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| | From:  Annie-LL (Original Message) | Sent: 9/19/2003 3:31 AM |
We admit we were powerless over....( alcohol,drugs, food, ect)and our lives have became unmanageable. We have become to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to our sanity'
We have made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of our Creator as we understand Him. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. We have admitted to the Creator and ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. We are entirely ready to have the Creator remove all these defects of character. We humbly ash Him to remove our shortcomings We have made a list of all persons we have harmed and are williing to make amends to them all. We have made direct amends to such people whereever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. We continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promply admitted it. We sought prayer and meditation to improve our concious contact with Creator as we understood him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. Having had a spiritual awakening as trhe result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other(alcoholics, addicts ect) and to practice these principals in all our affairs.
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|  0 recommendations | Message 2 of 14 in Discussion |
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| This message has been deleted due to termination of membership. |
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Annie I came across The Native American version of the 12 steps, and thought it would be interesting to share.
1. We admitted that the bad medicine of alcohol had counted coup on us and that with alcohol we could not manage our own lives.
2. We have come to believe that the medicine of the Great Spirit could restore us to the way and to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives to the care of the Great Spirit, as we understand it.
4. Without fear, we make medicine ties for all our faults and bad behavior.
5. We take our medicine ties to the sweat lodge, place them on the Sacred Hoop, counted coop on them with our spiritual guide or sponsor, offering them to the Great Spirit.
6. We became entirely ready to have the Great Spirit remove all these faults and bad medicines.
7. We humbly ask the Great Spirit to take the bad medicine from our spirit.
8. We make medicine ties for all our brothers and sisters that we have harmed and bacame willing to make good medicine with each of them.
9. Make good medicine with them all,making right the wrong wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or us.
10. Make good medicine ties for our faults and when we were wrong, promptly admit it.
11. Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our medicine with the Great Spirit, praying to know His way and the courage to walk His trail, the Red Road.
12. Having had the Great Spirit join our spirit, as the result of these steps, we try to carry this medicine to our brothers and sisters who are addicted, and continue to practice this medicine in all our affairs.
(this was copied from another source) |
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| Can anyone explain counted coup to me , it sems to be used in two different ways above? Step 1 isn't so good, step 5 is good I don't understand, as I said this is copied steps |
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Ohindiangirl, In the Native American version of the 12 step program,
in the first step we admit that our addiction has counted coup on us. In
step 5, we are counting coup on our addictions by over coming them and offering
them to the Great Spirit. The reason that counting coup is used is because
even though we were struck by the addiction, it did not take our live.
When count coup back we acknowledge that they are still there and that if we are
not careful they can come back. Once the addiction has been overcome there
is still the possibility of remission if the substance is reintraduced into the
body.
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Thank You Fuzzy- red bear , that part did throw me off . Have a good day. |
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Great to see other folks in twelve step programs! I have been there for many years I found out early in life that Tennessee moonshine, made my life so I could not think Growing up in the hills of Tennessee we did not drink just a little wine, or beer, we drank moonshine and I do know to many Indians that could drink well. I liked the Indian version, Thanks, One thing I learned early in recovery is dont take yourself to serious. I love being sober, and tobacco free now too. Live One Day At A Time |
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This is awesome to see more comments arriving to the recovery room, I need to hear from everyone. I usually stay sober awhile then relapse, then get back on track, but my main problem is that, even tho sober, I am a dry drunkard. I try to do it all on my own, I acknowledged the Creator, but I kept control, not turning over power to him.I have hit a dry rock bottom and am now ready to turn my will and life totally over to the Creator. I am now starting all over on the twelve steps. Please anyone who enters the Recovery Room, if you can, I ask that you share some hope, strength and wisdom.   |
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| | 0 recommendations | Message 9 of 14 in Discussion |
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| This message has been deleted due to termination of membership. |
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Kahay sister,
My prayers are with you as you struggle with staying dry. Just
remember that it is one step at a time. And though you do not see us we
are with you all the way.
