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.
I have had my sponsor since July. I am working slowly through the steps and I try to contact her weekly. She works full time and has 2 other sponsees along with her own program to work and I know she's quite busy. I texted her on Christmas to wish her a good holiday and then again on New Year's to do the same. I never heard back from her, but I didn't expect to because she doesn't always respond to texts. Then I called her yesterday afternoon when I was extremely low and asked her to call me so we can set up a time for this week to start working my step 4. I still haven't heard back from her and I'm honestly a bit frustrated. Is it normal for a sponsor to just wait until you get them on the phone to talk to you? Are they not supposed to return calls? I've had this problem with her before where I felt like it took forever to get her on the phone.
I do have other friends in program whom I can call so I don't rely on my sponsor for all my 'codie' issues, but I feel like she's very hard to pin down and I feel like I'm kinda low on the priority list. I guess I'm wondering if I should look for a new sponsor? I like my sponsor well enough. She has great advice, she is very patient, and she has over 20 years in program but I feel like I'm always chasing her and that I shouldn't have to work so hard to just get her on the phone. I am aware that people are busy but a 5 second text to let me know they're busy would be helpful. No communication at all is confusing to me at this stage of my recovery. Any ESH would be greatly appreciated, thx
Of course turn to others and then if you can...tell it to your sponsor how you worked it out and also ask her if she is up to sponsoring you just for clearance. We have to do our part and sometimes that is doing it with someone else. That's from my sponsor and that's to my sponsees. Keep coming back ((((hugs))))
I have heard that some people actually get a whole other sponsor for the 4th step work, it is a very intense thing to get through emotionally and you deserve to be supported during that journey. I would encourage you to find someone who knows some of your story that way you aren't starting from scratch. I agree with Jerry sometimes life really just gets in the way and with the holidays if I were sponsoring someone it would not have been a good time for me based upon the upheaval of what's going on. So don't take it personal you deserve the attention maybe this is all she has at the moment.
Hugs P :)
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Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman.- Maya Angelo
