The BEST of Lifelube - "The “Work-In” - First installment!" From Thursday, December 11, 2008

The “Work-In” - First installment!

It will take dedication. You get out what you put in.

Brought to you by Ed Negron, a former drug user, turned gangbanger, turned drug dealer, turned own best customer, turned addict, turned recovering addict(still there), turned activist, turned business manager, turned student, turned Substance Abuse Counselor, turned better and happier person, turned some who can love and be loved (Love you Patrick), turned blogger.

In the GBLTQI community we focus a lot on our outer appearance. How’s my hair? How do I look in this outfit? Does my make-up look good? I’m I too thin, or too fat? We can spend hours at the gym working out without any hesitation. But when it comes to working on our inner being, our soul, we tend to avoid it like the black plague. Many of us don’t even know where to begin.

My hope is that this post will help you figure out how to begin your “Work-In” program. Yes, just like a workout program at the gym, it’s going to be challenging. It won’t be easy. It will hurt like hell at times and will really suck at other times. It will take dedication. You get out what you put in. Lastly, it’s going to take some time to see/feel some results. Patience is a virtue. As a result of all your hard work you will see life in a much different way. You will feel so much better about yourself and the world around you.

Recreating, reinventing or revising who we are is what will keep us stronger than our sorrows; which can lead to unhealthy addictions. I always hear people say “I just want to go back to the way things were and the person I was before I started using drugs or alcohol.” Well I sure the hell don’t want to. What these people don’t realize is that the ways things were, and the person “I” was, is what got us using in the first place.

For most of us in recovery, we were given a second, third, fourth (and so on…) chance at life. Yet we try to do the same things over and over again expecting a different outcome. That, my friends, is the definition of insanity.

Our first lesson is: Accept Change

(Quick Disclaimer: The suggestions on this blog are just that “SUGGESTIONS.” My words cannot heal your pain and or addictions. Only you can. “Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness." -- Shakti Gawain)

"We cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life's morning; for what in the morning was true will in evening become a lie." -- C.G. Jung

Life continually evolves. We’re always moving into new experiences, new possibilities. This constant change unsettles the personality, which finds security in stability. But with life always in flux, that security is an illusion. We experience pain by trying to hold on to things that are not solid.

Life becomes joyful when we can open to the constant flow and ride freely with it. This requires us to let go of the need to control. We need to learn to trust.

"Can it then be that what we call the ‘self’ is fluid and elastic? It evolves, strikes a different balance with every new breath." -- Wayne Muller

"We’re never the same; notice how you’re called to write something entirely different about a topic you responded to weeks or months ago." -- Patrice Vecchione

Personal growth can be a long hard journey. At Higher Awareness you are never left alone. From The Inner Journey (C) Reproductions Permitted: http://www.higherawareness.com

Read more Daily Motivations at http://thework-in.blogspot.com

The BEST of Lifelube - "Let's Take a Glass Together" - The Podcast is Served From Tuesday, July 29, 2008

"Let's Take a Glass Together" - The Podcast is Served

UPDATE 7/30 - Chicago Gay Examiner blogger Michael Lehet - a new and wonderful pal of LifeLube and Project CRYSP - attended our forum last week and took copious notes, basically a transcript or "live blog" - capturing pretty much the entire discussion. Check it out.








Last Wednesday (7/23), Project CRYSP and LifeLubeteamed up with the Feast of Fools, Sidetrack, the Chicago Task Force on LGBT Substance Use and Abuse* and four PHENOMENAL speakers to put on a community forum addressing our relationship to alcohol - with a wide ranging discussion from how to avoid a hangover, to how to tell when your use may be slipping to abuse, to our collective responsibility to care for ourselves and one another. About 80 folks joined usfor a really great conversation - perhaps the first of its kind, but definitely not the last.

Click here for the Feast of Fools podcast. Download it and listen while you work out, work it, work your voodoo, or just work.

Enjoy LifeLube's photo set from the evening.

Enjoy the Feast of Fools' photo set (some of which are featured in this post - thanks Rick and Fausto.)