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| | | From: Wokini | Sent: 5/25/2004 9:33 AM |
Greetings ohindiangirl, I want to share my thoughts on recovery and sobriety. I drank for 30 years, a social drinker at first, then as lifes pressures and dissapointment became more frequent and intense, I drank more frequently and more volume. At the end of my drinking, I drank every day, perhaps 6-10 beers each night. (a fair amount for a 140 pound man) My wife left me because of the person I had become after 30 years of drinking. I was not violent, or outwardly abusive, but I hurt people wth my words and actions, or lack of them. I was no longer the loving, caring, father or mate that I once was. My spirit was dieing, I was becoming a "nothing". The day she left, I stopped drinking. I thought she would come running home. She did not. It was very HARD to not drink. I hated it. We talked three weeks after she left, and she encouraged me to seek whatever support was out there. She said that people who merely stop drinking, without support, and without guidence, most often return to drinking. I visited a "recovery" meeting a coiuple days later. I am still attending meetings weekly 6 years later. This is what I have learned. The alcahol was just a symptom. My PROBLEM lies within myself. If I don't address my problems, (weaknesses, character, way I think, values I hold), then I will drink again. Recovery teaches that we must look deep inside ourselves. Look for the "bad", and also the good. We need to TRY to change our weaknesses. Develope a better charactor, make use of our gifts and strengths, and be concious of the rights and needs of others, especially our families. The 12 steps are a simple roadmap showing us the way. The people in the meetings are our teachers and supporters. And our Creator gives us the strength when we are weak, and guides us when we are lost. We must have the desire to change many things about ourselves, and the WILLINGNESS to TRY to change these things. We must give up trying to control our surroundings and our lives. We cannot succeed at controling others, oor even ourselves. Willpower alone cannot keep us sober. Those of us who try that route seldon succeed, we are drinkrs who have simply just not had a drink today. If nothing changes, then nothing changes. With all this said, I want to tell you what has happenned in my life. I am sober and happy,and enjoy SOMETHING from every day. I still have bad days, but I accept that some days will not be pleasant. As my character personality changed, new people came into my life. GOOD people. LOTS of them.I have 10 times as many friends as I used to, and they are true and REAL friends, not users and "takers". I can look at myself in the mirror and be pleased wth the person I see. I walk without fear, and seldom am angry. I can persue my dreams, but realise that I may not reach them all. I can accept life as it is, while trying to make it better. I have very little money, I drive an old car, I no longer work 70 hours a week, I spend more time enjoying friends and family. I do not have that burning urge to drink, that has left me. I am FAR richer today, in the things that are TRUELY important than I have ever been in my life. To tell you how this all came aboiut woulkd take hundreds of pages. But I will say this: Seek the support and knowledge that can be had in a recovery program. It will LIKELY help you. Listen to what is said, and DO NOT fear baring your soul to people you feel you can trust. Something indise you, something about your spirit, needs to be healed. Learn what that is, and work toward healing. You will have a LOT of help. From others in recovery, from people you meet by chance, and from your Creator, by whatever name He reveals himself to you. Your journey will be astounding. Changes may be slow and subtle, but when you look back a year from now, you wll see you have traveled MILES. You life and friends wll change, you feeling about yourself will change. You wll enjoy more of what this world can offer. Your spirit will grow. Or you can go have a few drinks, and keep what you have had, and wither. The choice is yours. Wokini |
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| | | From: Kogen6 | Sent: 5/28/2004 4:53 AM |
So like how much time have you got? "Since I got up this Morning" Ha Ha
Been clean and sober 13 years . So glad to read another in Recovery in this
group. I haven't got much materially either but that's not what it's about
anyway. My higher power gives me exactly what I need.
My sponsor of the past eight years died last January of congestive heart
failure. He had been sick a long time but still it hurt bad. I went right to
the brink of going back out-the counter top with a rig, cotton, spoon and
Oxycontin sitting there. I prayed and the answer came. It was a question.
"What's wrong with this picture".
I now have an incredible sponsor and I upped my program, especially the
reaching out to my higher power. I have just today. It's 9PM and it was
wonderful.
