Went thru rehab in 2000/01 (over the Hod lists and New Years!) for drinking.
I had to accept that I had problems, needed help and that I couldn’t do it on my own - AKA the saying “self knowledge failed“ or “The best I could do on my own was get into rehab!”.
I had to accept I need thing outside myself - a higher power. I had to accept I was spiritually dead and needed a spiritual awaking to fix me.
But I also had to look at myself, others and God and find peace with all three…
When I started this journey, I had a “given” point of view about who and what God was to me… I never really thought about that fact “I had to decide who God was and what He meant to me; or others perspectives” … it was hard erasing that whiteboard in my mind and starting fresh, open mindedly with a clean board and Writing down my own version of God … what God is to me today is nothing like I had in my head 17 yrs ago.
I realized I was using not just whiskey but women, people overall and anything else I could to get what I wanted to temporarily fix my internal emptinessNess and self loathing…
And as I go each day, I also learned that I had to stop my bad habits along with my stopping the drinking. Bad relationship and sex are triggers… so I do my best to stay away from them.
And, all these “bad habits, insecurities, drinking etc…” are all simply me trying to control my life ( which I already found out I suck at) and not letting God care for me, and simply focusing my willpower and free choice on just doing what God what me to do ( and that’s a whole deal in itself to stop, be silent and discern what He want vis the HolySpirt)
And basically, now, anything that is in conflict with Gods will and purpose for me: His creation and my owner Is sin…
Sin as defined by Him thru His word not mans version…
And it is a daily struggle… if I don’t praise Him, pray to Him and find Joy in Him each day he gives me, I can fall back into my sinful old ways…
And to clarify, I sin daily… but simply not as much or in certain ways like no sex… and I ask for forgiveness daily as well…
One day at a time
I can’t; He can and I think I’ll let Him!
Any questions, please keep asking away and I’ll do my best!!
I’ll end by saying every soul on earth could benefit from doing the 12 steps… drinking, drugs, sex, fear are all symptoms to me - the true problem is a dead, lost, misguided soul and spirit