Mark S. King: Can I blame gay culture for my drug addiction, please?

via My Fabulous Disease, by Mark S. King

After a lifetime of sporadic, recreational drug use, I became a full-blown crystal meth addict ten years ago, and then eventually got clean and sober in January of 2009. But why would I, or anyone as engaged in life as I was, morph into a drug addict?

It seemed an unlikely turn of events for a gay advocate and outspoken community leader living with HIV. Was my drug addiction some sort of post-traumatic stress from the AIDS horror show of the 1980’s?

Maybe it pre-dated AIDS, and resulted from the stress and shame of growing up gay. It’s easy to understand why anyone who came of age believing they were perverted (and going straight to hell) might need a stiff drink. Research indicates that gay men and lesbians are more likely to smoke, drink and use drugs. Was I born this way, GaGa?

Gay Men and Substance abuseSo I was immediately drawn to the new book, Gay Men and Substance Abuse: A Basic Guide for Addicts and Those Who Care for Them. I thought the book might bolster my hypothesis that I was a victim of gay culture and doomed from the start.

Because, my dear friends, even after more than two years living clean and sober, I still jump at the chance of blaming my behavior on something other than myself.

Alas, the book is a helpful, informative guide but it doesn’t let me off the hook. It hasn’t the least bit of interest in finger pointing. Instead, it offers practical information and advice about addiction, treatment, relapse and recovery – written specifically for gay men and their families. I would strongly recommend it for gay lovers or allies trying to understand the addiction and recovery process, and required reading for those working in the field.

Read the rest.

How is Lisa Dorr healthy? [lady-style]

My physical, emotional and spiritual health are all contingent on my staying clean and sober.

I live each day being grateful for being given a second chance at life.

After battling years of addiction I have learned that the key to my happiness and well being are dependent on my spiritual connection with God, getting outside of myself and giving back and keeping a positive attitude. I keep the struggles I have endured close to my chest and while I do not dwell on them I never forget what I’ve been through. A few short years ago I was at the end of my rope with no sense of purpose or desire to live. My addiction to drugs and alcohol had me trapped in a place where I saw little hope for a future. I was not living I was merely existing.

With the help of my loving family, friends and medical professionals I was able to put my past behind me and regain a new sense of self that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I have been taught so much by so many and am so blessed to have been through the experiences that I have, no matter how painful some of them have been, because without them I would not be where I am today.

I have a new zest for life and without gratitude I wouldn’t be able to recognize how precious my life truly is. I work hard in school, I commit myself to my recovery daily, I exercise, I socialize, I play with my pets, I say “thank you” everyday to all those who help and love me and most importantly I thank God for the life I have been given.

-- Lisa Dorr (lady, ally)
Chicago






How are you healthy?
Join in the conversation.
Tell us HERE. Send a pic to the same place.
And we'll blog it, right here.
Gay men and all allies welcome to participate.
Read past posts.
Learn more about the campaign

How is Kimberly healthy? [lady-style]

Little by little every single day I tried something new.

In 2006 I stopped drinking and doing drugs which at the time was necessary in order for me to live a more productive life. 

Let's face it, it was necessary in order for me to live - period. 

I did not realize this at the time, but the result was that I adopted other healthy lifestyle habits as a result.  Once I stopped pouring poison into my body I continued to smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day. I figured I'd stopped doing something so epic that I needed "a vice." 

Well, I read a story about Raymond Carver, one of America's most celebrated short story authors.  He got sober around the same age as me, but died 10 years later of lung cancer.  It was a real wake up call that spurned my PAINFUL attempt to quit smoking - which was ultimately successful and I've been smoke free since 2007. 

But because I quit smoking, I turned to food. Around the same time I quit smoking, I got a boyfriend and started eating with him, plus I broke my arm really bad and the pounds just piled on. 

One day I couldn't button my fat pants and I don't think anyone would have looked at me and considered me obese. But I was 30+ pounds overweight, couldn't fit into a size 12 and I realized if I didn't make some changes, I was going to have a big problem on my hands.