Big Hugs to All
Kogen
>From: "Wokini" <[email protected]>
>Reply-To: "The Wakan Circle" <[email protected]>
>To: "The Wakan Circle" <[email protected]>
>Subject: Re: Twelve Step Program
>Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 01:33:58 -0700
>
_________________________________________________________________
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| | | From: Wokini | Sent: 5/28/2004 7:32 AM |
What you have done, Kogen6, honors you greatly. You have done your part, Creator will always do His. What a powerful team. Last january I marked 6 years of sobriety. I still struggle at times, but I have been taught well what I must do. I love what I have in my life too much to push theses teachings aside. As you stated, using your tools, such as prayer, DO bring thev help we need in troubled times. And there are the people. People who care. People who understand. People who reach out. I want to hank those who wrote me directly after my last posting. Just to let me know they are there for me if I need them. New friendships start from this, what a wonderful gift from someone I have never met. But that is how people in recovery are. That is why it works. All I can offer in return is my ear, my experience, strength and hope. It is all any of us can give. But this can be a powerful gift at times. My Email address is in the members listing, I will always take the time to write back as soon as I can. And who knows what friendships may come from this. Sharing and caring go a long way toward building friendships and gaining strength. I'm happy to see some activity here in our recovery room, and people making use of a powerful tool. Other addicts. Please stay in touch, people. It might even be fun! Wokini |
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I also grew up with moonshine around me <my dad was a runner for many yrs> had a g/f back in high school that found an Old Crow wiskey bottle hid in the garage before I could stop her she sezs "OH I love OC " and took a gulp.... as she hit the ground I stopped her from hitting her head... dragged her into my room and called her mom telling her that she was spending the night cause we were going to go to the movies, when actually she was out cold till the next day... for myself I have never been much of a drinker... saw what it did to my mom and dad and other members of the family... had a six pack of beer in the frig for over 3 yrs till I drowned some lobsters in them... many yrs ago another g/f asked me to go with her to a AA meeting lol thought I was going to get stoned or toss out lol mentioned the fact that I was NOT an alcoholic... <wild booing at this point and comments oh here is another one in denial!!!> then I went on to say I had GROWN UP in an alcholic family... <at this point I was accepted lol> did mention that at one point I had a strong hatered for those who drank and I would rather run them over with my car than to look at them <my g/f looked at me in shock, said thanks alot for letting me know that!!> but then I went thru all the emotions of love , hate , pity, etc till I accepted that is was diease and they needed help more than what they were willing to seek at the time.. growing up I had made a vow to myself that I would NOT drink in front of kids or drink alone.... since most of my life I have been around or working with kids I didnt drink and when I was NOT with kids I was by myself... there were times I was tempted to go for 'one' glass of wine... then some dang commercial on TV will advertize about 'dont drink n drive! etc etc' so needless to say the thought of having a glass of wine was tossed out of my head... I never smoked when I was a kid or as a adult cause 'Henry' broke my nose when playing tag one time... so could not breath right out of my nose... but that is not to say there are other addictions that can cause you to weaken... because of 'situations' growing up I finally turned to food.... which can be just as bad as a drink or a smoke... cause you can do it alone or if you go out you just have to eat when someone offers something to you.. I never have had the money to go to see someone about it.... so I just sat myself down and had a hard heart to heart talk with myself and the creator... since that time I have lost a lot of weight but still have more to go... but I just work on '5lbs at a time!' no more or I get stress really bad about it... what also works against me is that I have PTSD... since coming to terms with it I did alot of reseach on it... and now have several forums on differnet chat line dealing with PTSD... at one point I did see a doc about it but she said that I had a good handle on it and didnt need her... shaking head how wrong she was but cant force someone to help you when you need it if they are un-willing to do so... I dont have any sponsers at this time tho I do/have sponsered others and have helped stop a few sucides over the years... I am a people person... I enjoy working and being around people YET there are times that panic attacks have occured, thankfully no major ones in several years now... |
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