The treatment facility where I worked had on site Na/AA meetings often combined plus CA, CMA, and gay a meetings there was also Celebrate Recovery and DRA meetings at the church on the corner. Clients were required to attend 3 meetings a day every day except Sunday so they could go to church if they desired. plus alcohol, drug and re entry meetings. The shortest contract was 60 days on site.
It takes a minimum I believe of 60 days treatment to lift the fog and confounding of substance abuse....or any addictive behaviors actually.
......Most people that are truly spiritually ill won't become willing to change until it becomes to painful not to!
........That is not to say some people are an exception and possess the logical sense to realize their life is spiraling downward.....
.......But.....most need that separation to dry out detoxify or abstain from whatever destructive behavior so they can accept their bottom or acknowledge their unmanageable life....and become willing.....
.......I received 60 days of full time substance abuse education and some outside meetings.......but more in house.....
.......So....I didn't actually start my 100 meetings in 100 days till after I left treatment.... those.....100 in 100 were my self applied aftercare follow up.....I was determined come hell or high water I wasn't going to waste my treatment or lose the ground I had gained.....
........I was actually thrilled to see that a strong fellowship of people struggling and suffering just like myself existed......!
.........And at last I had a sound logical explanation for my issue.....that I was spiritually Ill.....my thoughts were obsessed with my PHENOMENON OF CRAVING
AND WERE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ALLERGIC MANIFESTATION.
.......That I could not control by any willpower of my own.
.........Before reading the recovery text.....I had no belief whatsoever that there was a solution.....
........I had become resolute to accepting the fact that I was a drunkard....and probably would die an early death as one......
.........The text says we are like shipwreck survivors in that we have survived disaster to find ourselves in a life boat and have a reliance in one another through our unity of purpose ........!!!!
I functioned.....but not well by no means....I held a job paid the bills and drank a minimum of a fifth of hard liquor nightly....until I passed out or blacked out.....the sabbath was the only day I didn't drink....lol....it was detox day and laundry day.
I used other things also so I could keep going and keep drinking all night long or 3 days straight setting up playing poker.....or for fornication.....They used to stand me up in the corner and let me nap with one eye open.....so I could see If anyone was jacking with me or something of interest was occurring.....lol
.......But.....I,....Identified as an alcoholic despite all the other I also liked and partook of in mass..... and periodicly dealt in and had mass access to.....
........The Feds don't show up in your rearview because you're a DRUNK.....it's because you have to many other of the wrong kind of friends also.
........I was very very lucky....so when I came out of treatment I ran with it.....and didn't by the Grace of God fumble the ball......being charged only as a drunk....was only sheer luck!
.......As they say even though I was only 25....I had been making a decade hard run at it.....been shot at....several times.....way to many street and bar fights.....to many times escaping arrest and near death and all the garbage on the street....
........just being an adulterous fornicator can get you killed or close calls with it.....so
......It was time to put the plug in the jug before I got permanently locked up or covered up with dirt!!!😀
I was one of the sickest 25 yr olds you could imagine for 1985.....people.......
( rednecks/hillbillies ) I knew.....thought redneck jousting was funny and a great past time at 03:00 after being on a three day drunk what you do is you get one pickup at one end of main street....another at the other.
.......Then somebody in the spectator crowd waves the flag then you take off full speed at each other while firing firearms at each other!!!
.......hahaha......real funny when ya been drinking 200 proof shine for three days and you're ten ft tall and bullet proof......( NOT!!! ).....
........It don't get much more insane.......I had some biker friends also. Seen people die because they were in the wrong place....
.........I am a miracle like most people that survive the streets and their bad habits.
😀