This Open Thread, is a continuing piece of the one that was started last week Sunday - the 12 Steps Edition, at 2pm Pacific. And following that pattern, there will be another one next week Sunday at 2pm Pacific.
The discussion is whatever you want to say (it's an open thread ;)), but the reason it was created is a more specific one! How to get clean & sober - and stay that way.
This is a great place for anyone out there reading Daily Kos Diaries - who might be an Old Timer (a person that has been clean in the programs of Alcoholics Anonymous, or Narcotics Anonymous for a number of years), and others who are not Old Timers, but rather, folks that want an answer to their drinking or drugging problem. A place for those two kinds of people to connect anonymously on-line here and discuss it.
This is also a great place to talk about Politics mixed with alcohol, or Politics mixed with drugs - or both.
Today, in addition to talking about the Super Bowl, I would like to expand on the purpose of this thread. Last week a commenter with great questions, that lives with an alcoholic - but is not an alcoholic themselves - joined us. She had some serious questions. Marriage and alcoholics create serious questions don't they? There is a program called Al-Anon, which is similar in some respects to AA, but it's for people that have to deal with Alcoholics (and Addicts) - in their day-to-day lives (like a spouse, child, or parent, etc.). It's a program that answers all your questions about living with one, and what to do.
I encourage Old Timers in Al-Anon to step forward with comments, suggestions, advice, or whatever - for people that have questions about the subject.
I also encourage Old Timers to step forward and write new editions of the Open Thread. Just send me a message letting me know that you would like to be next week's contributor, and we can switch off. If enough such people step forward, I will start a group called, "Alcohol, Drugs, and Politics at Daily Kos" group.
Let's go with a disclaimer first to get a few points across -
DISCLAIMER: Advice, quotes, facts, suggestions, links, etc., in this Diary (and future Group), are just what their title suggests - suggestions/advice. We are NOT doctors (generally speaking). Take everything you see and read with a grain of salt! Look things up for yourself. Check meetings out for yourself. If you want to get sober or get off drugs, AA or NA are a good start, but by no means the only pathway to that goal. Folks get sober and clean in many, many ways. That said, meander on through...
A few quick links:
12-step Wiki
Other 12-step Programs
Narcotics Anonymous
Alcoholic Anonymous
Local AA Meeting Information
International AA Meeting Information
The Super Bowl. It's exciting! It's practically a national holiday. America is obsessed with it. There are, of course, many people that don't enjoy or watch such things.
What always seems to be at Super Bowl parties?? What is always served at the Super Bowl itself? Alcohol! Lots of it! Hard to get or stay sober on Super Bowl Sunday.
How about drugs though? You may not know it but many people at many a Super Bowl party - are pretty high. My opinions about some drugs being okay, and some not being okay (Does it have a toxic dose? Not okay. No toxic dose. Perfectly fine) - aside, lots of drugs go into lots of humans during the Super Bowl.
So, just for fun, today's question will be:
Have you been to one of these parties and dealt with folks who seem to be using drugs irresponsibly (lots of interpretations there!)?