohol, not only losing power of action but also power of thought over it.

When we work this first part of Step One, we are practicing rigorous self-honesty.  In order to see the nature of our powerlessness, we must be willing to set down the ego and be genuinely honest.  This honesty helps us see that true extent of our powerlessness.  As we honestly look at places we drank when we should not have, times we drank when it was inappropriate, and amounts we drank that we should not have, we recognize our powerlessness.

The second half of the First Step is "that our lives had become unmanageable."  Many people read this the first time and misinterpret it.  What this is saying is not that our drinking had become unmanageable, but our lives.  Yes, our drinking is obviously unmanageable, but the point is that our entire life is unmanageable by ourselves.  When we look honestly at our lives, we see how unmanageable it has become.  Our entire lives are out of our own control.  With honesty, we are able to concede to our innermost selves that we are alcoholics and that our lives are unmanageable by our own control.

Step One and Right View

Right View and Step One are very closely related.  Right view is the practice of seeing things as they truly are.  The principle of honesty goes very well with Right View.  In Right View, we begin to see things as they really are.  When we are drinking and using, our perception is certainly disturbed.  We are not seeing things as they really are, although it seems real to us.

Practicing the First Step and Right View, we open our minds to seeing the world from a different perspective.  We look at our drinking and using, and we recognize the truth.  We see more clearly the nature of our addiction.  Rather than blaming everything on external issues, we recognize it is our own powerlessness that is the root of our suffering.

We also recognize how unmanageable our life has become.  This is not to say we recognize the need for a Higher Power in our lives; rather, we come to terms with the reality of our lives being out of control.  Often for some time, we have not been able to manage our lives.  Where we previously believed we were in complete control, our convictions change.

Right View is essential to the First Step of Alcoholics Anonymous because we must begin to see things more clearly.  We recognize the cause of our suffering is the addiction, powerlessness, and unmanageability.

http://www.TheEasierSofterWay.com

Comment (0)

In daily life, we have many experiences.  Sounds, smells, physical sensations, tastes, sights, thoughts, and emotions fill our lives.  Although we are constantly being flooded by stimuli, we still have time to add a lot to our direct experience.  There is a big difference between our direct experience and what we add on to it.

Direct Experience

Our direct experience is often lost with everything going on inside us.  Our direct experience is the sensation we are experiencing.  Without adding on anything, our direct experience is simple.  Pain in our knee, the smell of coffee, or the sound of cars passing by are all direct experiences.  Direct experience can be painful, pleasurable, or neutral.  However, our direct experience is just this, and nothing else.

Without judgement, our direct experience is more than enough to focus on.  Practicing mindfulness, we become aware of what are bodies are telling us.  Through body scans and walking meditations, we learn to be mindful of the sensations in our bodies.  Hearing meditations help us become aware of the sounds that we experience every day.  Through these meditative practices, we become more aware of our direct experiences.  We have innumerable experiences throughout the day if we are being mindful of them.  With focus on our direct experience, we are able to be mindful of and grateful for the world around us.

Add-Ons

What happens after we have an experience?  We add-on.  We feel pain in our knee, and we begin thinking about how out of shape we are, how we shouldn't have worked out so hard, or how we will be in even more pain shortly.  These add-ons are thoughts in our heads that are stealing us from the present moment.  Add-ons are not helpful for us, as we are not maintaining our mindfulness.

When we are being mindful, we focus on the direct experience.  When we begin adding things on, we are acting unskillfully.  Add-ons are stories we make up in our head, are the result of delusion and attachment, and prevent us from living mindfully.  Add-ons often rule our lives.  Most of our thoughts and emotions are actually add-ons rather than direct experiences.  As we add things on to our experience, we spend the majority of our days focusing on add-ons rather than the sensations.

How to Practice Mindfulness of Direct Experience and Add-Ons

In order to stay present, we must recognize direct experience when it is happening.  We also must recognize add-ons when they happen.  In order to recognize our direct experience, we must be mindful of what is occurring with us.  There are always stimuli coming at us, and if we remain mindful, we can be present to experience them.  Practicing mindfulness of our direct experience can be started by doing a body scan or a hearing meditation, where we practice mindfulness of our bodily tension or of the sounds around us.

Recognizing the add-ons is as simple as noticing when we are not being mindful of our direct experience.  When we notice the add-ons, we return to our direct experience.  This again can be done through a body scan meditation, or through a hearing meditation.  We practice recognizing the direct sensation we are experiencing, not the thoughts that follow.  Indicators that we are focusing on add-ons include getting lost in thought, regretting the past, and worrying about the future.