So slowly - and I do mean slowly - I started eating right and exercising. The weight came off 1/8 of a pound at a time.  It was such a frustrating and emotionally difficult time because I didn't have any of my comforts left at this point - I didn't have alcohol, I couldn't take a magic pill, I couldn't smoke and now I couldn't even treat myself to chocolate chip cookies to soothe myself.  But I stuck with it. 

Little by little every single day I tried something new. If I'd done one pushup the day before, the next day I tried two. If I'd successfully walked 3 miles on the treadmill, I'd add a minute of running - then two - then three. On and on. 

Then I discovered Jillian Michaels and it's like my whole world expanded. By this time I was looking really good and feeling really good and I joined a gym which only continued my fitness quest.  My friends started noticing and asking me for advice on how I did it. 

My good friend Richard showed me how I could get certified as a fitness instructor.  I never even thought at my age - 41 - I could even try something like this!  But I got certified, I auditioned to become an instructor and now I'm an instructor at my gym. 

So not only are these all healthy habits I've formed which are healthy in the traditional sense of me taking care of myself.  But having the courage to try new things, sticking to a disciplined routine and facing my fears has given me confidence in other areas. 

So when I'm hooking up with a guy I'm more careful today and I insist on protection. I made an appointment to get a mammogram. I set boundaries with toxic people who take advantage of my good nature. I try new and more challenging classes at the gym. 

And I just have a healthier self image and better self esteem.  

-- Kimberly (lady, ally)
Chicago






How are you healthy?
Join in the conversation.
Tell us HERE. Send a pic to the same place.
And we'll blog it, right here.
Gay men and all allies welcome to participate.
Read past posts.
Learn more about the campaign

How America Turned into a Nation of Speedfreaks and Ritalin Patients

via AlterNet

An excerpt from Mick Farren's new book exploring the drug that dominates the lives of millions of schoolchildren, soldiers on the battlefield and freelance writers.

The event of rock & roll added a frenetic thrashing drive to the world's entertainment, and television warped the world's perception. The twentieth century was an era of massive overreaching that culminated in us pushing our planet to the very edge of environmental catastrophe, as melting icecaps change the course of the ocean tides. The twentieth century was also a time of scarcely believable greed and all too grandiose dreams. The developed nations of the West demanded more and more, and we grew furious if TV commercials reneged on their promises and we couldn't instantly have it all. The West grew fat even as famines decimated developing nations. We burned energy as if there was no tomorrow, and in so doing, made tomorrow considerably more problematic. And this was where speed found its place, introducing itself to greedy dreams on all levels of twentieth-century culture with seductive assurances of free additional energy, enhancing stamina that enabled users to keep going like the bunny in battery commercial, and feel a euphoric omnipotence as the need to eat, sleep, or even feel anything unwontedly profound were removed by the insulating effects of amphetamine. One could even lose radical weight with no effort of will, and become fashionably slim. Adolf Hitler's doctor shot him up with cocktails of speed and the devil only knew what else, as he designed the blitzkrieg, in his greed for the absolute power he believed would enable him to annex the entire planet for his master race, and organized the deaths of tens of millions. 

Read the rest.

How to Create a Nation Addicted to Shopping, Work, Drugs and Sex

via AlterNet, by Amy Goodman

Post-industrial capitalism has completely destroyed the conditions required for healthy childhood development.

Excerpt:

if you look at the brain circuits involved in addiction—and that’s true whether it’s a shopping addiction like mine or an addiction to opiates like the heroin addict—we’re looking for endorphins in our brains. Endorphins are the brain’s feel good, reward, pleasure and pain relief chemicals. They also happen to be the love chemicals that connect us to the universe and to one another.

Now, that circuitry in addicts doesn’t function very well, as the circuitry of incentive and motivation, which involves the chemical dopamine, also doesn’t function very well. Stimulant drugs like cocaine and crystal meth, nicotine and caffeine, all elevate dopamine levels in the brain, as does sexual acting out, as does extreme sports, as does workaholism and so on.

Now, the issue is, why do these circuits not work so well in some people, because the drugs in themselves are not surprisingly addictive. And what I mean by that is, is that most people who try most drugs never become addicted to them. And so, there has to be susceptibility there. And the susceptible people are the ones with these impaired brain circuits, and the impairment is caused by early adversity, rather than by genetics.

