Guidance

Finding Work after Recovery

When you begin to make serious permanent life changes, and you have been unemployed, look for work that will honor you as you honor work. When you do the kind of work that you have a passion for, it starts with working on yourself. You have the capacity to get a good job. So many people in early recovery will just settle for any type of work because they are thinking through the filter of negative thinking. It is true that you might have to work because of a court or other legal mandate. Whether you are in that situation or not, you can still find work that has longevity and brings you great pleasure and satisfaction.

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Death: What’s on the other side?

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, “Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.”

Very quietly, the doctor said, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?”

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

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Dr. Bob’s Wife Anne Smith, Early AAs, and Jesus Christ

A few contemporary writers, biographers, and historians have done their best to distance A.A., AAs, and the fellowship newcomers from the Bible, God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Some Christian critics load their writings with verses from the Bible and dire warnings to AAs and others. But seldom have they taken the time to learn, and rarely to quote, the clear-cut beliefs of the early AAs in the Creator, His Son Jesus Christ, the Bible, and even the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it is sad to see how quickly and emphatically the critics claim that the early A.A. pioneers did not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that they didn’t emphasize Jesus Christ and him crucified, and that they did not emphasize a relationship with Jesus Christ.

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Applying “Old School” A.A. in Today’s 12-Step Fellowships

What the First, Original, Akron A.A. Program Was and Did

The way the first three AAs-Bill W., Dr. Bob, Bill D.-got sober before there was a “Big Book.” See The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed., 2010, pp. 57-59.

    1. There were no Steps;

    2. There were no Traditions;

    3. There was no “Big Book”;

    4. There were no “drunkalogs” (of the kind seen today); and

    5. There were no meetings (of the kinds seen today).

Instead, each of the first three AAs:

    1. believed in God;

    2. was a Christian;

    3. asked God for deliverance; and

    4. received the requested deliverance from God.

The Summary by Frank Amos, Published in DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, page 131.

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Benefits of Having a Sponsor/Mentor/Recovery Buddy

Would you like to have someone to talk to who can relate to what you’re experiencing? Perhaps you would like to communicate with someone who has been through eating disorder recovery or other difficulties, but has made it to the other side. Maybe you desire some added support and encouragement.

Many in eating disorder recovery benefit from having a mentor, sponsor or recovery buddy. While mentoring is appropriate for basically any reason the one being mentored would like to have one, listed below are some common circumstances under a person might seek a mentor during eating disorder recovery.

1. While seeking diagnosis and treatment.

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How Can We Turn our Suffering into Joy?

Is it even possible to turn our suffering into joy? I believe it is because I have done it many times. The joy we feel while in the midst of suffering is our connection to God and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit within us!

In Romans 5:3 it says that we should be rejoicing in our sufferings. What does that mean? It means that Christians will face difficulties in this life, throughout their lives, and through those difficulties, if they remain faithful to God, they spiritually grow and build Godly Christian character in the Lord.

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Early Recovery: Getting on Track

Early recovery is a rough time because so many things going on at the same time. Your body is in withdrawal from years of chemical and alcohol abuse, your feelings start to rebound and you might have to deal with family and other issues that were put on hold all of the time that you were lost in the insanity of the disease of addiction and alcoholism.

Many things are going on at the same time and it seems impossible to juggle everything and plus take time to focus on health or nutrition. Who wants to spend even 5 minutes using cleansers or eating right when the best thing that you might be able to manage all day is just getting some fast food and a pack of cigarettes.

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How Can I Deal with My Alcoholic Spouse?

Ask Angie: I have been married to an alcoholic for 16 years. I have detached in love and have been very active in my church and creating a life for me and my children outside of the alcoholism. The alcoholic in my life doesn’t seem to mind any of this and it actually seems to relieve him from the responsibility to be a dad and husband. He does work hard on his job and so he feels that’s all of his responsibility and likes when he’s home to drink all day and play video games and ignore us. I hate being with him. It’s a very lonely marriage. My two older children are becoming more upset by his lack of desire to be with them.

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