Friends of Bill. W

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A great accomplishment.
I struggled in my youth, and for some reason or another i lost intrest in it.not 100 per cent,but really dont have the urge.
I still smoke, that is a difficult thing to give up.
I can honestly say, I feel your pain!
 
Cigarettes? I don’t think so. I still crave one after a good meal on cold winter evening. Gave them up just before the alcohol and dope. Definitely one tough addiction!
 
I am Glad i never tried smoking. I smoked Pot in high school and as an adult . I quit pot when i was 29-30. didn't see the need anymore. I turned 56 on Monday, so i have good health at this age and should be flogging the duster for another 20 years. lol
 
Congrats on the long term sobriety! My oldest brother was a friend of Bill W. and was sober until his untimely passing. I feel fortunate that I never had the issue with addiction that he had.

I have helped a couple of people get help over the years, some were successful and some not so much....
 
December 16 1989. I was in the backseat of a cop car in Orange County, going down for my 3rd DUI. I knew I was in a lot of trouble, and I told myself, John I hope you had fun tonight, because that was your last drink. I ended up getting sentenced to 5 months in jail, where I did 3.5 months. Thanks to the program, my family,and the lord above, Dec 17th I took a cake for my 29th year of sobriety. It is literally the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I owe everything to this program. Everything.

Thanks for sharing, and congratulations to everyone working the program. Keep coming back, it works if you work it. :)
 
My fellow trudgers, your stories are inspirational. In case someone reading this can relate to mine:
Came from a good and loving family and had many good breaks in life. And yet I always pulled everything down on top of me. Just caught a genetic bullet. No body could ever figure it out, including me. Then I found my way into the rooms oof AA. Now I have a daily reprieve. And a life that is amazing.
FABO and a meeting! Hell yea!
 
Alcohol and I never got along too well. I crossed paths with the friends of Bill W. and Dr. Bob over 32 years ago and never touched another drop.
One day at a time.
 
Glad i started this thread, it has started some good fellowship.

Usually how it gets started.

Though I've never walked the path of alcoholism or drugs, I've walked a life that I have shared here a few times.

Death of a daughter. Death of a wife. Mental illness.

The stories we share may help others deal with what he have/are dealing with. If that helps others to seek help, find inspiration, overcome, then it's life worth living.
 
Alcohol and I never got along too well. I crossed paths with the friends of Bill W. and Dr. Bob over 32 years ago and never touched another drop.
One day at a time.
Speaking of Dr. Bob, we used to go to Akron every year for the anniversary of AA. The University helps put on a very nice weekend of education and celebration of the program.
 
Usually how it gets started.

Though I've never walked the path of alcoholism or drugs, I've walked a life that I have shared here a few times.

Death of a daughter. Death of a wife. Mental illness.

The stories we share may help others deal with what he have/are dealing with. If that helps others to seek help, find inspiration, overcome, then it's life worth living.
I agree with your conclusion. Over the years I tried so many times to quit smoking and would result in one failure after another. And every time it made me feel like a complete failure. This was the only thing that had ever controlled me . Then you talk to others that relate the same outcome and you realize it's not just you. I talked to a close friend of mines son who kicked the meth and crack addiction that stated that was easy, but he can't beat the cigarette addiction!
 
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I agree with your conclusion. Over the years I tried so many times to quit smoking and would result in one failure after another. And every time it made me feel like a complete failure. This was the only thing that had ever controlled me . Then you talk to others that relate the same outcome and you realize it's not just you. I talked to a close friend of mines son who kicked the meth and crack addition that stated that was easy, but he can't beat the cigarette addition!

Amazing, isn't?

I, too, have that issue. For everything I've struggled with in my life, cigarettes still have a hold.
 
They say cigarettes are worse than ****** addiction. Very hard to quit. Thank God i never started. My dad smoked. 2.5 packs a day. Started at 13 years old. He quit cold turkey about 15 years ago, but the damage is done. He just turned 80 years old, and has to drag around an oxygen cylinder. I always regarded it as a filthy thing to do to your body. I think he used the nicorette patches and the nicotene gum to help him.
 
Wow, when we need Him, He comes to us. I too, have not been able to kick the nicotine addiction. And I have been asking that He help me be willing to quit. So this discussion got me to wondering, is there a Nicotine Anonymous? Well I searched it and guess what? There is. And there's a meeting close by to me. Guess what I'll be checking out?
 
I struggled with the first 5 years of sobriety until i surrendered to my higher power. Once that happened every aspect of my life started to change.
 
December 5th was my 3 year sobriety date. Its been a long hard road but much worth it. The last three years before that id lost interest in anything that didnt involve a drink. Id quit my cars hunting working on guns everything basically. Im glad I was able to get past it and get my life back I see so many ppl that loose their lives to drugs and alcohol. Its just not worth it.
 
Everyone i have spoken too who started smoking in high school, said it started out as a social thing, a way to meet people and fit in.
 
Not me. at 19 I attended a electronics tech. I walk in the class and several students are smoking? In school? In walks the teacher, yup he's smoking! At our first break, I went to the break room, there stood a cigarette machine. So I bought a pack of Salems and that was that, first cigarette I ever had. This was 1974.Took 38 years after that to quit them.
 
Well i do it without even thinking about it anymore, the program has become a natural working part of my life. I do self searching and negative thought challenging all the time. Stay in gratitude, and try not to sweat the small stuff. Pride and fear were my 2 biggest enemies, when one of those were threatened, i would drink. At one time my cars defined me. Now they are just a hobby for me to enjoy. It was that stinking thinking that would get me into all sorts of trouble.
 
Well I quit drinking over 3 months ago.
I'm not certain it will be forever ?
I have always been able to take or leave alcohol.
Due to certain circumstances in my life, and the fact for the first time in my life alcohol was pretty much a daily coping mechanism, I gave it up for now.
I decided I need to be clear minded during this season of my life .
I made the decision to go atleast 6 months.
I will decide at that point if I will continue to abstain from alcohol ?
I smoked cigarettes for 6 years was at about a pack a day , sometimes more if I drank or did drugs.
I have not had a cigarette for over 27 years.
I don't do drugs and have not for years.
Weed was most difficult for me to quit.
It has been also around 27 years with the exception of a few brief periods that I have smoked weed .
I commend all who take the steps to better their lives and the ones around them , by living a clean life !
Merry Christmas to all my mopar brothers and sisters !
Thanks for sharing !!
 
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