Day 13 and the importance of sprirituality

Taking control of your life is the ultimate responsibility you have to yourself. Any addiction is going to pull you down and stop you from reaching your full potential.

It'd day 13 for me now, possibly the longest time I've been without a drink and although I don't crave it yet, I'm sure my old lover alcohol will come to tempt me soon. I've realised that my problem did not come entirely from the alcohol itself, but from issues of insecurity going back to my childhood as well as maybe having an addictive personality.

I'm taking each day at a time, I mark off each successful day on a calender and I keep a close handle on my feelings. Whenever I have a bad day I write the experiences down in a journal, if I experience any negative or irrational emotions, they are written down too, so I can adjust my behaviour to be more positive.

One of my biggest problems has been that I did not like myself much, avoided looking in the mirror, making eye contact with people, avoided social interaction and was living a very lonely existence. It feels good that after such a short time I am finding the strength to deal with these issues. I've oredered a book by Susan Jeffers " Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers" and also First Year Sobriety : When All That Changes Is Everything [Paperback]
By: Guy Kettelhack

I guess my bible at the moment is The Effective Way to Stop Drinking (Penguin Health Care & Fitness) by Beauchamp Colclough

I think this is the book that made me stand up and say "I'm an alcoholic" The book doesn't pressure you into giving up drinking, but explains how to turn your life around and recognize the problem, it had some great case studies taht moved me to tears because I could see so much of myself in those pages.

I feel really lucky, I was in the last throws of alcoholism, where my body was starting to pack up and I was in danger of losing the the people around me who I love. I would get irritated by people around me and feel hatred growing from stupid things.

I know how hard giving up is going to be so I'm arming myself with all of the tools to help me beat this horrible and destructive addiction.

I have always been into spirituality, not in a christian sense and have found that the Pagan path works the best for me. But I realise, whatever religion or God you accept, having some faith can only give extra help to beat alcoholism.

So I embrace and respect my fellow alcoholic brothers of whatever religious belief, we are all in the same boat.

If I'm boring you with my ramblings, I'm sorry but it really helps me to speak from the heart and to not only help myself, but believe I may be able to help other people who have trodden the same self destructive path as me.

Love and light Rob

It is grea