Challenges in Recovery

Recovery from my alcohol addiction is a long and difficult progress. It involves the normal 12-step program but I have other additional hurdles to clear than most addicts.  I am dual diganosis (Autism-Alcoholism) plus I have to use faith-based recovery system as well.  By the end of the year, the goal is to be at a point where I can live semi-independently live from  my own,  accomplished all of the 12 steps, hold a leadership position in Orange County Sierra Singles 20-30 group, and have significant participation in helping with the running of  The Effect which is a 12-step Christian recovery ministry in Orange County.   For an  autistic person, these are huge goals but  there are realistic

The most challenging goal of the recovery process is the  12th step work.  Unlike a lot of AA people,  my duty is not to sponsor people or do H&I work.  Since I spend a lot of time of addiction research and I am very aware of alternative self-help groups other than AA, it is my responsiblity to bring one of the three major non 12-step fellowships into the OC and put it under my control.

A lot of people try to start the meetings in their area because AA does not work for them.  My philosophy is different. AA does work for me and it is my program of choice but there is no other self-help groups in our county for drugs and alcohol other than the 12-step programs.    Since it appears that I am only person in the county who is actively thought of starting one of the groups, the burden goes to me.

The AA 12th step step states

“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs”

The steps has resulted in a spiritual awakening.   However, the meaning of “we tried to carry this message to alcoholics”  means that as recovered alcoholics, we carry the message of recovery to other people suffering with the disease of addictions.  Since AA was the only program that was availble at the time when Bill Wilson founded the program.  Based on the information that I have read, I know there is other ways than AA.  The vast majority of people who have successful recovery via AA only know about AA and not other programs. Therefore, the logical 12th step is spread the AA message to other people.  That is why AA is the ball game in  most of America and it has worked for millions of people and I think it going to work for me.

However, the circumstances are different for me because of knowledge and my acceptance that other recovery programs other  than AA can achieve the same success rate as AA..  I have read about other programs and have their books.  With more knowledge comes more responsiblity.  If I am aware of other recovery programs and no one has taken the effort to start them, than the responsiblity to start them in the OC by default goes to me.  Since there are thousands and thousands of people who can sponsor and do H&I work, than I would be performing work that provides little value to recovery community.   Since the starting alternative fellowship has significant value to OC  Recovery Community and I am only person that would even think of putting the effort into a such a project, the responsiblity falls to me.
The good thing that about the non 12-step group is that is controlled by an AA person and so there is no competition between my group and AA.  It was performed as my 12th step service work and therefore, the foundations for alternative recovery program that helps people who refuse go to a 12-step recovery and provide additional tools to people that work 12-step program to keep sober.   There will be more on this issue in later posts and especially as I get more sober time.

Culture Wars

It is time for me to end the with war. The war is a war of vast misunderstandings. I have decide that the culture wars are irrelevant to a belief in Christ. I think there is no bibical basis for the cultural wars. The fall of man does not depend on the earth being 4000 years old. It considers that gays have the rights of civil liberties and gay marriage should be legal if the intent of the constitution was to have marriage regardless of persuasion. Gay sex is a sin but all sex outside of the marriage convenant is sin.

I agree with BM’s of progressive view of culture. There are a lot of differences between me and the community on spiritual issues but I think for the first time in my life that I got it. My belief system is what will keep me sober and be spiritually content. A faith in Christ is critical for spiritually fufillment. However, part of my personal development requires contiunal participation in Burning Man.

What I am alizing is that my path is unique. Everybody spiritual path is different. Each people follows their path to spiritual fufillment. While my spirituality preaches the road is narrow, the world offer many paths to life.

Lobster and Eating Out

I saw lobster being sold at 62.00 a plate. The one thing that I hope never happens is that a potential date does not ask for lobster on a date. If a girl you have dated for only a few times asks for lobster on a dinner datę, my bets that she is a golddigger.

OC Housing Prices in Decline

I read on  Mark Lasner’s blog on the OC Register that housing prices are nasty to grim.    He writes that the bottom of the housing price decline will end of the next year.  There will be significant declines in the housing market for the rest of the year.   I predict significant layoff forecasts for 2009 for most sectors except for the defense industry.  The defense industry, which I work in, will have its rounds in layoffs in 2010 as there will be significant cuts to defense programs.    Boeing is one of the largest employees in the county and employees 5000 workers.

In addition, OC house pricing is still unaffordable and needs to drop to the point where it is affordable at the median income in the county.  For me, this is a sign of good news because it means I could be a property owner by the end of the year.

