A Recovery Poll, Sort Of

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Oct 14, 2018

I have no intention of continuing any relationship with any recovery activities or people. It's silly that i have to now as it is a waste of both their time and mine. I plan on pouring a drink within minutes of hearing that I'm released from monitoring

Twoyearnurse · Oct 15, 2018

I intend to see how I feel when I am done with my monitoring. I have genuinely built relationships in AA with people who I look up and admire.

I mean, good grilled cheesus, some of those folks have 30 years sobriety and have done incredible things with their life, been to amazing places, and their sole aim is to help the next suffering person.

I don't know how I will feel. I always just tell myself I can decide how I feel about it today. Maybe the amount that I go will change. Maybe I'll go more or less or not at all. That decision is a year off.

What I will say is that, though I leave most of what they have to say right where it sits, I have gotten some valuable guidance there. From family issues to frustrating coworkers it has been awesome having people who completely wrecked their lives like I did and are able to be compassionate.

Oogie · Oct 15, 2018

I'll finish my sentence in Feb. I do the bare minimum, and stay off the radar. No intention of being associated with monitering. So ready to have my life back! Cheers Spanky, I'll probably toast my release also, but hide my keys. LOL

Kel65, MSN, RN · Oct 15, 2018

Sober all the way. Won't even touch Benadryl let alone alcohol. Love my new self and life. Will probably taper off the AA quite a bit. Looking forward to the day that I have more time and money to give to new hobbies rather than the program.

Big Blondie, ASN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Oct 15, 2018

Well I have 15 days lefts and I'm already buying illegal mouthwash, hand sanitizer and soy sauce!

Kel65, MSN, RN · Oct 15, 2018

Yah!! 9 months here. Life goals as follows...hair dye,hair spray, cologne, an alcohol hand sanitizer free for all, a pig fest on Chinese food drenched in soy sauce, spraying Glade all over the house, and no mosquito bites when I fish because I can finally use and insect repellent.

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Oct 15, 2018

I'll finish my sentence in Feb. I do the bare minimum, and stay off the radar. No intention of being associated with monitering. So ready to have my life back! Cheers Spanky, I'll probably toast my release
also, but hide my keys. LOL

Ain't that the truth!!!! Gotta learn from life's mistakes & that was a biggie. Me and Mr Uber will become good buddies if necessary

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Oct 15, 2018

As soon as I am done, I will continue the life I lived before this nightmare. There will be no drinking as I never did before. There will be no drug use as I never did before. I will begin the process of raising my career from the dead after the brutal murder of it by this program. I will never be seen at any BS-anonymous meeting ever again as it is one of the most time wasting activities ever for me next to navel gazing. I will treat the common cold without letting it progress to near pneumonia due to the abject fear of extending this ****show. I will go back to not worrying about the quantity of water I drink fearing a dilute or waking every morning at 4am fearing a missed check in. I will stop living in fear, in general.

Having learned to believe very little of what people do and even less of what they say, I will put this behind me, pick up the pieces of my life and put my energy into moving on.

So, no. There will be no 'recovery' related activities for me. The only thing I have to recover from is the damage that this nightmare has done to me personally, financially, socially and professionally.

Neats, BSN · Oct 15, 2018

I think this is an interesting question and after reading I think most people are honest about what they will do after the program ends. Thank you for that.

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TNPAPnurse · Oct 17, 2018

I can tell you right now I'll never go to a 12-step meeting again after this is over. They're not supposed to be religious, but here in the Bible Belt they MAKE them religious! They close every meeting with the Lord's Prayer. I started leaving just before closing so I wouldn't have to do it (I'm spiritual but not a Christian, so I definitely have an issue with it), and afterward my sponsor called me and asked if I was mad or upset about something! This is also an issue at aftercare and at the last outpatient rehab I was in. So much pushing of a specific brand of religion! I left early from aftercare last week so I wouldn't have to do the prayer, and I almost immediately I got texts from some of the others in the group asking if I was okay!!! *insert eye-roll emoji*. I brought this up to the director of aftercare and she made it seem like I was the one with the problem! It's supposed to be a non-secular program, for Pete's sake!

I should not have to feel like I'll hurt someone's feelings if I don't participate in the meetings because of religious preferences.

I don't bring this up to anyone program-related; it's just easier not to do so. I brought it up with my program-approved therapist and she came out of it with the idea that I am "struggling spiritually". Like no I'm not struggling, I just don't want y'all's brand of Jesus shoved down my throat.

I thought maybe this was an issue just in the South, but once on vacay in PA and NY, I caught a meeting or two while there and it was the same way. Maybe not quite as evangelical, but still closed with the Lord's Prayer.

The religious thing is just one of many reasons I will never set foot in an AA or NA meeting again once I'm done.

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Oct 17, 2018

Yeah, it seems like I've been to a billion AA meetings now and what you describe is very accurate. In those rooms they give lip service to acceptance of anybody's higher power but the rooms are stuffed with religious zealots who will not hesitate to proselytize their beliefs ceaselessly when given the opportunity and a captive audience.