Resources You Can Use Now

TOOLS FOR SOBRIETY

This list of tools for sobriety is presented in no particular order. They are suggestions of items to maintain in your personal sobriety toolbox.

 Stay away from that first drink, taking the 1st step daily ... Attend A.A. regularly and get involved ...  Progress is made ONE DAY AT A TIME ... Do first things first ... Don't become too tired ... Eat at regular hours ... Use the telephone (not just after the fact, but during, too) ... Be active; don't just sit around. Idle time will kill you ... Use the serenity prayer ... Change old routines and patterns ... Don't become too hungry ... Avoid loneliness ... Practice control of your anger ... Air your resentments ... Be willing to help whenever needed ... Be good to yourself, you deserve it ... Easy does it ... Get out of the "If only" trap ... Remember HOW IT WAS: your last drunk, the feelings, etc. ... Beware of your emotions ... Help another in his/her recovery; extend your hand, listen ... Try to turn your life and your will over to your higher power ... Avoid all mood-altering drugs, read all labels on all medicines ... Turn loose of old ideas ... Avoid drinking situations/occasions ... Replace old drinking buddies with new A.A. buddies ... Read the Big Book ... Try not to be dependent on another (sick relationships) ... Be grateful, and when not: Make a GRATITUDE list ... Get off the "Pity Pot:" The only thing you'll get if you don't is a ring around your bottom ... Seek knowledgeable help when troubled and/or otherwise ... Face it: You are powerless over alcohol, people, and things ... Try the 12 and 12, not just 1 and 13 or 1, 12, and 13! ... Let go and Let God ... Use the God bag and the answers: yes, no, or wait: I have something better in store for you. Don't forget to say thanks ... Find courage to change through the example of others who have ... Don't try to test your willpower; give an alcoholic one shovel and one pail and in one hour he/she will need 100 wheelbarrows ... Live TODAY, not YESTERDAY, not TOMORROW: Projection is planning results before anything happens ... Avoid emotional involvements the first year; you end up putting the other person first and lose sight of YOUR problem ... Remember: Alcohol is cunning, baffling, and powerful ... Rejoice in the manageability of your new life ... Be humble: Humility is not in thinking of yourself more, but in thinking more of yourself less often. Watch your ego ... Share your experiences, strength, and hope ... Dump your garbage regularly. GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out ... Get plenty of RESTFUL sleep ... Stay sober for you, not someone else, otherwise it won't work ... Practice rigorous honesty with yourself and others ... Progress is made ONE DAY AT A TIME, not 10 years in one day ... Make no major decisions in the first year ... Get a sponsor and use him/her (not just selectively share) ... Know that no matter what your problems, someone's had them before. Don't be afraid to share, as a problem shared is a problem half-solved ... Strive for progress, not perfection ... When in doubt, ask questions. The only stupid question is the one not asked. You weren't afraid to speak before, so why start now ... Use prayer and meditation, not just pillow talk ... Maintain a balance: spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental ... Don't use other substances as maintenance control ... Watch out for the RED FLAGS, things that give excuses for poor behavior and inevitable relapse ... Learn to take spot-check inventories ... Know that it's okay to be human, just don't drink over it ... Be kind to yourself (it's about time, don't you think?) ... Don't take yourself so seriously; take the disease seriously ... Know that whatever it is that's causing pain, it shall pass ... Stay away from the DRY DRUNK SYNDROME as humanly as possible ... Don't give away more than you can afford to; your sobriety comes first and must be the number-one priority; protect it at all costs ... Take down those bricks from the wall around you; you'll be able to see the daylight better. Let people know who you are ... Get a home group and attend it regularly ... Know that the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train, but actually a ray of hope. Drop the negativity ... Know that you are not alone; that's why the "We" is in the steps ... Be willing to go to any lengths to stay and be sober ... Know that no matter how bleak and dark your past may be, your future is clean, bright, and clear if you don't drink today ... Stay out of your own way ... Don't be in a hurry; remember TIME: Things I Must Earn ... Watch the EGO: Ease God Out ... Protect your sobriety at all costs. Keep the light on you ... Learn to listen, not just to hear; be open-minded and non-judgmental ... Know that if your insides match your outsides, everyone looks good ... If the rest of the world looks bad, check yourself out first ... When all else fails, punt! Up the number of meetings! ... Remember FEAR: False Evidence Appears Real ... Remember FINE: Fouled-up, Insecure/insane, Neurotic, and Emotionally unbalanced; watch the FINE ...Handle what you can and leave the rest, don't overtax yourself. You can only accomplish so much in a given 24 hours ... Honesty and consistency are key factors in recovery ... Let the little kid in you out; learn how to laugh from the gut ... Gratitude is in the attitude ... Cherish your recovery.