Comment (0)

The Tenth Tradition reminds us that we as a group do not have an opinion on outside issues.  This is an important principle, as it keeps our meetings focused on our primary purpose: to help others.  As a sober member of twelve-step programs and an active member of the local Buddhist center, I have some experience with keeping outside issues of mine out of the rooms.

Although my participation in this other organization is very helpful to me, has helped me connect with myself and the world, and is very important to my sobriety, it has no place in the rooms.  When I speak directly about my “religion” rather than my spiritual program of working the Twelve Steps, I am
minimizing my effectiveness to others.

When someone shares and makes clear his or her religious affiliation, I must admit I close my mind a tiny bit.  I am not proud of this quality, but it is the truth.  I think if I, with a few years of sobriety, have even the slightest amount of contempt for this, than it is probable that a newcomer also would.

The need to share religious affiliation in meetings baffles me.  I often wonder why somebody would share that kind of information.  My personal opinion is that it tends to come off in a demeaning way.  When somebody speaks about his or her intense religious practice, I feel contempt because I feel judged.  I often feel like it is a separating act, not a unifying.
Although at any given meeting there are possibly people with similar religious beliefs, there are generally far more people with different beliefs.  One of the
most beautiful things about twelve-step rooms is the unifying of addicts and alcoholics from all different walks of life.  Feeling a part of was one of the most wonderful feelings I felt upon entering the rooms.  Putting differences out there like religious beliefs is simply unnecessary and certainly unhelpful.

Knowing this, it is my opinion (based on my personal experience, as well as those that came before me), that any religious affiliation should stay out of a
regular meeting.  Where I live, there are twelve-step meetings that are designated for people of certain faiths or beliefs, just as there are gender-specific meetings.

When I am asked to share at a meeting, when I speak to someone at a meeting, or when I am working with a sponsee, I very rarely even mention the word Buddhism.  I always mention my meditation practice, but not in any religious sense.  The steps mention meditation, and most literature from twelve-step groups does as well.  It is not difficult for me to use twelve-step lingo when speaking about my personal faith.  I do so, thus keeping my outside issue outside of the rooms.  Whether it is Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, or Hinduism, I would definitely have had a harder time getting sober if religion was being pushed in my face.

Comment (0)

Learning About Responsibility

My sobriety has taught me accountability and commitment that has helped me maintain a job. Early in sobriety my sponsor directed me to take commitments at meetings, show up regularly, and have integrity. I learned to arrive at meetings on time and not break commitments. My first commitment was making the clean up announcement at a meeting. I showed up every week thirty minutes early and stayed late to make sure that everything was cleaned up. I engaged in fellowship with people as a result and enjoyed the accountability that was required.

I also regularly attended a meeting in Venice; one week the secretary didn’t show up and didn’t notify anyone that he wouldn’t be there. There were twenty people standing outside about to leave, when I suggested that we hold the meeting outside. I asked someone to speak, grabbed a big book out of my purse and asked someone else to do the readings. With six months sober I was elected secretary of that meeting. As much as the clean up commitment taught me I gained a true sense of pride and responsibility from running a meeting. I found speakers, showed up early and stayed late again. I helped set up the meeting and enjoyed seeing people every week that counted on me to be there. Having that commitment gave me a sense of pride and confidence.

Working Before Sobriety

Before I was sober I was a lifeguard. I showed up to work late, I fell asleep on my lunch breaks, and I constantly called in sick. I didn’t have a sense of commitment or pride in my job so I didn’t care if I was late or called at the last minute to say I wouldn’t be there.  Even though I had a job and I showed up somewhat consistently I didn’t have any sense of accountability or commitment to my job. I didn’t have those qualities in any area of my life, so I was unable to display them in my work. I didn’t build confidence from my job because I didn’t put real effort into it. Once I learned accountability and a sense of commitment I carried it through to my work.

Working in Sobriety

Four months into my sobriety I got a job at a clothing store. In my time there I have had a strong sense of loyalty and commitment to my job. I am always on time, when necessary I work on my days off, and do anything I can to help my boss. A few months ago my boss’ uncle died, seeing how upset she was I offered to help. I accompanied her to her uncle’s house, moved furniture, and cleaned out everything she needed. Shorty after I started working my boss asked me if I could take a look at the web site, just to see if I could figure out how to post some picture. Knowing nothing about websites I took a look. I realized that I needed help figuring it out, I asked my boss to hire someone to redo her site and told her I would communicate with him and do anything needed from our end. I helped open the online store; and now I am in charge of all social media, blogging and I run the online store.

