Healthy and Unhealthy Fear Overcoming our fear is not always a good thing. We ought to have feared drinking, suggests the Big Book, for we knew how much suffering and humiliation it had wrought. But we did not. We lacked “the kind of defense that keeps one from putting his hand on a hot stove”Continue reading “4th Step Fear Inventory – Practice These Principles by Ray A.”
Category Archives: Disturbance
Using the 11th Step / St. Francis Prayer
The Saint Francis Assisi Prayer, often used as an 11th Step Prayer in Alcoholics Anonymous, is an immensely popular and empowering prayer used in recovery. Anyone moving through recovery will eventually encounter the prayer and will get to work through its significance and impact on their spirituality, life, and outlook. If you’re just starting your recoveryContinue reading “Using the 11th Step / St. Francis Prayer”
We Never Give Up – Grapevine Article February 2020 by Alex M.
A man from Nepal reminds him that we don’t have the power to get people sober. We just hope and keep reaching out On a cold morning in February, I got a call from an AA friend who was working with a local ministry group that helped refugees and immigrants who had been given asylumContinue reading “We Never Give Up – Grapevine Article February 2020 by Alex M.”
In The Eyes Of The Beholder – Grapevine Article August 2006 by Dennis W.
Learning how to see straight, one day at a time When I first came to Alcoholics Anonymous, I had opinions on everything and knew for certain which was the right or wrong side of an issue. The longer I am in Alcoholics Anonymous, the more I am like our Tenth Tradition, without an opinion onContinue reading “In The Eyes Of The Beholder – Grapevine Article August 2006 by Dennis W.”
Turn It All Over – Grapevine Article January 1984 by J.W.
Step Three I WAS WHAT is called a high-bottom drunk. When I got to the AA program, I had not been beaten down enough to have anything even remotely approaching real humility. I was smug, arrogant, self-satisfied, and certain that every area of my life except my alcoholism was firmly and securely under my control.Continue reading “Turn It All Over – Grapevine Article January 1984 by J.W.”
A World With Clear Eyes – Grapevine Article October 2022 by Brent T.
When he was drinking, he was lost in his emotions. The Steps of AA helped bring him back I was a “happy-go-lucky” drunk and an avid party goer. I was almost always happy. But when I had hangovers, I saw the truth of what I was becoming—sad, depressed and demoralized. I tried my best toContinue reading “A World With Clear Eyes – Grapevine Article October 2022 by Brent T.”
God Has A Plan – Grapevine Article August 2022 by Kayleigh Z.
She was sure nothing good could come of her situation, but more was to be revealed “God has a plan,” my sponsor insisted as I fumed through the phone. I was irate, since my boss had just presented me with an impossible dilemma: the business was not doing well, so he had to slash myContinue reading “God Has A Plan – Grapevine Article August 2022 by Kayleigh Z.”
Nuggets Of Truth – Grapevine Article January 1982 by Anonymous
Having trouble with Step Four? Capture your insights as they occur I WAS SHAMED into the program nearly four years ago. Since then, our family has experienced a number of positive changes that I would not have believed possible. I am now aware of the influence in our lives of a benevolent Higher Power whoContinue reading “Nuggets Of Truth – Grapevine Article January 1982 by Anonymous”
That Day On The Bridge – Grapevine Article September 1962 by M.D.B
My thoughts were on a collision course with the oncoming train (yet all my troubles were within myself) IN May or June of 1948, I stood on the side of a viaduct in western Oregon and played host to a legion of morbid thoughts. A fast freight train rushed towards the tracks directly below. SinceContinue reading “That Day On The Bridge – Grapevine Article September 1962 by M.D.B”
It’s Not The Shoelace – Grapevine Article May 2010 by Jim H.
An AA sees that time in the program doesn’t make him immune to negative emotions Recently, my home group conducted a workshop exploring emotional sobriety. We broke it up into different aspects such as “What is emotional sobriety?” “How does it differ from physical sobriety?”, etc. My assignment was to explore: “Why we need emotionalContinue reading “It’s Not The Shoelace – Grapevine Article May 2010 by Jim H.”