BELIEVE YOUR EYES (and Believe THEIR "I's")

 

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Believe your eyes when you read the Reviews of ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction and Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal.

Below, from the 50+ Reader Reviews of All Drinking Aside on the Amazon page for it, you will find a Condensed Listing of Some of Their "I" Statements.

BELIEVE YOUR EYES. (and Believe THEIR "I's")

"All Drinking Aside is clearly not a book to miss and certainly not one I will soon forget. I will take it with me in my academic circles and in my work with future patients, My thoughts are often with Jim as he continues his recovery through interaction with the learned community and I am grateful to be part of it." - Vilma Reyes

"I couldn't put this book down. I highly recommend it for those suffering with addiction as well as their families and friends." - Linda S.

"I have worked in the field of addiction treatment for quiet some time and 'All Drinking Aside' touches on a whole new perspective to alcoholism that didn't exist in this space before." - Scott Brand

"The book was so good that I found myself starting to bend the corners of certain pages and finally broke down and started high-lighting many passages... I highly recommend it." - David W. MacDonald

"I am sure his book will save lives but it is in his examination of life, of any kind of life where the nature and purpose of his book becomes not more universal (this reader tends to shun such claims) but artistic." - Sandy

"I wholeheartedly recommend this book." - Margaret Check 

"I thought I knew everything there is to know about alcoholics, however, your book revealed more relevant information, which was valuable to me." - Sue from Jackson NJ

"I highly recommend 'All Drinking Aside' to anyone going through it, who has been through it or related to the situation in any capacity. I am happy to recommend this book for so many reasons." - Michele Lanfrank

"I recommend it to everyone." - Mark Lansaw

"I appreciated his sharing of what is a intense and frightening story." - Scott H.

"I recognized my insane self in this insane book by an insane author." - Roger L. Dupont

"I do highly recommend this book to anyone!" - Eloise

"I ordered another one for my friend. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have made notes for myself and underlined things that pertained to my alcoholism." - John Bradley

"I wholeheartedly recommend this book." - Nessa

*****

Read all the Reader Reviews of ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal 

On Amazon.com. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO 

5,900+ Recovery Tweets here: twitter.com/jimanders4 

RECOVERY'S ENIGMA: Anyone can make it, Yet many don't.

All of us, together and separately, have said of others and of ourselves, that anyone can make it. But in our hearts we doubt we can, at times each of us has doubted, been filled with doubt. Because we know, too well we know, that many can't. 

All we are left with, sometimes, is hope and puzzlement: Recovery's Enigma.

(public domain)

A certain faith and an uncertain doubt are intertwined and from it a fabric both coarse and fine is woven.

So much of life a mystery and difficult and sometimes impossible to understand. Yet in moments distant and too close to us, at times we understand the very fabric of our lives and others can be torn apart.

We must work together to repair the damaged sail when the storm has calmed and we have taken measure of our losses and our gains. A thousand generations have brought us all this far. And by now we have learned that beyond the far horizon, soon another day will appear. We do our best to keep this ship in good repair, even knowing every day a multitude will die and a birth of plentitude will provide new menders who will tend to right our course.

Recovery's Enigma, that anyone can make it, yet many don't, becomes a good thing, not because in itself that it is good, but in our knowing we can make it right. Through learned strength and shared courage we continue to long, endure our struggles and to make life good. Move on. Move forward.

I don't know why I awoke in the middle of the night and felt compelled to write this. Somehow, the far horizon had become today, half a thousand years behind us and untold futures lie ahead. 

I won't drink to that, to all of this, but I will pause.

Give thanks, be kind. There are many storms ahead. This is but one day for thanksgiving, with many more ahead. Give thanks. I'm going back to bed. 

Recovery's UNVARNISHED TRUTH: Do nothing, stay trapped. DO GOOD, GET WELL SOONER

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Thanks to a Jan T. (I will protect her Anonymity), today I was reminded of my last Alcoholics Anonymous Sponsor (someone who, like you, is in Recovery and offers a helping hand and Guidance so that you may find another sober day). He lived a long, productive and honored life and maintained and flourished with over 60 years of continuous sobriety. He died sober and thanks to him, that is my best intention.

When I first got sober, the first 8 years were endless repetitions of relapse and recovery. One man did for me what a battery of doctors, therapists and psychiatrists were unable to do (partly, of course, due to my inability to following their best advice).

My Sponsor, M.M., after a deluge of discussions, one day, when I was completely perplexed and didn't know what to do next, offered me a small bit of advice that changed and likely saved my life. To paraphrase, he offered that when I don't know what to do next to gain another day of sobriety, I should help someone else. It's a Win/Win situation. Helping them in whatever way possible helps both of you. 

My experience has confirmed this to be true. In a larger sense, each generation passes the mantle on to their successors. And so, life goes on.

*****

Back to Jan T. (from the first sentence of this post): Jan got to know me through one of the many Recovery Groups I belong to on Facebook. She liked my posts and is currently reading the book of recovery I wrote, despite the fact that I've never met her in person. Today, she sent me a personal message saying verbatim: 

"Page 125 

He's talking to his disease

That is insane.

I declare myself insane - [smiley face, laughing till you cry face]"

I replied to her: "It's an eye-opener for people who have never had a substance use disorder!

HERE'S WHERE SHE KNOCKED ME OVER with a flood of memories of the life of the man who had saved my life. She shared with me that she had sent a passage from my book to a friend this very morning. If I understand correctly, the passage she sent her friend was about people who shut others out of their life simply to see who might persist to open that door.

Jan told me that her friend contacted her within minutes.

She concluded with a "Thank you, Jim."

When Jan reads this post, I'm hoping that she will understand that helping someone else is a Win/Win situation and in this case, a Win/Win/Win/Win situation (if you get my drift).

JAN! THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME FIND ANOTHER DAY SOBER.

I say this truly, thanks!

*****
Do nothing, stay trapped. 

DO GOOD, GET WELL SOONER.

*****

"Nothing matters more than that we remain sober because when we remain sober everything matters more." - All Drinking Aside, p. 269. 

*****

ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal 

On Amazon.com. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO 

5,900+ Recovery Tweets here: twitter.com/jimanders4