Comments on: How Many Alcoholics Relapse in their First Year? http://www.spiritualriver.com Non-traditional recovery from addiction Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:09:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Amyhttp://www.spiritualriver.com/how-many-alcoholics-relapse-in-their-first-year/comment-page-1/#comment-90339 Amy Sun, 06 Feb 2011 01:44:58 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/?page_id=1787#comment-90339 I am going to be assisting a friend who is holding a BB/12 Step workshop based on the model in the book titled, "Back To Basics". I mention this because the reason we are doing this is because the rate of recovery is very low and there are differences in the way people are brought through steps today and in the quality of meetings. By the grace of God, I am sober for 18 months. I have a sponsor, I worked my steps and today I live them. I am a sponsor. I attend my AA meetings almost daily - still. The rate of recovery is very low in comparison to what it used to be in the 'early days'. In those days the rate of recovery through AAs '12 step spiritual program of recovery' was extremely high. Of course, back then the people who were seeking help with thier drink problem were mostly 'low bottom cases'. I mention this because in reading your article, I feel compelled to share about what a bottom is and how low is a low bottom? A bottom is a personal choice, and low is ONLY as low as any one person is willing to go. I was in recovery in AA for 3 years and I relapsed. When I began to attend meetings the first time around I truly believed I had 'hit my bottom'. And indeed, things were very bad. Evidently I had CHOSEN to dig a deeper hole because after 3 years, I went back out for 4 years and I almost died. I had been in jail a couple of times, instituions, (mental hosp, out patient rehab, detox, in patient rehab, etc...) I could NOT stop and I could not NOT stop. There was no way out so I tried to kill myself. This landed me in another inpatient rehab where I had to really look at my life and the lives of those I affected. This time, I DECIDED that I had really hit bottom. I drank 24/7 for the last 2 years of those 4 years and I did things that completely shredded my moral fiber. I was looking for blood on my bumper every day because I could never remember where I had been, what I had done, how I got my vehical home, etc... I had to concede that I was utterly hopeless. That was perfectly evident and in a clear state of mind for a long period of time while in rehab (I could not drink the pain and remorse from yesterday away - so I was forced to face facts and not run to the store for a bottle in order to keep lying to myself) I left treatment after 41 days and walked into an AA meeting where I recieved help for my 'hopeless state of mind and body'. So, yes I am sober for 18 months by the grace of God. I hit bottom. But it is very important to stress that my bottom CAN DEFINATELY go lower. There are alot of 'yets' for me if I drink again. And if I dont drink AND I FAIL to do daily maintanence of my spiritual condition I WILL be miserable and I will soon be drunk. So, I maintain sobriety by 'working the program'. The people who claim to have hit thier bottom and yet 'cant stop' have simply failed to do the most important thing that is essential to recovery. They are not being honest. ANYONE and EVERYONE can stop IF they are 'willing to go to any length' and if they are HONEST about thier condition and about 'who they are'. It is an individual choice 'what ones bottom is'. I know MANY 'high bottom' cases who know what the future holds if they dont stay sober and they stop, work a program and stay healthy; physically, mentally and spiritually. There is a solution but many people are unable to be honest enough to really, really want it. It is a beautiful life. And remember that anyone who 'hasn't reached their bottom' simply has CHOSEN NOT to admit complete defeat. It is about 'honesty' NOT about 'bottoms'. I am going to be assisting a friend who is holding a BB/12 Step workshop based on the model in the book titled, “Back To Basics”. I mention this because the reason we are doing this is because the rate of recovery is very low and there are differences in the way people are brought through steps today and in the quality of meetings. By the grace of God, I am sober for 18 months. I have a sponsor, I worked my steps and today I live them. I am a sponsor. I attend my AA meetings almost daily – still.

The rate of recovery is very low in comparison to what it used to be in the ‘early days’. In those days the rate of recovery through AAs ’12 step spiritual program of recovery’ was extremely high. Of course, back then the people who were seeking help with thier drink problem were mostly ‘low bottom cases’. I mention this because in reading your article, I feel compelled to share about what a bottom is and how low is a low bottom? A bottom is a personal choice, and low is ONLY as low as any one person is willing to go.

I was in recovery in AA for 3 years and I relapsed. When I began to attend meetings the first time around I truly believed I had ‘hit my bottom’. And indeed, things were very bad. Evidently I had CHOSEN to dig a deeper hole because after 3 years, I went back out for 4 years and I almost died. I had been in jail a couple of times, instituions, (mental hosp, out patient rehab, detox, in patient rehab, etc…) I could NOT stop and I could not NOT stop. There was no way out so I tried to kill myself. This landed me in another inpatient rehab where I had to really look at my life and the lives of those I affected. This time, I DECIDED that I had really hit bottom. I drank 24/7 for the last 2 years of those 4 years and I did things that completely shredded my moral fiber. I was looking for blood on my bumper every day because I could never remember where I had been, what I had done, how I got my vehical home, etc… I had to concede that I was utterly hopeless. That was perfectly evident and in a clear state of mind for a long period of time while in rehab (I could not drink the pain and remorse from yesterday away – so I was forced to face facts and not run to the store for a bottle in order to keep lying to myself)

I left treatment after 41 days and walked into an AA meeting where I recieved help for my ‘hopeless state of mind and body’.

So, yes I am sober for 18 months by the grace of God. I hit bottom. But it is very important to stress that my bottom CAN DEFINATELY go lower. There are alot of ‘yets’ for me if I drink again. And if I dont drink AND I FAIL to do daily maintanence of my spiritual condition I WILL be miserable and I will soon be drunk. So, I maintain sobriety by ‘working the program’.

The people who claim to have hit thier bottom and yet ‘cant stop’ have simply failed to do the most important thing that is essential to recovery. They are not being honest. ANYONE and EVERYONE can stop IF they are ‘willing to go to any length’ and if they are HONEST about thier condition and about ‘who they are’. It is an individual choice ‘what ones bottom is’. I know MANY ‘high bottom’ cases who know what the future holds if they dont stay sober and they stop, work a program and stay healthy; physically, mentally and spiritually.

There is a solution but many people are unable to be honest enough to really, really want it. It is a beautiful life. And remember that anyone who ‘hasn’t reached their bottom’ simply has CHOSEN NOT to admit complete defeat. It is about ‘honesty’ NOT about ‘bottoms’.

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