PJ Fans In 12 Step Recovery 2nd edition
mickeyrat
Posts: 37,764
Unfortunately the previous thread was lost in the shuffle. On the old Pit this was moved.twice. If we can include current songs listened to in our posts we stand a chance of staying put here.
This threads intention is to provide support to those in 12 step recovery and to those who are thinking about making a change in their life. Doesn't matter to me which fellowship you belong to , as I think we can learn something from each other to help us along the path.
Little history about PJ and me. Back when the Boys came on the scene , I was well into my drinking and using. At that time I knew that was a problem , but had no desire or willingness to seek change. Ten just blew me away. So much emotion , Pj doing for me what I couldn't do for myself. I had gotten ahold of the EP tape that had Wash on it. That song held the key , but at the time I was unable/unwilling to use it. What it contained was too scary for me to contemplate.Promptly "lost" that tape.
When Vs. came out I quickly latched onto among other things Elderly Woman. That song just screamed the Alcoholic/addict etc. Brought me to tears cuz I never thought I would get to the point of screaming HELLOOOO!!!
One thing about me was my use ebbed and flowed. When it flowed the music (all) was one of the first things to go. As it ebbed the music was heard again. In '06 music came through loud and clear.
For me treatment was necessry to establish a foundation in recovery. While there , I was made aware of Lost Dogs. On the Dogs disc I met my friend again in Wash. I find that all along I've equated the music in some way to recovery. And now I'm able to use the music as inspiration, a prayer, etc. to help me along the path.
So feel free to share . Again ALL fellowships are welcome here . Let's walk the path together.
Mickeyrat
NOTE: For those unable to post , if you are registered you CAN PM
Futher NOTE:Initially I felt W and M .... C was a nice QUIET place for this thread. But it was felt that WE couldn't / wouldn't keep it on topic i.e. lyrics and how they've helped. That is still welcome , but in the previous incarnation it got off topic pretty quick. So taking a suggestion I requested the move to AET. SO here we are. I hope you'll find it as easy to post.
This threads intention is to provide support to those in 12 step recovery and to those who are thinking about making a change in their life. Doesn't matter to me which fellowship you belong to , as I think we can learn something from each other to help us along the path.
Little history about PJ and me. Back when the Boys came on the scene , I was well into my drinking and using. At that time I knew that was a problem , but had no desire or willingness to seek change. Ten just blew me away. So much emotion , Pj doing for me what I couldn't do for myself. I had gotten ahold of the EP tape that had Wash on it. That song held the key , but at the time I was unable/unwilling to use it. What it contained was too scary for me to contemplate.Promptly "lost" that tape.
When Vs. came out I quickly latched onto among other things Elderly Woman. That song just screamed the Alcoholic/addict etc. Brought me to tears cuz I never thought I would get to the point of screaming HELLOOOO!!!
One thing about me was my use ebbed and flowed. When it flowed the music (all) was one of the first things to go. As it ebbed the music was heard again. In '06 music came through loud and clear.
For me treatment was necessry to establish a foundation in recovery. While there , I was made aware of Lost Dogs. On the Dogs disc I met my friend again in Wash. I find that all along I've equated the music in some way to recovery. And now I'm able to use the music as inspiration, a prayer, etc. to help me along the path.
So feel free to share . Again ALL fellowships are welcome here . Let's walk the path together.
Mickeyrat
NOTE: For those unable to post , if you are registered you CAN PM
Futher NOTE:Initially I felt W and M .... C was a nice QUIET place for this thread. But it was felt that WE couldn't / wouldn't keep it on topic i.e. lyrics and how they've helped. That is still welcome , but in the previous incarnation it got off topic pretty quick. So taking a suggestion I requested the move to AET. SO here we are. I hope you'll find it as easy to post.
_____________________________________SIGNATURE________________________________________________
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
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Comments
How are you doing this morning??
It does feel kind of strange not being able to go onto that site anymore, but they really did a great job here.. When I first got here it was black {literally}..
Good Luck with this thread, glad to see it's back
Wish you were here...
♥~RIP Dad
The Words and Music...Communication forum is about examination of the lyrics, interpretation of the meanings. If the interpretation of the lyrics is examined with a specific issue and how it helped someone, it could stay here if it includes lyric discussion. If it goes off topic, it'll need to be moved to a more appropriate forum.
