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Friends In Recovery Answered
Question 1: What advice would you give someone new in recovery who has difficulty sleeping?
When early in my recovery,
and especially the first few weeks
after leaving drug rehab,
I had terrible drug dreams every night. I talked to my counselor about this, and she
recommended writing down the words “I will have pleasant
dreams tonight” 15 times while laying in bed right before
going to sleep. It worked! She stressed not to use a negative
sentence, like, “I will not have bad dreams,” but to keep it
entirely positive. I couldn’t believe the dreams stopped the
first night!
~Ashley G.
Boy that was an issue for me. I learned to pray about it
like every other issue that bothers me. I didn’t dwell on it. I
would read my Big Book, write in a journal or do something
to slow my mind. It too has passed and I now sleep like a
baby most every night.
~Greg C.
I would suggest getting as much exercise
as your body can withstand. I had a terrible time sleeping for the first 2
weeks. I started walking around the grounds
twice a day and it really helped me. Also the last hour before bed I would
read either my Bible or the Big Book.
~Jessica
Usually, I can’t sleep because of anxiety. My best way to
relieve myself of this is to make a list of all my worries and
plan an inventory of how to remove the problems from my
life and meditate on the answers. Once I have an adequate
plan in place, half the battle is over and it helps me sleep.
~Tony B.
Question 2: What do you do on a daily basis to protect
your recovery?
Praying is the most important thing I do to keep me sober.
It teaches you to ask for help when you need it and realize
that you are not in control. Your Higher Power is!
~Ryan J.
I try to find something positive about each day. Looking
for the good in something helps me to remember that life is
what I make it. Before I entered the drug rehab program, life seemed
hopeless, lonely and I felt small. Now, there is all the hope
in the world. I may have to search and search some days to
find something good, but you always can if that is what you
want. I want the feelings of happiness and contentment with
myself and that only comes with staying positive.
~Tearza M.
I read my daily readings and I call and talk to my sponsor
and other friends in recovery. I pray to my Higher Power,
which is God. I also thank God every morning for my
sobriety and ask for another 24 hours. I’d like to say I’m
good at doing this every day, but this is a program of progress
not perfection. I try to take things one day at a time. I also go
to as many drug rehab meetings as possible.
~Jeanie W.
I read my daily readings and I call and talk to my sponsor
and other friends in recovery. I pray to my Higher Power,
which is God. I also thank God every morning for my
sobriety and ask for another 24 hours. I’d like to say I’m
good at doing this every day, but this is a program of progress
not perfection. I try to take things one day at a time. I also go
to as many meetings as possible.
~Jeanie W.
On the daily basis for my recovery I keep my Higher
Power very close to me. First thing in the morning I thank
him for new dawning, ask him to guide me through the
day. I say little prayers throughout the day (helps me stay on
track and keeps me going). Before the day ends I again thank
him for all my blessings and for another day of sobriety. Keep
the serenity prayer close to heart at all times. It really does
work if you concentrate on what you are saying. It has saved
me several times. I meditate each morning and evening, I go
to drug rehab meetings, I also stay in touch with the great friends I have
made through AA. I am getting better about using my sponsor,
am learning to surrender to handling problems on my own. I
am not so hesitant to pick up the phone and use it. I also
keep working my steps, with these simple things I do on a
daily basis my life has become manageable again!
~Colleen H.
I start off each day with a reading from my 24 Hours a Day
book This gives me somethng to reflect on as well as
encouragement to start my day. When I go to bed each night
is when I have a personal time with my Higher Power. I reflect
on how my day went. This includes how the situations of the
day affected me (and how I reacted to them) as well as how I
treated others. I also use this time to ask help for others that I
feel might be in need for one reason or another. This seems to
work out well because when I was drinking, I never would have
stayed awake long enough to do this.
~Kevin R.
Pray in the morning and evening, I thank him (Higher
Power) for the hard days too, as I realize when I lay my head
down that I made it through with his (Higher Power) help. I
also talk with one friend a day who is in recovery.
~Haley Z.
Question 3: What advice would you give someone new in
recovery?