Read the whole thing.

Chicago Men - Pls take this survey!

your answers will help make the services for gay/bi men in chicago better and more responsive - thanks in advance!

Health Survey for Gay/Bi Men in Chicago - please participate

click here - your answers will help improve services for gay/bi men in chicago - thanks in advance

Health survey for gay/bi men - take it

click here

Take it

Peter, this is my first time at IML and I'm planning on marathon sex sessions. Any pointers?

[Peter Pointers is here 4 YOU, as a service to LifeLube readers - whatever question you may have regarding sexual health, physical health, mental/emotional and spiritual health - ask him. He will find the answers you are looking 4. helped by a team of experts. Below is a recent Q&A you may be interested to read.]

Question:  Hi Peter -  This is my first time experiencing IML and I'm planning on having a couple of marathon sex sessions (12-24hrs) with friends and with people I don't know. Other than playing safe and not using drugs, what other pointers can you give me to reduce any type of harm to myself.

Answer: Thank you for checking out my service and for submitting a question. IML (International Mister Leather, May 28 - 31, Chicago)  can be a really great and fun experience. Make sure to visit the Howard Brown booth at the leather mart to stock up on all your safer sex supplies for free!

In regards to reducing harm to yourself during a marathon sex session - you hit it on the head... the best place to start is by playing safe and not using drugs. However, it sounds like to want something a little more.

One of the best pieces of advice that I can give is to develop a plan for keeping yourself safe (in whichever way that means for you) and communicating that plan to every partner. For example, if you want to avoid being topped bareback, then have that be a hard boundary line for yourself and tell your partners about that line. Having a set plan will increase the chances of you sticking to it when things get hot and heavy or if your mind is otherwise distracted.

Another thing to communicate with someone about is their HIV status and how that relates to your status. However, since many people do not know their true HIV status (research shows us that up to 50 percent of gay men who are positive don't know they are positive), make sure you ask more about their behaviors than their status. For example, if you are HIV-negative and want to have sex with someone else who is HIV-negative, asking "when were you last tested and what was the result?" may give you better information than "are you neg?" There is still no guarantee but it may help you to identify people who are of the same status as you.

Outside of that, make sure you drink lots of water to stay well hydrated. Eat well, to keep energy supplies high. And let a trusted friend know where you are and who you are with, for your general safety.

Also, getting tested for and treated for any STDs before IML will reduce the risk of HIV infection. Let me know if you need help finding a testing location!

Of course, if you choose to use condoms, change up condoms frequently and use LOTS of lube!


Be Well,
Peter
Peter Pointers on LifeLube, Friend Peter on Facebook

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Beforeplay - get ready to mix pleasures

source

Revised, updated version of "Dancing with Tina" right here, on LifeLube

Chicago's Terry Oldes has updated his "Dancing with Tina" memoir, and we have the full manuscript on LifeLube.

This book is a testament of such compassionate understanding. It neither glorifies nor plays down meth abuse. Instead, it is a matter of fact recount, neither too clinical nor too sympathetic, that tells it like it is with an integrity and honesty that make the story both more horrific and endearing to read. - Out in Perth

I danced with TINA for over a year. Sometimes to a soothing waltz, more often than not a frenzied Charleston that would‘ve made Fred and Ginger cross-eyed. A sensual tango occasionally unfolded with any number of dancers, but at the end of it all, I was left with the slow, side-to-side swaying of emptiness. Of course, TINA always led. All I could do was follow and hope to keep up with her steps.

This is basically a story of three things, co-dependency, coming out and drug abuse. By walking away from co-dependency, I realized I‘d never completely explored gay life, even though I‘d been out for sixteen years. I thought I‘d been around the block, but not really. The drug abuse was a crutch, helping my inhibitions disappear, bringing on all sorts of adventures. Eventually, I came to see that my co-dependency to the drug was as serious as that to people.