From these estimable acts I built self-esteem and self-confidence. I finally had a strong sense of pride in my job and in my ability to perform my job well. This confidence started entering other areas of my life and sobriety. I have an overall sense of integrity and self worth that I have learned from having a job for a year and a half. I am able to show up for my friends and not break commitments with them. I do my step work on time and with integrity. I try to never be late when meeting with anyone for anything. These qualities that I learned first from commitments at meeting, then from work, have helped me be and responsible and have integrity.

Comment (0)

Alcoholics Anonymous provides us with many great tools.  We suddenly are given an amazing support network, a spiritual program of action, and wonderful opportunity to grow.  Although Twelve-Step programs offer us so much, there are certainly things that we may find outside of Alcoholics Anonymous.  The stigma surrounding this prevents many people in the program from doing so, which is hurtful toward recovery.  There are several ways people look outside Alcoholics Anonymous for help, and none of them are wrong.

Professional Help

There are many professionals out there that offer great help to addicts of all kinds.  However, people tend to treat seeking professional help as taboo in twelve-step programs.  This attitude is extremely hurtful and close-minded.  Many of our fellows benefit from professional help of different kinds, and discouraging them or making them feel different because of it can change someone's life.

Physicians

Taking the example of physicians, there are many issues which we cannot ourselves handle.  Our physical health is of the utmost importance to our recovery, as the body's health can dictate the mind's health.  There are times where we must seek a physician's help.  Our physician may prescribe medications as he or she sees fit.  In my personal experience and opinion, we may take certain narcotic medications when they are absolutely necessary.  It is also always important to speak with a sponsor or mentor before doing so.  We must be careful in taking any medication of any kind, but sometimes it is absolutely necessary.  We cannot trust our own heads to make the decision on whether or not it is necessary, and this is why we speak to a sponsor.  Also, it helps substantially to have a doctor that is sober.

Psychiatrists

Another professional that we may seek help from is a psychiatrist.  Psychiatrists may help diagnose and treat mental illness.  Obviously medication comes into play here, and that is perfectly alright.  There are many addicts that suffer from mental disorders.  According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "Over 8.9 million persons have co-occurring disorders; that is they have both a mental and substance use disorder."*  Not seeking help can be an issue of life and death.

Although psychiatrists may prescribe medications, this is not a reason to shy away from them.  Dealing with co-occurring disorders is not easy.  Without treating the mental illness, sobriety is near impossible.  The addiction and mental illness create a vicious cycle, and without treating both simultaneously, the person has little chance of recovery.  Again, we should be careful of blindly accepting medications without speaking to those with more experience than us.

Therapists

Another group of professionals that we often seek help from are the psychologists.  Therapists help us speak about what is going on with us, much as a sponsor or friend does.  However, a psychologist is a trained professional who may be able to offer insight that a sponsor will not.  We are sometimes discouraged from going to therapists because a sponsor provides much of the same support.  However, a psychologist has experience, education, and training to offer that others may not.  It is worth a try, but it is important to remain loyal to the twelve-step program.

According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "But this does not mean that we disregard human healthy measures.  God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds.  Do not hesitate to take your health problems to such persons... Their services are often indispensable in treating a newcomer and in following his case afterward."**

Spirituality

Another way that we may seek outside help is through spirituality or religion.  Some of us come into the program with religious views.  If so, there is absolutely no requirement that we leave our beliefs behind.  If we find a spiritual path or religion in our sobriety, it is also alright to pursue.  Whether it is an organized religion or a spiritual method, these things offer us something to enhance our programs.  In my personal experience, I have found Buddhism to be extremely useful with my prayer and meditation practice.  However, we must remember that sobriety comes first.  How I see it is that my spiritual practice enhances my recovery, my life, and my twelve-step work.

Other Support Groups

As with the other outside helpers, this one can be helpful to many people.  People who suffer from drug addiction and alcoholism also may suffer from trauma or PTSD, living with other alcoholics, or co-occurring addiction such as an eating disorder, gambling addiction, or criminal addiction.  There are hundreds of twelve-step programs and even more outside support groups.  We should not hesitate to address and treat these other issues we have.  Seeking help for them may make all the difference in the quality of our lives.

In conclusion, we must seek outside help if it is correct for us.  I also believe that it is important for us to keep outside issues out of meetings where we can.

*http://www.samhsa.gov/co-occurring/topics/data/disorders.aspx

**Alcoholics Anonymous p. 133 (The Family Afterward)

Comment (0)