Why So Serious?

When speaking about the alcoholic who is in the process of sobering up or whether they are in Recovery and needs to feel the spirit of Recovery, what the alcoholic will most likely respond to is earnestness. Define "earnestness" : that being: "serious intensity". As an alcoholic in Recovery, I often engage in earnestness and no one but another alcoholic will engage with me. For me, carrying the message of Recovery is so important to me that I automatically profess it with dead serious  intensity. For this is a matter of life or death whete if someone like me relapses, meaning I drink alcohol, that which has happened to others who drank! Like: one lady because she decided to drink "a beer" within a couple of months she was still drinking (alcoholically) she got a revolver stuck the barrel in her mouthand pullef the trigger. She met her Makerthat day, damn it! Another who began hanging out at bars, because of the close proximity between his hand and (I'll say it again) "a beer" within three weeks he died of a barbituate overdose. You see why I don't have as many friends as I'd like! Me? Why didn't I "keep them from drinking?" Because they didn't ask me for help...which would have included a great dose of earnestness...BEFORE THEY DRANK THAT FIRST BEER! Believe me, I miss people whom have died because they drank...heartbreakers! See why I so much push earnestness at those I love who are still sober?

Sober For Good?

As I'm a Recovering Alcoholic ("Recovering" meaning sober) since 1984 I have encountered many case managers who were employed to apply therapy to me and my other mental illnesses (alcoholism and drug addiction are considered mental illnesses as well) of schizophrenia/bipolar whom had absolutely no training in addiction and alcoholism yet were telling me to "...comply!" quiet forcefully when talking about my mental illnesses of schizophrenia/bipolar. I resisted the temptation to tell these case managers exactly where to stick it for this is my mind, my body and my life and no one has the right to order me around! That is, unless I break the law and I now do nothing illegal, immoral nor indecent due to those beautiful other Recovering alcoholics in my life! Instead of revolting verbally with these case managers I began to kindly teach them about Recovery from alcoholism/addiction. Especially about the thought that was prevalent and also incorrect that: "...once an alcoholic/addict gets clean from drugs/sober then that's the end of it! When actually the alcoholic/addict must continue to work his/her butt off in order to stay in Recovery! Plus, when ordered around the alcoholic (sober or not) the alcoholic will revolt and go do exactly what he/she was ordered not to do! It's, first of all, the nature of an alcoholic (addict, as well) and second, the nature of a free citizen of The United States of America! Of which I am both!

An Unpopular Position...Or Is It?

As a now Recovering alcoholic/drug addict I never once drank alcohol socially plus from day 1 of smoking pot I couldn't get enough which led to harder, stronger drugs like heroin and cocaine. Believe me, it was never really fun when compared to now being in Recovery from those chemicals. Here comes the probably "unpopular" part. As I remember being loaded for nearly 15 years continuously I can recall some individuals who I partied with that would nurse one beer all night and would smoke pot probably once in every six months. My point? I believe, just like a social drinker that there is such a critter as a social pot smoker. America has already proven that outlawing alcohol didn't work with prohibition. Now, how well are we doing in outlawing pot? How many nonviolent pot smokers do we have to pay, what $100/day to keep in prison?
Why not leagalize marijuana? Have our Government grow it, sell it, control it, tax the hell out of it which will prevent the drug dealer as we now know it?
Just a thought! I will say that even if legalized I do not plan on smoking pot again just like I do not plan on drinking alcohol again, God willing! And I do mean God's Will which is how I stay clean and sober one day at a time!

How To Sober Up A Drinking Alcoholic In One Tough Lesson

I've had people ask me how to "get" a drinking alcoholic to attain sobriety...for good. My first response is that it normally comes from a Power Greater than us all. The alcoholic must ask that (his/her) Higher Power who makes sense to him/her to relieve them of their alcoholism. Sound easy? What I will tell you is that the drinking alcoholic must be allowed to hurt so damn bad that they're willing to ask for help, and not just for long enough to "get the heat off of his/her back," but to ask for help where the alcoholic will do whatever it will take to get/stay sober. Personally, when I sobered up it was cause I hurt like crazy and was told to look for other sober alcoholics who knew what the alcoholic needed to do to live sober. If your alcoholic asks for help and expresses the desire to get/stay sober I suggest calling any mental health clinic, ask if they know how to contact these previous drinking alcoholics who have discovered Sobriety and the clinic should be pleased to give you these now sober alcoholics contact innformation...for free! Because I did that on April 28, 1984 I found and am continuing to maintain happy sobriety since that date! No, it isn't always easy except when compared to active drinking! One little note here: the alcoholic must be the one doing what's necessary to live in Sobriety, others cannot do it for him/her. So, please find the contact info for the alcoholic and give them the opportunity to help themselves. Then, all us loved ones of the alcoholic can then do is leave it to the Higher Power/Power Greater Than Us/that which I choose to call God...whatever works for you and whatever works for the alcoholic. Good luck! But I don't believe in sheer luck!