legitimate question

i know that there are many here in different places in their addiction and recovery.  i also know that most of you are taking things "one day at a time"...and i think that is crucial to your recovery.
i guess what i am wondering is...have any of you gotten so far as to plan on what you are going to do to continue living a clean life...i mean do you have a life plan?  where are you going to draw from for support in say 2 years from now?
i feel that once you become clean and sober the work begins...you have to find a way to stay that way.
ok...no bashing me PLEASE!!!! i'm not trying to start anything here...pinky swear (hehe)...this is coming from my many years of dealing with addicts...my sons.
i hope all of you find peace in your life...
kim

[tink1517]

OK, you made me SMILE, girl. you know how much i miss my girls. and the "pinky swear" we do all the time, you reminded me of them

thanks,
tink

[LIZZIE LOU]

glad to be of service :)  just two more months girl...hang in there

[oxysbliss]

I totally here what you are saying there..........We do have to make some sort of Idea of where we are going to to.......to some degree..however
with the friendships we make here....I think we could and would ALWAYS have...its not like we see each other or what not..so we will always be used to just having a helping hand online....So thats one....

Other than that...Thats all you can plan really...In my experience of getting clean in the past....We can't make plans such as those ....I know that I have learnt not to plan any OUTCOMES......we should never expect our life to go in a certian area..because God plans the outcome.......not us....

So in saying that...I would be very cautious of doing this, and just know that support places and people are going to change.....WE have to accept one bitter reality...Not everyone will STAY CLEAN.......we WONT alwasy have the same support groups....I guess I am just saying...Do all this with TONS of caution and NEVER plan the outcome.....Trust me...it doesnt always work out the way you want it to...and when it doesnt....We have a tendancy of falling back into old ways......WE just have to learn to keep ourselves in check...after all its only us there to make those choices in the end.....We just have to start with a solid backgroud and I think we get that here......

[beachtowel]

Hi Liz,

I've thought about your question a lot and I feel compelled to respond.
In most cases Addicts do not have the capacity to plan anything other than
there next use. Your whole mind set dwells on getting more.........

In many cases years can go by then for many the "crash and burn" can
happen or a light in the addicts head goes on that has been dead for a long
time.

To answer your question as long as an addict is using he or she cannot plan past tomorrow. Nothing is more important than their stash and how to keep it!

The first step in N/A states:
Admitting that you are "powerless" with their drug of choice and that your lives have become "unmanageable".

This is the addicts 1st step:
I am the powerful one who controls the drugs I take and nobody manages my life but me!

It took me a long time when I looked into the mirror and saw the image of myself and admit that I was an addict, that I was powerless against narcotic opiate pain pills and that my frigging life had become a frigging abortion.

In my case it was a Judge Mayberry in Bowling Green Ohio that I stood before that woke me up and not by my choice. Today I could kiss that mans feet, I am alive again. For the exception of my brother my whole family supports me and my life today.
You were also right about another thing, one thing I have not considered is that we are all in different points of addiction and recovery. In my case I have been clean for 16 months and 21 days, to others some are very lost in addiction and then some are fighting and trying to find a way out.

Sorry for rambling but Liz that was an excellent question, I hope in some way I answered your question........

[Tab-Dog]

What happened to "My aniversity date is Nov 26th 2005 that I know for a fact"?

[oxysbliss]

*roles eyes*
Must you insist on somoene else's clean time? I mean sheesh

[beachtowel]

Very good Tab-Dog you remembered.

The 26th of this month would make 17 months clean for me.
I am very proud that I turned my life around.
How are you doing?

[beachtowel]

Hey Tab-Dog

After reading the Post heading legitimate question to a very concerned mother  I am curious of your thoughts.

Instead of bashing someone about clean time why don't you focus on the post, I am entriged at your thoughts........

[Tab-Dog]

I'm just saying, that the elapsed time from November 26, 2005 to March 26, 2007 is 16 months.  

[oxysbliss]

i might be dumb..
but I count 17....

[ScottQuit021907]

OK, so beach is almost 16 months quit. That's awesome!

[Tab-Dog]

Based on an asserted clean date of 11/26/05, his one year clean date would be 11/26/06.  So, assuming that there are only 12 months in his year . . .

11/26/06 = 12

12/26/06 = 13

01/26/07 = 14

02/26/07 = 15

03/26/07 = 16

[beachtowel]

Thank you and if my  math skills are not the best I am sorry.

Tab boy are you frigging serious?

Out of all the posts on this forum my clean time is your main concern....
wow I am so honored your so worried about my math skills.....


thanks,,,,,,,

[Tab-Dog]

Just trying to help you exercise that rigorous honesty.

BTW,  when did you say you "finally went to detox to get help"?

[oxysbliss]

Can I ask you

Does focusing so much on Beach...take you away the focus of looking at yourself?

[LIZZIE LOU]

wtf is up with you?  16...17...who gives a damn...he's clean and proud of it...ya know, i have always said that my son has been clean for 14 months but i forgot to add on the few months that he has been home from rehab...lets see...oops i lied...it is really 17 months also...well actually it will be 17 months in three more days

get a life dude

[addictedme]

The 1st step in na does NOT say powerless over doc,,it says powerless over our ADDICTION,,this means ANY mind altering drugs

[beachtowel]

The twelve steps are as follows:
Admit that we are powerless over drugs and that our lives have become unmanageable.
Come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.
Turn our will and our lives over to the care of a Higher Power.
Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admit to a Higher Power, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Be entirely ready to have a Higher Power remove all these defects of character.
Humbly ask a Higher Power to remove our shortcomings.
Make a list of all persons we have harmed, and be willing to make amends to them all.
Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it.
Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with a Higher Power, praying only for knowledge of the Higher Power's will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, try to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.


addictedme, sorry this is the 12 steps, I know I altered the first step by saying your drug of choice which includes them all including alcohol.

It is amazing the way an addict has such thin skin and is offended so easily, you and Tab-boy should get together you have a lot in common.....
__________________________________________________

[beachtowel]

Yes tab-boy I know for sure for very personal reasons that the 26th of Nov was the last day I used of 2005.

I went to detox that day and then to my first rehab, just so you know it was my birthday that I left my girl, my home, my family and went to detox.........
That morning before I went to detox I took 12 percs so I wouldn't get sick while doing all the paperwork and interviews I had to go through when I got there.

Is that ok for you????????

Personally I could give a **** exactly to the day how long it has been. I have been clean since Nov. 26th of 2005
I was arrested on 6 felonies Aug 27th of 2005 and had to wait that long to get into state paid detox for five days and then was bussed straight to a inpatient rehab from there.

I hope that answers your questions.........