Comments on: How Desperation Turns to Faith through working a Twelve Step Program of Recovery http://www.spiritualriver.com/how-desperation-turns-to-faith-through-working-a-twelve-step-program-of-recovery/ Non-traditional recovery from addiction Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:09:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Deni Bhttp://www.spiritualriver.com/how-desperation-turns-to-faith-through-working-a-twelve-step-program-of-recovery/comment-page-1/#comment-129183 Deni B Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:56:33 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/wordpress-2.0.4/wordpress/?p=131#comment-129183 As the mother of an addict and as a woman who has had her own personal struggles, I think that what Patrick was trying to express is that when he reached his point of desperation, he was then able to turn his life around. Because he was able to turn his life around from that point - that point became a gift. Desperation was his bottom. When I was younger and quite poor, I got sick and tired of being sick and tired of being broke. BUT, being broke turned out to be a gift because that is when I hit my point of "desperation" I changed my thinking about prosperity and decided I could make money and opened my own business and became financially successful - so desperation was a gift. It's all how we perceive things and how we chose to think. Barry, your gift was that you had hit your bottom before you died and had a spiritual awakening. Some people never get to the point of a spiritual awakening. As the mother of an addict and as a woman who has had her own personal struggles, I think that what Patrick was trying to express is that when he reached his point of desperation, he was then able to turn his life around. Because he was able to turn his life around from that point – that point became a gift. Desperation was his bottom. When I was younger and quite poor, I got sick and tired of being sick and tired of being broke. BUT, being broke turned out to be a gift because that is when I hit my point of “desperation” I changed my thinking about prosperity and decided I could make money and opened my own business and became financially successful – so desperation was a gift. It’s all how we perceive things and how we chose to think. Barry, your gift was that you had hit your bottom before you died and had a spiritual awakening. Some people never get to the point of a spiritual awakening.

]]> By: Barry Bhttp://www.spiritualriver.com/how-desperation-turns-to-faith-through-working-a-twelve-step-program-of-recovery/comment-page-1/#comment-82028 Barry B Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:29:56 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/wordpress-2.0.4/wordpress/?p=131#comment-82028 Hmmmm. I heard this phrase last night at a meeting. I felt a bit confused about it. Sure I was in a hole and asking for help from G-d. I do not see it as a gift. It is a by product of my disease. The Gift was given to me. It was not something that I did. That is a Gift. A Spirtual Awaking, not from the pain, but from letting go! For those that use the Fellowships, may G-d watch over you. For those that found the Fellowship of the Spirit.....You know. Hmmmm. I heard this phrase last night at a meeting. I felt a bit confused about it. Sure I was in a hole and asking for help from G-d. I do not see it as a gift. It is a by product of my disease. The Gift was given to me. It was not something that I did. That is a Gift. A Spirtual Awaking, not from the pain, but from letting go!
For those that use the Fellowships, may G-d watch over you. For those that found the Fellowship of the Spirit…..You know.

]]> By: Patrickhttp://www.spiritualriver.com/how-desperation-turns-to-faith-through-working-a-twelve-step-program-of-recovery/comment-page-1/#comment-81908 Patrick Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:15:09 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/wordpress-2.0.4/wordpress/?p=131#comment-81908 @ Jay - Thanks for your alternative viewpoint! I still think desperation is a gift, because my life was crappy (even before the drugs and alcohol). You see? Even without drinking and drugging, I was not very happy. Through the misery of addiction, I found a better path. Better than what I had before. That is why it is a gift. Because it gave me new life, that I never knew. That's how it worked for me anyway. Others report similar findings in sobriety.....good luck to you and take care! @ Jay – Thanks for your alternative viewpoint!

I still think desperation is a gift, because my life was crappy (even before the drugs and alcohol).

You see? Even without drinking and drugging, I was not very happy. Through the misery of addiction, I found a better path. Better than what I had before. That is why it is a gift. Because it gave me new life, that I never knew.

That’s how it worked for me anyway. Others report similar findings in sobriety…..good luck to you and take care!

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