It is common for people who have completed Alcohol Rehab, and remained sober for a year or two to begin to wonder why they continue to participate various groups and meetings. It's a good question. While some people may need, or prefer to continue their participation, other can deal safely with other activities. The question is: who are you?
The answer is simple, although the process change may not be. Generally, those who can Kick the Habit 12 Step are those who have something other than alcohol build their lives around. As obvious as that may sound to many of you, this is not a given.
There are good reasons for 12 step programs Working for a small minority of alcoholics. The key is that they insist that you keep your alcohol concentration of life. This allows you to stop drink without upsetting the balance in your life and the lives of those around you. Roles May Shift - bartenders become sponsors, for example, and drinking buddies pals in AA - but you, and alcohol, are designated the "problem" and you can still escape from other problems through your constant attention on the theme "working your program. Family members and employers in May is no longer complaining about your absence and you just like the rest of us are safer on the roads and highways, but little has changed in your life in any fundamental way.
This brings us to the question you renounce your affiliation Step 12. Is it possible? Is it desirable? Is he smart?
You will, of course, have to make that decision for yourself. The risk of giving up your routine that you return your slip into old habits. The problem with all change is that we tend to create gaps when we fail to replace old habits with the best. Your 12 Step is usually less destructive than your drinking behavior and the key to ending your dependency Step 12 is replaced with activities more productive and rewarding. If you do this then there is little risk of relapse is up to you to drink or recovery endless.
Successful change is a product of the examination, research, planning and action. You've probably noticed that the passage of a beverage, life-oriented "to" talk about life on alcohol "is not as great a change as you expected. However, the removal of alcohol as your focal point will be adjusted considerably larger. This change will create a major void that you would be well advised to gradually close as you wean away from the routine that you have obtained through recent months or years. This is not a time for the abrupt departure of current patterns.
As you begin to move to other activities you can expect to encounter opposition. Family members who had an investment in your drinking and later in your Recovery May resist yet another change - especially one that threatens the status quo that supports STEP 12 Recovery in general. Your friends meeting, if notice at all, feel threatened by the possibility - that you do not always get back - they were comfortable ignoring or rejecting.
You can minimize these reactions by moving gradually. Instead of going to three meetings a week, try to substitute a visit to the gym for one. You are relaxed, not down, and you're substituting a healthy activity for another. When you more comfortable with your new commitments are to those around you. This change is real, not merely the substitution of an activity-based alcohol for another. Give yourself and those around you, time to adapt.
Genuine recovery extinguishing a set of behaviors and make it more rewarding life. This is the best insurance you can get against a return to the bad times. Yes, you'll be tempted from time to time, but having a life that has no place for alcohol is the best way to keep locked out.
About the Author:
Dr. Edward Wilson has been developing and providing alternative alcohol counseling including moderation, since 1990. He is co-founder and Clinical Director of Your Empowering Solutions, Inc. located in suburban Los Angeles. You can learn more about Dr. Wilson's innovative work in 12 step alternatives for alcohol problems by visiting his website.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Kicking the 12 Step Habit, II
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