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12 Steps (For newcommers)

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Vince1

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ECF Veteran
Feb 6, 2009
1,051
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Down South, USA.
If you want what we have to offer, and are willing to make the effort to get it, then you are ready to take certain steps.

These are the principles that made our recovery possible.

1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a power greater then ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all the people we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

There is one thing more then anything else that will defeat us in our recovery; this is an attitude of indifference or intolerance toward spiritual principles. Three of these principles that are indispensable are honesty, open-mindedness and willingness. With these we are well on our way.

Just for today, you never have to use again.
 

MBblue

Full Member
Dec 12, 2009
25
1
Los Angeles
Just wanted to say hi to all my fellow drunks. :D New to the forum and to the group. Also had a question for any member that may be knowledgeable on the subject. I've done some research and found that both PG and VG are alcohols. I'm pretty sure its not the same as booze (ethyl alcohol) but I've always been super careful about what I put into my body as my sobriety is life and death to me. Whenever I see the word "alcohol" its a red flag for me. Anybody know anything about this subject? I can't find anything anywhere on the subject.:confused::confused::confused:
 

Vince1

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Feb 6, 2009
1,051
6
Down South, USA.
Hi Blue, The alcohol is not anything to worry about. There is a lot of info on it, as far a primary, secondary, tertiary, diol, etc but it really is mind numbing reading indeed. Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin have been used as a moisturizer in medicines, cosmetics, food, toothpaste for years and is really a different type of alcohol like you say. If you want the read, search google for "propylene glycol" for the info on diol content and cross ref to "alcohol" to separate the types as they apply to use and molecular composition.

Happy vaping !
 

RSV445

Full Member
Oct 2, 2009
48
3
Middletown, NY
Hello to all. I want to start off by saying that I have not "officially " completed the 12 Step Program, but I have been sober for almost 21 years! I have been to many AA meetings but have not attended one in almost 19 years.

When I first started attending, I would sit and listen to the speakers tell their stories and look around the room. Many of the speakers and attendees (please forgive me for saying this, read on...) looked to me at the time, like lower class unkept individuals who told the same stories of losing their jobs, houses and familys. At 22yrs old, I always made sure my appearance was good, my clothes were clean and neat and boots shiny lol. Unfortunately, I thought that I might be "above" the others and started to second guess my return. Luckily I continued.

It wasn't until, maybe a month and a half, when one night while listening to a speaker that I realized that no matter how I looked, I had the same problem as every other person in that room. I was a drunk, a bum, an alcoholic... I was no better, in fact, I was worse than the others because I actually had the balls to judge when I should have been looking in the mirror to see where my life was heading.

When I finally admitted to myself, that it was "I" who had a problem and only "I" was the one who would be able to address it, my whole outlook turned a different direction. I continued to attend the meetings for about 2 years, rode my Harley to Vermont and toured the house of Bill W., but did not officially complete "the program".

What I have done, is stayed sober... 21yrs and not one drop of alcohol. My mind is true and my soul is clean. And I will continue this recovery process until the day that I die.

I would like to extend my apologies to those persons whom I had judged, so many years ago, and extend my heartfelt gratitude for helping me understand, realize and admit that I had a problem. Because the road to recovery did not start until we all finally admitted, without shame, that we have a problem.

My name is Rodney, and I am an alcoholic...
 
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slybootz

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Mar 18, 2009
750
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Chicago
www.jimmyk.rocks
Just wanted to say hi to all my fellow drunks. :D New to the forum and to the group. Also had a question for any member that may be knowledgeable on the subject. I've done some research and found that both PG and VG are alcohols. I'm pretty sure its not the same as booze (ethyl alcohol) but I've always been super careful about what I put into my body as my sobriety is life and death to me. Whenever I see the word "alcohol" its a red flag for me. Anybody know anything about this subject? I can't find anything anywhere on the subject.:confused::confused::confused:

Thanks for raising this question, I was wondering this myself. I'm glad the question was answered. These days, you really have to read labels of a lot of everyday products to check for alcohol content.

My rehab program made me throw out a lot of things because they contained alcohol: my mouthwash(duh), toothpaste, waterless hand sanitizer, even my stick of deodorant!!!
 

slybootz

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Mar 18, 2009
750
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Chicago
www.jimmyk.rocks
oh, and thanks for that post rodney! I'm glad you were able to make the changes in attitude that you did!

I'm sure a LOT of us in recovery had similar thoughts at our first 12-step meeting...it's very common to start to judge people at first, thinking "there's NO WAY i'm as bad as THAT guy"...or something along those lines. Before my first meeting, I thought a room full of AAs would be a room full of depressed, angry, fidgety, and hopeless drunks....BOY WAS I WRONG! Sure there are some meetings where there are people with some of those traits, but for the most part, the people I've met in AA are happy, helpful, serene, and have the BEST senses of humor.

There's a saying in AA:

"If you are not happy with your first few AA meetings, give it 6 months. If, after 6 months, you STILL aren't happy, we will gladly refund all of your misery...with interest."

Keep coming back!
 
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