Originally Published: March 2nd, 2025

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2026

This year my reply to this daily prompt is an extension from the growth I spoke about in 2025’s response to what experiences in life helped me grow the most.

For the past while, I’ve felt a stagnation in my Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) recovery for my alcoholism. I felt a bit lost as groups I attended didn’t feel like a fit, a recent sponsor never returned my text message, I was struggling with the “God” word and AA’s singleness of purpose because my story includes more than this 12-Step program.

Then I discovered Recovery Dharma (RD), a recovery program for all types of addictions steeped in Buddhist teachings.

I appreciate how RD allows me to talk about all aspects of my recovery path while learning about Buddhist teachings.

Soon after, a series of events happened where I now have a new AA meeting I love and I was introduced to a like-minded member, who is now my sponsor.

He is a hippie kinda dude from Seattle, Washington who bases his 12-Step work on more than just AA’s Big Book and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. He and his partner are going to Thailand for the month of March, then when they return, he and I will begin working on the 12-Steps together.

While away, Ito prepare for our work together that includes reading 3 books that influence his work with a sponsee on the 12-Steps:

• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (I’ve already read a few times)
• Drop the Rock by Bill P., Todd W., and Sara s.
• The Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox
• Listen to Joe and Charlie’s Big Book Study on Everything AA app

I feel like I am back on track, again.

S, 🌻

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2025

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Proper Mental Health Diagnoses. Feeling Safe. Accepting I Am An Alcoholic.

February 9th, 2022 – On this day, everything mental health changed drastically for me. On this day I was properly diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and Histrionic Personality Disorder.

After decades of misdiagnoses, my thoughts, emotions and behavioural patterns FINALLY made sense as I soaked in my truth.

Summer of 2023 – My nervous system started shifting from high alert into a profound sense of feeling safe in my world when we permanently moved onto our property .

The back story is too long to explain.

Simply put, for the first time in most of my adult life, I felt finally at home. My home. My safe place.

My nervous system could finally start to relax.

August 1st, 2023 – On this day I surrendered, admitted defeat to my alcoholism and after decades of struggles, walked back in a 12-Step program knowing this was the only way I would stop drinking, forever, one day at a time.

12-Step Zoom Meetings – living in a remote, rural location, 12-Step Zoom Meetings brought access to life-saving support and recovery, each and every day.

Therefore

It was only until my mental health was properly diagnosed that I could then take correct steps to help myself instead of drowning in therapies that were not effective.

It was only until I felt safe in my world that my nervous system could start to move out of the constant and exhausting state of flight, fight or freeze and start to relax.

It was only until my nervous system started slowing down, along with attending daily 12-Step Zoom meetings, was I able to truly understand how 12-Step programs work, surrender into it and do the work necessary to stay sober, one day at at time.

These experiences in my life helped me grow the most, to become and keep moving towards my best version of me.

S, 🌻

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