The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
Christmas can be a hard time of year for some because of bad memories, current alcoholic situations, financial hardships, struggles with the commercialism of the holiday or just an overabundance of "too much yuletide joy". I have put together a "Christmas Survival List" for myself. Feel free to add to it or post your own survival list.
1. Attend at least 3 meetings a week. (on-line or f2f) If a bad week, five.
2. Call Sponsor at least once a week and just chat.
3. Following Just for Today's suggestion, "I will do two things each day I don't want to do- just for exercise." Lately that has been Christmas Cards and putting up Christmas decorations for my daughter and mother who get great joy out of them.
4. Along the lines of the above statement...do another a good turn (and try not to be found out) This is also in the Just for Today poem.
5. Find a new or humorous ways to celebrate the holiday. Non-traditional decoratating comes to mind. Put Christmas lights on your Palm tree! A new thing my daughter and I have done is to make a "prayer chain", which consists of construction paper strips with prayers written on them and looped into an old-fashioned constuction paper chain.
6. Don't sweat the small stuff (like new puppy chewing up presents!)
7. Try a new hobby or activitiy. I'm going to join the YMCA.
8. Don't visit old haunts that bring up bad memories. (Physically or mentally)
9. Attend a spiritual holiday ceremony of your choice, to get in touch with HP.
10. Read daily mediation book, or some al-anon literature. Currently reading the new al-anon book Discovering Choices.
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I can Overcome all things through my HP who strengthens me.
i have just joined this forum- i know al there is about living with an abusive alcoholic- wrote the book and got the first class degree ont he subject but i know little about al anon ways- i want to learn as some of the stuff you cme out really helps- i have been looking for was to heal and i amdoing good but i think i coulg realy benfit from some of the al anon teachings, if you could read my post by rosielee id really appreciate it- not that you could heal these issues and wave a wand but ive had years and years of abusive cycles and never got the help- and then i had a baby as a singel mum so couldnt get to meetings- i think you know your stuff and is my guess rght that you have beenthrough the mill too? only by going through it could you know what you do. have you got your story written anywhere? god bless- i hope yu ahve a good christmas