Let me make this clear…the Crystal Meth world depicted in this memoir is a sub-culture of the gay community in Chicago (and most other gay urban cities,) not a reflection of the gay community as a whole. One acquaintance of mine, a rather odd man obsessed with Bob Mackie, of all things, negatively made the comment I shouldn‘t be writing down these experiences, he thought they depicted all gay men in a bad light and shouldn‘t be discussed. Well, until something is faced head on with truth, it can‘t be dealt with or even understood. To hell with sweeping such things under the carpet and ignoring them…they exist.

Click here for the whole thing.

Um, meth does not equal death, m'kay?

Letter to the Editor, via Windy City Times

Meth madness

2010-02-24

To the editor:

We are writing to counter the recurring and disturbing community discussion of crystal-meth use by gay men in Chicago.

The unfortunate and inaccurate message that "Meth = Death" characterizes this discussion.

Fact: Approximately 90 percent to 95 percent of gay men in Chicago don't use crystal methamphetamine.

Fact: Health Department research indicates that crystal use has decreased. Among hundreds of men surveyed, 4 percent said they recently used it ( as compared to 10 percent of those surveyed five years ago ) .
Fact: National and local data indicate that only a minority of people who try a drug, including potent drugs like methamphetamine, go on to become regular users and/or dependent.

Fact: Of the small ( but important nonetheless ) percentage of Chicago gay men who are addicted to crystal, and are experiencing health and financial crises, relationship problems, and legal difficulties, most of them won't die.

Meth does not equal death.

Should we continue to challenge the allure of substances and behaviors that keep us as a community from being our best? Yes. Should we promote messaging that seeks to promote health and wellness? Yes. Can we have community dialogue and get each others‚ attention without over sensationalizing? We can and we must.

Why not emphasize our community's courage and resilience in spending the past five years tackling this issue and our accomplishments in reducing use?

Misleading and deceptive communications on such an important matter do not serve our collective physical, mental, spiritual or sexual health needs. They don't enlighten. Telling the truth is essential, involves nuance, and our community deserves no less.

For those who use the drug problematically, treatment is available and recovery is possible. Chicago has a wealth of resources to help gay men addicted to crystal, including programs at Howard Brown Health Center, Haymarket Center and Valeo at Lakeshore Hospital. Additionally, there are groups like Crystal Meth Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous that offer important support to people who want to get and stay sober.

Crystal meth is an issue of concern for those who use the drug, for those who love them, and for the community which is their home. Chicago remains committed to helping these people receive the support they need to minimize harms, reduce use or quit altogether.

Signed,
Project CRYSP ( LifeLube's momma)
projectcrysp@gmail.com

-------

Also in the Windy City Times, another item of interest:
Drug Task Force Starts Website

In a meeting held Feb. 17 at the Chicago Department of Public Health ( CDPH ) , 333 S. State, the Chicago Task Force on LGBT Substance Use and Abuse announced that it has started a Web site that functions as an information repository.

The Web site, www.ChicagoLGBTSubstance.com , has several pages, including "Body, Mind, & Soul," which discusses emotional and mental health in addition to the physical; "Substances," which tackles alcohol, opiates and tobacco, among other drugs; and "Chicago Services," which provides a list of references and agencies that aid in drug treatment, but which also includes a chat room.

Read the rest.

Bluebelly harm reduction from Down Under

Bluebelly / blue.bel.ly / n.
1. slang term for meth/amphetamine.
2. a diverse community of interested individuals seeking to gather and deliver high quality harm-reduction information.

Bluebelly is a collaborative, harm-reduction project from Down Under that aims to gather and provide concise, relevant information about amphetamine-type stimulants for people of all backgrounds/identities.

Check out the following example of clear, no-nonsense, user-friendly info from their wiki/website blend:

Drug Combinations

People combine drugs for a range of reasons including:

- Potentiation of pleasurable effects

- To mitigate the unpleasurable effects of another drug

- To achieve separate but simultaneous effects.

While combining particular drugs can prove to be a pleasurable experience for people, in some instances it can be highly dangerous. It should also be stated that different people will respond differently to different drugs and drug combinations, and the same person can have a different response on different occasions.

