January 6: Conscious Contact with My HP, through Phone Therapy

When I first came into the program, I was tremendously overburdened.  I'd dropped my HP somewhere in the midst of my struggle for sanity.

In my program study, I've learned that it is my responsibility to solve my own problems with the help of the God of my understanding.  Since God often speaks through other people, when I reach out and make a call to someone in my program, I become willing to receive that help."  I've learned to do this between meetings, by using a phone list. 

Talking by phone, I found quickly that I was not alone. 

"I ... learned it was desirable to reach out to others when I needed support. We shared specifics about program recovery.  The person I unburden myself to is not a "counselor, confessor, or problem-solver. Nor is he or she obliged to sit and listen to all my sob stories." 

"I am not given advice about what I should or should not do—that is for me to decide.  Sometimes, I’ll be reminded of a program idea or tool that will help me to gain some perspective on my situation.  By the time the conversation is over, I’ve usually found some relief  from the problem that seemed to have me in its grip while it stayed trapped inside my head."

Even after many years of using program tools, I still find it helpful to unburden myself between meetings.  If my Sponsor is not available following a time of relapse, it might be helpful to call on a member with recent program success.   A member who  has time to listen is a program lifeline, even for old-timers in program. I might find myself talking with someone who helps me reason things out in new way that I would not have discovered had I taken my experience for granted.    

“We cannot climb up a rope that is attached only to our own belt.” William Ernest Hocking