During the winter there are different parts of the United States that accumulate a ton of snow that can be dangerous to travel in. You probably have been taught that “Meeting Makers Make It” and that you should go to any lengths to stay sober. All true except that your Higher Power probably does not want you to trudge the snowy road of happy destiny. You got sober to get out of danger not travel in precipitous, inclement weather conditions.
This is where you can get creative to find other solutions to 12-Step meetings. You go to meetings to connect to people in recovery that remind you what your purpose is and how you can stay sober together. When drastic weather hits, it is time to take drastic measures to ensure that you stay spiritually aligned to your recovery and the people that are a part of it.
Use Video Chat
There are a variety of video chat application software that you can operate on your computer or on your phone. Skype, Viber, or Google Hangouts are good ones to try. You can have an impromptu 12-Step meeting with the group calling feature that Skype or Google Hangouts have to offer or just a one-on-one with all three of them. This way you can see faces and smiles to brighten your day.
Read the Book
Pull your “big book”, Alcoholics Anonymous, or the book of your personal 12 step group, off the shelf to remind yourself why you are in recovery. The stories in the back are good way to relate to your sobriety like you would physically being in a meeting. The feelings the stories describe are the same feelings that are articulated in a meeting.
Get a Grapevine Subscription
This is the AA meeting in print or meeting on the web. The International Journal of Alcoholics Anonymous is a magazine that includes stories and articles about sobriety that can be used interchangeably with other 12-Step programs. They also have an app that is downloadable onto your phone and tablet to make it easily accessible.
Download Speaker Recordings
You can get the feel of a meeting atmosphere when listening to speakers that have been taped for the past decades. Not only will you hear the speaker, but usually you can hear the laughter of the people in attendance as well. Unless you were at the meeting live, you cannot get more authentic than that.
Just because you may feel isolated, does not mean that you must isolate. Keep in touch with your friends in recovery and do whatever it takes to be in constant conscious contact with your Higher Power. Once the snow melts, your recovery will be intact, and you can continue to spring into action.
Serenity Oaks Wellness Center promotes 12-Step aspects in our program along with our holistic therapy. Our devoted staff is here to walk you, or your loved one, through an individualized recovery plan.
Call us today:
844-720-6847