The table found here provides a summary of some known drug combinations and possible implications.

Bluebelly

Sayonara crystal?

Have Gay Men Conquered The Crystal Menace?
via The Daily Dish, by Andrew Sullivan

This kind of success story doesn't get much media play - certainly not as much as hysterical stories about "Super-AIDS" (remember that in the NYT?) or diagnoses of dysfunction and gloom among gay men. But it's real. And it makes me proud of my community, and its capacity to drag itself out of trouble with tenacity and compassion.

Read the rest.
[ps - this article talks about decreased rates of crystal meth use among gay men in ny and la - but, fyi, rates in chicago have also fallen]

How to Close the LGBT Health Disparities Gap

Negative health outcomes for LGBT people are due to the cumulative and intersecting impact of many different factors, particularly their reduced access to employer-provided health insurance, the social stigma that exists against LGBT people, and a lack of cultural competence in the health care system.

via Center for American Progress, by Jeff Krehely

LGBT health disparities overall

In the past decade lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, people have made rapid progress in winning and securing equal rights. Fifteen states and Washington, D.C. now give same-sex couples at least some of the same rights afforded to heterosexual married couples. Even more states offer nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or both. Polling data show that the general public has increasingly positive views of LGBT people and are becoming more supportive of their civil and political rights. In short, heterosexual Americans are finally recognizing LGBT people as a legitimate social minority that should have equal access to our society’s basic rights, opportunities, and responsibilities.

Despite this progress, however, members of the LGBT population continue to experience worse health outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts. Due to factors like low rates of health insurance coverage, high rates of stress due to systematic harassment and discrimination, and a lack of cultural competency in the health care system, LGBT people are at a higher risk for cancer, mental illnesses, and other diseases, and are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs, and engage in other risky behaviors.

People who are both LGBT and members of a racial or ethnic minority will often face the highest level of health disparities. For example, as the National Coalition for LGBT Health notes, a black gay man faces disparities common to the African-American community as well as those suffered by the LGBT community, and a transgender Spanish-speaking woman, regardless of her sexual orientation, must navigate multiple instances of discrimination based on language, ethnicity, and gender. A companion CAP brief, “How to Close the LGBT Health Disparities Gap: Disparities by Race and Ethnicity,” explores these in more detail.

Health surveys cannot continue to treat populations in isolation: Members of the LGBT community who are members of other populations that are recognized as suffering from health disparities must be allowed to identify themselves fully on surveys, including their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Read the rest.

C-Talk - For guys who have used drugs and love sex

CHICAGO

Come to a ten-week group focused on healthy sexuality for men who have used cocaine and crystal meth.



This is a research study conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Howard Brown Health Center to see if groups like this one can help men develop a healthier sense of sexuality that doesn't always depend on using drugs.

For more info, please contact
nicolep@howardbrown.org or call 773-388-8872

The "Work-In" - 12-step Recovery Myths

by Ed Negron, a former drug user, turned gangbanger, turned drug dealer, turned own best customer, turned addict, turned recovering addict (still there), turned activist, turned business manager, turned student, turned Substance Abuse Counselor, turned better and happier person, turned someone who can love and be loved (Love you Patrick), turned blogger. Check out Ed's own blog here.

Featured Every Thursday on LifeLube (though he has been on va-k for awhile) --- check out all of Ed's "Work-In's" here.

12 Step Recovery Myths

Many people hesitate to try 12 step programs or avoid them altogether because of some the myths they hear about them. I have to admit I don’t blame them. Some of the things we hear are scary. Well today I hope to dispel some of these myths. Granted some hardcore 12 steppers may get upset but my aim is not to offend anyone. Trust me I think 12 step program are a vital part of creating a strong foundation for your recovery. It definitely worked/works for me and millions of other people.

In the book Powerfully Recovered, author Ann Wayman put it this way, “Telling people who have little, if any, experience with success, that they can never successfully recover guarantees that many of them will never even try. Insisting that people who already feel powerless must adopt an attitude of perpetual powerlessness in order to let go of their addiction means many of them will refuse to even attempt to work the Program.”


