The topic of this edition matches the theme of the upcoming SA & S-Anon International Convention in July in Los Angeles: “Courage to Change.” Many men and women on the convention committee are serving tirelessly to make it an opportunity for you to continue your own change. All information on p. 30.
Hi readers, and happy reading for 2024! In this month’s issue we remember those members of early SA who have since passed away in sobriety; their example attests to the great strength of our program and to the Grace of a loving God in our lives. Their testimonies don’t speak of religion—we don’t pretend to be religious; rather, they illustrate how trust in a loving God, as understood by each one, can help a bunch of drunks like us to stay sober.
We saw that our problem was threefold: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Healing had to come about in all three (SA 204). There are many ways to work on our threefold recovery. In this special edition, members share what has worked for them.
Hi fellows. In this edition of ESSAY, we look at relapse prevention. “We never knew there was another option—surrender” (SA 84). In this quote from the chapter, “The Third Option” in the SA White Book, Roy K. reveals the key to stopping, and staying stopped! He stayed sober from 1976 until his death in September 2009 by practicing surrender. An oldtimer from Chicago explains that surrender is not some complicated, abstract process; it is simply, “executing the suggestions of the sponsor.”
Isn’t it ironic: in our disease, we had no choice but to act out; we simply had to; but in recovery, our hearts change and we have no choice but to reach out—we simply have to. Everyone who gets sober, who begins to experience the fruits of recovery wants, as a natural consequence, to help others get sober, especially newcomers.
Most people take vacation during the months of July and August. Some take short city breaks; others go for lazy beach holidays; still others prefer weeks of hiking and trekking. Of course, people travel for a whole variety of reasons and at any time of the year—work, to visit family and friends, for religious or other personal reasons.
In this month’s issue, members share the miracles of their recovery, enjoying freedom from the toxic power of lust by the humble working of this program. A Ukrainian lady shares how sobriety helped her to overcome crippling defects of character.
Many of us first experienced the joy of service in early recovery when we started giving back to our home group—turning up on time, sharing respectfully and honestly, helping set up the room and welcoming newcomers.
“Fun in Recovery”—it sounded most unrealistic at first. But we kept coming back and over time, we developed a liking for meetings and for connection with other members. By working our program we came to see the positives in every situation and even started to enjoy life’s rainy days. We, who used to be habitual moaners, now actively looked about us for reasons to be cheerful and grateful.
A good deal of us came in through professionals of various kinds, whether they were therapists, helpline workers, psychiatrists, life coaches, or clergy members. The AA Big Book gives a clear recommendation not to disregard human health measures: “God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds.