To the Newbies: Welcome! We need each other! Get
ready for the long haul--this will take a lifetime--but can be
done moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day. Don’t
get hung up on yesterday or tomorrow--today is to be treasured
and enjoyed. Yesterday is to be learned from, not
regretted. Tomorrow will be an adventure if you stay sober with
us--a good adventure! Be good to yourself and stay well. Let
us know who you are.
~Bonnie B.
Put one foot in front of the other and always think...first
thought wrong. Put one foot in front of the other
and remember...Don’t take yourself so seriously!
~Haley Z.
My advice to the newly recovered--or beginning in
recovery is to be patient with others because it is easy to
feel like no-one is trusting you and believe me they really
aren’t in the beginning.
~ Bethany B
To someone new to recovery, remember HALT--my worst
cravings were usually when I experienced one of those
feelings. In addition, never let a person, place, or thing
“make” you want to drink...it is not the person, place, or
thing, but you. I learned this the hard way at 184 days
sober. It was not my ex-husband or leaving an abusive
marriage that made me drink; it was me who drank. Today
I am 925 days sober, each a day at a time. Thanks for
letting me share!
~Julie P.
My advice to someone new in recovery would be to find
a sponsor and a drug rehab meeting. And go to as many
of them as you can. You will meet wonderful new friends
who share the same beliefs and feelings as you do. Keep
out of yourself as much as possible. Use the phone!
~Jeanie W.
Keep an AA chip in your pocket at all times. It will
have the serenity prayer one it for quick use. Plus, it
serves as a good reminder of where you were, where you
are at, and that you MUST stay calm and sober. KP,
Lincoln, NE GO TO DRUG REHAB MEETINGS AND GET A SPONSOR.
~Louise M.
My advice to the new comer: Get a sponsor that you
like and works the program the way you want to learn it.
Go to wisdom around the tables Work the steps daily. Read
the Big Book Ask for help when you need it. It’s your program.
You will get out of it what you put into it.
~Michelle O.
I would also offer this. If you feel like you are going to slip
just remember that the relapse is like a bad movie. The trailers
that you see on TV make the movie look great. When you start
the movie it fills you with anticipation of what a great time this
is going to be. But later that night or the next morning you are
going to look back and realize it was quite a
disappointment. The end of this movie is never as good as the
previews and it is definitely not worth the price of admission.
~Kevin R.
My advice to someone new in recovery would be to
remember to surrender, take it one day at a time, stay close
to your Higher Power, use your sponsor, use the serenity
prayer, meditate, pray, have a gratitude list and drug rehab meeting
makers make it. Life is not stress free by any means, but
you will be blessed in so many ways if you keep working the
steps, and stay in the program. Looking back on the effort,
you’ll be thankful you did it. Looking back on the challenges,
you’ll know how much stronger and more capable they made
you!
~Colleen H.
Question 4: What is your personal Mission Statement?
Although I can never be perfect, I can strive for excellence
by being a better servant to God and to my fellows today than
I was yesterday.
~Jackson
My mission statement would be: “If the job is worth doing,
do it right the first time. It takes more time to redo something
the second time, so do it right the first time and save yourself
some time!”
~Carol C.
“To feel and think, rather than mechanically walking through
life. To look back and recognize that I lived with integrity, honesty,
feelings, and found that the gold in life was relationships with
other human beings. To recognize that this thing called life,
was a spiritual gift from a Higher Power. And thus upon
completion of life, finding the willingness to gently let it go.”
Have a recovery day!!
~Scott B.
I, strive to maintain a strong recovery not just sobriety. This
requires complete honesty, surrender, and acceptance, to be
practiced unselfishly, focusing on my loves ones and those close
to my heart.
~Jeff L.
May I always be mindful of the unique and beautiful gift
I’ve been given of a second chance, living a new and fulfilling
life in sweet sobriety. To those who are still in need, may I
always open and share myself and my story, ever remembering
that service to others helps keep me sober.” Thanks and have a
great day!!
~Roy F.
Man that sure does make me think. I want to say that I try
very hard to make my words and my actions match. I know
how confused I get when other people don’t. I also want to say
a sentence out of the Big Book 3rd Edition in the chapter Join
the Tribe! ...“Take my hand. Walk with me up the Twelve Steps
of AA to peace.” That way I know I don’t have to do this alone!!!
~Kim S.
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