Friday, April 22, 2011
Helping Others
What makes us feel good??? Making money, getting some new "stuff" are two things that come to mind. When we get sober material things start coming back into our lives and there is nothing wrong with that. Things can make us happy but that is not going to keep us sober. Helping another suffering alcoholic is protection against drinking more than anything else. When we first got sober, so many people reached out to us and helped us. Now it is our turn. Every day across the world there are new people looking for a new way of life. If we try to help them and let them see there is another way, it is the greatest personal feeling in the world. You do not want to miss this, we promise.
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My father told me something a long time a go that, I think fits quite well on this subject. He told me that to help a drowning man you must let him tire out to the point of being week and be for he gos under for the last time, at that point you can save him without him drowning you as well. My father told me this in reference to my life and how I was living it. I didn't understand it completely at the time but i do now. Out of some 60 people that I was in treatment with there is only a few of us that are still sober or clean to this day. Does this bother me? Hell yes it dose! So I feel deeply compelled to help them and I do try. Now adding to my fathers wisdom, though a drowning man can drown you in an attempt to save him you can through him a life line to help without you yourself getting in to dangerous waters. Helping others has ben a big part of my life on many levels, but to help a suffering alcoholic or addict helps me back more than any other. To see what they are going through puts me back in the front rough seat and is a harsh reminder of whats in store for me it I were to ever use again. Then, on the other hand, it gives me a chance to share my experiences, strengths and hopes of my life so that the suffering addict or alcoholic can see that I do understand because I was there too, and in my story see that there is a better way to live, that there is a way out and that sobriety isn't just an idea or pipe dream but truly possible for people who work for it. In the big book I read that an AA/NA meeting consists of any two people talking about there addictions in order to help one another and I firmly recommend this. To quote "I don't need a drink!! I need a drunk." I get a lot out of helping others but at the end of the day I remind myself one very important thing that keeps me in perspective of self, I say quietly to myself; My name is Edward A. and I'm a cross addicted alcoholic and I and I alone am personalty responsible for my oun recovery. thanks for reading... pass it on...:-)
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