Out with the old, in with the new...

"...I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to dowith me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch."~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 13~

I grew up in a religious family and have been spiritual throughout most of my life, some years more than others, but it was not until I finally quit drinking and drugging did I feel free and felt God’s presence. I was fortunate, it was a life saving and life changing event when I gave it all up and put myself at the feet of God. I had prayed for many things over the years and called on Him several times, but when I gave my up completely to Him everything changed in me. I had an epiphany; I woke up at that instant and have not looked back. I still deal with the repercussions from my stoned and drunk days, but I know that if trust in Him and not in myself, all will be well and good in the end. What a relief!
Everyone is different and many people have abstained with other methods, but I truly feel it is more than just about not using, or not drinking, it is about leaving the past behind, cleaning the temple, and living anew.

It is so much more than just quitting...

"Cessation of drinking is but the first step away from a highly strained, abnormal condition."~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 122~

It is such a misconception that if one can just quit drinking/using/abusing then all their troubles would be over. That, however, is not the case in the overwhelming majority of addictions. To truly recover you must not only quit, but also rid your life and lifestyle of as much addictive causing behavior and influences as possible, then get on some kind of preventative, or maintenance program. Addiction is a chronic illness and the only way to cure it is to get rid of the causes, some of which you probably never knew were contributing to the problem. That is where interacting with other addicts/alcoholics is so important, they help you to flesh out all of that bad stuff and work through it, and vice-versa.