Happy New Year and to all in need hopefully a sober one.

[big carl]

Just want to wish every one a happy and joyous New Year. To those still suffering from the disease of addiction I wish you all the best. May you find sobriety.

I am a member of AA and for me it not only got me of the bottler and other things it showed me a new way to live. A way that I would never even have dreamed possible.That is my story short form.

Even in are Big Book it tells us that we are not the only way. Religion has worked for some people some have found sobriety through medical help and some even with will power. It talks in are Big Book about a guy who went 30 years on will power and when he retired at 54 started drinking and died and alcoholic death in 4 years. Makes no difference how you do it but I sincerely hope you make it and strongly suggest AA. Not only does it have a program of recovery the steps in it are only suggestions. Some people do fine with out all of them even Agnostics and Atheists stay sober in AA.

Sober you will find a much more enjoyable life. So will a lot of the meaningful people in your life who are around you.

[Mobi]

Today is the fourth anniversary of my sobriety, achieved without the assistance of AA, although I am by no means a detractor of that worthy organisation.

Never once during my four years of sobriety did I come even close to having drink. Sure I have had odd moments when I idly pondered that a nice cool beer or a glass of red wine would go down very nicely, but it was nothing nothing that I couldn't handle.

The mere thought of of my life as it used to be when drinking - especially the days after - was enough to stop these thoughts in their tracks, which almost never occur at all these days.

Stay strong, Big Carl and all you recovering alkies out there, and a Happy new Year to everyone, sober, drunk or hung over.

[impulse]

AA 101 is to stop drinking.

AA 102 is to be happy about it.

AA 103 is to live an very fulfilling life, and contribute to the world- sober.

[gandalf12]

If you have will power you can do it. I stopped overnight (literally) 32 years ago and although the first couple of months were hard I didnt touch a drink. Have not drank since then and I feel great for it

[Frank James]

AA Tradition Eleven:

"Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films."

And the Thai Visa Forums ?

[ScotBkk]

Drinking is an emotional thing. It joggles you out of the standardism of everyday life, out of everything being the same.

It yanks you out of your body and your mind and throws you against the wall. I have the feeling that drinking is a form of suicide where you're allowed to return to life and begin all over the next day. It's like killing yourself, and then you're reborn. I guess I've lived about ten or fifteen thousand lives now.”

Happy New Year .....

[lostinisaan]

Good luck for all who'll quit drinking and perhaps smoking this year.....

[impulse]

AA Tradition Eleven:

"Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films."

And the Thai Visa Forums ?

I did a quick look, and unless you're really Jesse's brother, we're all anonymous here so far.

And on January 2, to any guy (or lady) who has just spent one more demoralizing morning waking up in the gutter, or in a puddle of pee or vomit (yet again), the mention of an alternative and New Years Greetings from some happy members is probably pretty attractive.

If you ever you catch me handing out pamphlets on Soi Cowboy at closing time, or see me on late night infomercials about "The A&A", please mention the thing about promotion.

[dotpoom]

" Not only does it have a program of recovery the steps in it are only suggestions".

​Suggestions in the same way that it is "suggested" you pull the rip cord when jumping from an aeroplane with a parachute"....... Doesn't it also say......"Half measures availed us nothing".

[perdido]

If you have will power you can do it. I stopped overnight (literally) 32 years ago and although the first couple of months were hard I didnt touch a drink. Have not drank since then and I feel great for it

...let's just call it 'intention'-'will-power', sounds a bit heroically self-promoting, and there is no (permanent) self; am only off it since 26/11/1998, around 1100 hours........

[Neeranam]

If you have will power you can do it. I stopped overnight (literally) 32 years ago and although the first couple of months were hard I didnt touch a drink. Have not drank since then and I feel great for it

Unless you are alcoholic, where willpower is of absolutely no use at all.

[benalibina]

If you have will power you can do it. I stopped overnight (literally) 32 years ago and although the first couple of months were hard I didnt touch a drink. Have not drank since then and I feel great for it

Unless you are alcoholic, where willpower is of absolutely no use at all.

Hmmm...can you elaborate on that. Thanks.

[mooro_uk]

If you have will power you can do it. I stopped overnight (literally) 32 years ago and although the first couple of months were hard I didnt touch a drink. Have not drank since then and I feel great for it

Unless you are alcoholic, where willpower is of absolutely no use at all.

Hmmm...can you elaborate on that. Thanks.

I would completely agree with Neeranam, if you are an alcoholic willpower alone cannot help you to stop boozing unfortunately. I am a recovering alcoholic (almost 7 months sober now) and I tried using will power for a good 5 years or so and it never worked. It wasn't until I joined AA that I could stop drinking. Basically what we suffer from is firstly a "physical allergy" whereby when an alcoholic has one drink, they want another one and another one. A normal person can say enough is enough, but an alcoholic cannot. Then this is followed by the "mental obsession" whereby the alcoholic will feel restless, irritable and discontent until they have that next drink and then the physical allergy begins all over again. This vicious circle is very very hard to break out of with willpower alone as there are stronger negative forces at work but fortunately AA shows a way to do it.

[mooro_uk]

If you have will power you can do it. I stopped overnight (literally) 32 years ago and although the first couple of months were hard I didnt touch a drink. Have not drank since then and I feel great for it

However fair play to those who can stop drinking from will power alone! Unfortunately there are some of us who simply cannot....

[ExpatJ]

Some people have stronger will power than others hence some alcoholics can choose to stop drinking through will power alone. It makes sense and applies to all of life's challenges - they are easier for those with stronger will power.

[gerryBScot]

If you have will power you can do it. I stopped overnight (literally) 32 years ago and although the first couple of months were hard I didnt touch a drink. Have not drank since then and I feel great for it

Unless you are alcoholic, where willpower is of absolutely no use at all.

Hmmm...can you elaborate on that. Thanks.

Admitting powerlessness over alcohol is AA's approach. "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives were unmanageable." Step 1. Total surrender. The problem of alcoholism is essentially seen as one of power or a lack of it. The solution is to find a new, better power. As one guy explains, that power can be anything you want, including a bottle of sauce, (Brits will understand this as it is a reference to HP Sauce!), so long as you accept that it is more powerful than you. Which leads us into the God and spirituality debate: in AA terms God can be anything you want as per Step 2: Came to believe that only a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity', that is it, just needs to be acknowledged as being greater than you. On an annual basis failure to understand this this causes thousands of drunks to die needlessly because they think it is a requirement to embrace a Christian God. In these circumstances will-power is considered as something that will kill a lot of alcoholics - AA believes it cannot be done on your own. That is why step one begins with "we" - we need the fellowship of other drunks to recover. But I am no spokesman for AA, I'm just another happy sober drunk grateful to AA…..