Here are some myth buster from Drug Addiction and Recovery Series - 12 Step Meeting Myths and Realities by Ravi Jaya on February 15, 2009

Myth: Go to 90 Meetings in 90 Days

On the surface, it sounds like there is nothing wrong with this advice right? However, there are a number of problems with following this recommendation. First, what are you going to do if you don’t make 90 meetings in 90 days? Is this unrealistic goal going to set you up for failure? If you make 100 meetings in 90 days, is a monument going to be built for you? What does this goal accomplish? Why the arbitrary number of 90? Is there something special about this number?

While it is good to have discipline while working a program of recovery, this type of discipline will only set you up for failure. As human beings, our lives are incredibly complex where we are balancing time for a job, relationships and family. Sometimes, situations come into our lives where we might miss a meeting or two. And, if you do happen to meet a meeting or two, it is OK as long as you are consistently working the 12 steps and have your own connection to your higher power.

Also, if you are 100 percent reliant on meetings to keep you sober, what is going to happen when you can’t get to a meeting? The answer is that you will probably end up using drugs again. It is imperative that you build and find the tools within yourself and through your higher power to keep you sober.

Myth: Take Your Time to Work the 12 Steps

This is one of the biggest untruths that is perpetuated in our programs of recovery. There is a popular saying, “We didn’t get sick overnight, and we won’t get well overnight.” While it is true that you will most likely not get well literally overnight, you will get well as fast as you work the steps. I knew a man who worked the steps in 15 days, and his spiritual recovery took literally 15 days. Most people do not work the steps this fast, however; there is nothing wrong with working the steps this quickly. In the early days of the 1930’s when the steps were first being practiced, most people did the steps in a few days. Your sponsor would stay on top of you until you were done. That is why we had such high recovery rates back then: people ensured that people who were new to recovery did the necessary work to stay sober, and in fact, the steps were a necessary task to be completed for you to be included in the fellowship.

“If you read Dr. Bob's story, in the book Alcoholics Anonymous, it becomes clear he worked the then Six Steps in an afternoon and evening! (The original six steps contain all f the now 12 – they were broken up to provide more manageable chunks). The founders and old timers knew it was imperative that the addict had to take massive personal action to effect the needed changes. The Steps, including Step 4 are a solid plan for taking the action necessary to recover.” (Powerfully Recovered, Anne Wayman, Second Edition 2000)

Myth: I Have Years of Sobriety and Am Still Powerless and My Life Is Still Unmanageable

The first step of recovery talks about how we are powerless over drugs and how our lives have become unmanageable, and early on before you work the steps, this is true. The original 12 step text, details how we are when we are still getting drunk and loaded, and what happens when we try and quit on our own. These descriptions of us are right on the money and show how powerless and unmanageable we were.

However, the whole point of us working the steps is that we can gain some power in our lives and that our lives can become more manageable again. The first step points out how our lives have become powerless and unmanageable, the second step shows us that we can believe in our own higher power, and then the third step turns the management of our lives over to that higher power that we chose in the second step. After you perform a third step, your life is no longer unmanageable because your life is now being managed by your higher power. Yes, I know that it sounds strange, although after you try it, you understand that it really works.

For more myth busters and a better understanding of what I am trying to get at with this blog post today I high recommend reading Powerfully Recovered, Anne Wayman, Second Edition 2000. Choosing to stop acting out on our dysfunction/addiction take power and will which we all have. RECLAIM YOUR POWER AND WILL!

(Usual disclaimer applies, with emphasis: The suggestions on this blog are just that “SUGGESTIONS.” My words cannot heal your pain and or addictions. Nor can I change your life. Only you can.)

Don’t forget that September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. The 2009 theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Learn, Together We Heal.” See what's happening near you RecoveryMonth.gov

Visit my blog at thework-in.blogspot.com or to read daily motivations visit http://backtothebasicsplease.com/wordpress

If you are not sure how to begin your work-in or need some guidance please feel free to post a comment or email me directly at thework-in@hotmail.com, I will response as soon as I can.

“Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness." -- Shakti Gawain