Best,
Kat
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Yeah, trying to hit the ground running this semester. That and I'm generally horrible about responding to e-mails and the like. In any case, doesn't seem like there are many of us left here.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
There are people in the rooms of AA that can help you answer the question you posed about why you can't stop drinking. "Functional" is just a description - Alcoholic is the more important part of your problem. If it is causing you problems beyond what you are willing to accept, then I encourage you to seek help. Please feel free to PM me if you want to talk more. I have found inspiration in the music of PJ, but I have found recovery in the rooms of AA. I would be willing to share more if you are interested, but I won't push if you are not. Best wishes on whatever path you choose to follow.
Congrats on the 4 months - that's awesome!! I agree that those who aren't the same as us have difficulty understanding what we are going through, and what we are trying to do in recovery. I just became able to post today, so please feel free to PM me or post in this forum - I check this one regularly! I love Present Tense, and I also love Mine, hence the sig
First of all, great job on trying to stay sober, and secondly, GREAT question. I will my best to answer it from my personal experience. I am an active member of AA, and try to live by the principles I have learned in the program on a daily basis. SO, at the expense of sounding all preachy, I can say that from my own personal experience, the only thing I have found that has kept me sober has been working, and I stress WORKING, the 12 steps. Only by doing the things suggested can I really get to the underlying cause of my alcoholism, since my drinking is but a symptom. By working those steps, incorporating them into my life on a daily basis, I have been able to stay sober. When I stopped doing that, when I thought I had a handle on this sobriety thing, I found myself back on a barstool. What I came to realize is that I am the underlying cause, and the treatment for that is the 12 steps as laid out in the Big Book and worked with a sponsor.
I guess whether you are "cured" or not depends on your concept of a cure. I no longer have the obsession to drink, my life is MUCH better, and I am generally a much happier and overall nicer person - so in that respect, I am "cured". However, I know that I will never be able to drink "like normal people", but that is no shock, since I never drank like normal people to begin with
Please don't think Im trying to steer any one away from getting help by going to meetings it just wasn't for me
Well, for me, the ability to live a normal life (to the extent anyone can) has come from working the 12 steps. I learned to identify what I wanted to "scratch", and then learned how to deal with it. I wish you well in your recovery journey. If you have any questions you don't want to discuss in open forum, please feel free to PM me. I would be happy to help in any way I can.
I am happy you have been able to recover and maintain sobriety on your own. I have never been able to. But we did some things similarly - I took a good look at myself, decided some things had to change, and changed them. I just chose, and still choose, to do it in AA. I appreciate the way you voiced your opinion, without knocking or degrading recovery programs. Thanks for that, and I wish you happiness as you travel your road of recovery.
Are you a smoker? I know many who have quit and they all tell me even 10 years out they still want cigarettes at times. Once a smoker, always a smoker. Once an addict, always an addict. You're proof of that. You don't use drugs or anything do you? Why not? Because you know that if you do, you will not be able to control it. You're still addicted, even if you're not using them. If you weren't, you'd be able to drink casually when you wanted. Tha AA approach isn't wallowing in self-pity or anything, it's just being realistic about the fact that you will never be able to control your drug of choice, so you need to avoid it all together. If you're able to fill the hole that leaves in your life without AA or NA, more power to you. But that doesn't mean that the core philosophy of AA (and every other recovery program I ever heard of) is wrong. They all agree, if you're addicted to something, you can NEVER use it in moderation, so you are, in a sense, always addicted to it.
What AA people just sit around feeling sorry for themselves and saying "this is how it is, I'm a drunk for life"? It just does exactly what you're talking about... forces people to take a real look at their lives and leave out the things that are destroying it.
+1 Very well put
How can someone still be a smoker if they don't smoke any more? That's ridiculous. just like once an addict always an addict .If you want to believe that than that's your choice ,but I don't. It's all about choices. You choose to take a drink, you choose to do a line ,you choose to smoke a joint,and You choose to be an asshole.
Well then, if you're not an addict, why don't you go out and grab some booze or whatever your choice drug was? You're not addicted to it anymore, so you should be able to use it without having any problems, right?
Also I never said people in the rooms sit around feeling sorry for themselves. I Was referring to my self. I just think some people have got more strength then they think they do.
Fair enough. I had hang ups with AA too when I first encountered it, and I can see how it would rub some people the wrong way. I just don't think there's anything remotely wrong with the "always addicted" approach to treatment. You seem to think it's some form of admitting defeat, and I don't think it's anything remotely like that.
And prfctlefts , Yeah some in AA are like that , Good friend of mine is not an alcoholic , but from working the steps as outlined in the book , he's clean for 2+years. So , I guess what I want to say is don't let one narrowminded/closedmined asshole turn you off AA. Am curious to know what your "hangups" with AA are. Would you PM me?
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14