During the real estate boom, I decided to not to buy a place.  I had a gut feeling that the real estate boom was a artificial bubble and showed no interested in purchasing property.  One of my coworkers stated that I should become a real estate investor and invest in apartment duplexes.  My judgement was to stay away from the market because I did not have enough cash on hand to purchase propertyand I had no clue on how maintain a property.    Therefore, I had to hire contractors to do all of the work and my expenses on the property would be higher than the rent paid on the apartment.

So far, my decision to stay away from market was a good decision

Ho Ho Turned Tragic. Three dead after Santa Shooting Rampage

Fox News reports that a man dress as Santa decided to open fire on a Christmas party and kill three people.    According to the report, the suspect was going through marital problems.   He promptly killed himself.

Stuff like this results when martial issues go unresolved.  Pent-up anger results in violence aganist the other spouse.   Normally, this type of violence is a trip to the county jail for domestic violence.

However, they are times when this stuff gets out of control and violence occurs.   Somebody needs to montior these issues to prevent this type of stuff from occuring.  One method is that men needs to have other men accountable for the state of the relationship with their significant other.    This task is sign of real friendship because it shows that you really care about the other person.  If  a man has another man to vent the issues to, than these issues can be avoided.    By having an alternative coping mechanism, the man can now has a method to vent feelings without using violence to cope with the anger.   And you will save your friend a trip to the county jail.

If you want more details on the story, please click this link to CBS 2 which has a detailed report of what happened

Sarah Palin

In Ann Coulter’s piece on Human Events, she states that Sarah Palin is the Conservative of the year. Ann Coulter writes that when McCain choosed Palin, McCain became a real “maverick”. To Coulter, a “Maverick” is somebody does not agree with the Editorial board of New York Times. A maverick for standing out among the crowd and drive liberals like me crazy.

To me, she deserves the award. She has a certain charm and wit about her. But she was one that brought out of the whackos. In real life, she just a normal conservative but her personality brought the real nutjobs out. On the Left Coast, we call them freaks.

So hats off to Sarah Palin because you deserve it

Suicide

I have never thought suicide be a way to end life. Suicide has conseqences and especially, in my belief system, eternal conseqences. Currently, they are lots of people who are depressed and think that the gun is the best way to win a life. The number of calls at suicide prevention places are up by 50% as estimated by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

The increased amount of calls has resulted from economic distress. People losing their home or jobs creates a major stressor that people might not have an adequate coping skills to deal with. It is vital to have strong support network and spirituality to endure brutal times.

Having a higher power of something is vital to survive through economic hard times. For me, the higher power is God (Christian God) and a lot of people in life do not have a higher power. They think that material things will provide for their happiness. When hard times comes upon those person, they become insular and isolated.

Oftens drugs and alcohol are used to numb the pain. This road does not work because it will lead to self-destruction. If you are thinking about using and drinking to deal with the hard times, drop that bottle or drug and head down to your local AA/NA or non 12-step fellowship in your county. These fellowships will provide spiritual or positive thinking techniques to deal with addiction. In reality, all of these fellowships can teach how to live life.

There are people that want to help you. You might discover the ones that want to help might have problems far worse than you do but they know how to cope. Learn from them and lean on them for life.

Even if there is no god, do you want your live to go into eternal blackness. Does a state of nonexistance makes you happy? You cannot longer feel, touch, hear, or see. You are nothing. And you killed your self for nothing. There is no glory about suicide. It is painful and sad experience and it is not worth it

Sierra Nevada

A guy on Twitter states that he has five Sierra Nevadas open.   That is sound might tempting.  However, I am in recovery from what I did to myself.  I engaged in self-destructive behavior and therefore, cannot drink ever again.

Relapse is not even an option.    I just need to remind myself on how destructive those days were like.  The despair and the isolation.  It was not worth it. One Sierra Nevada means that living hell can return.

Do not Text While You Drive

KNBC reports that texting while driving will be illegal starting in January 1, 2009. Do you know how hard it is text while driving?

It is difficult. Look, I tried to surfing the internet in traffic a few times. Way too hard. Trying to text or surf the internet while driving will make people riled up and make them honk on the horn. It also result in a accident

At least this one law that makes sense

Rick Warren

I just sick of people wasting their time complaining about the Rick Warren problem on the internet. Don’t people have a better thing to do with their time.

Worrying about Rick Warren will not change America. Find something else better to do with your time.