I was given the gift of abstinence. I say a "gift" because it came about because I was scared. I thought I was dying; literally. I thought I had serious liver damage. I mean, I drank for 30 years. So I stopped. But it turned out to be diverticulitis. Still serious, but not life threatening. 

So often we ACoA get caught up in feeling all the feelings of the past, that we sometimes get stuck in what once was. In fact, sometimes we get so caught up in how we used to feel, we forget that we aren't powerless anymore. As a recovering ACoA I have learned to embrace my past as a gift. Because I am an ACoA I was forced to look within for answers, and as a result I found the greatest blessings ever. I found--ME.

In Step Six I contemplate my life undergoing change-tremendous change. The great fear is this: If I shed many characteristics that stand in my way, what will be left? It is as though I face a great void, a terrifying unknown. Yet when I acknowledge how far I have come, I can see how much I want to change. The desire to grow and to heal has brought me to this uncomfortable point, because I am tried of the way I have been. My Higher Power is there to guide me when I am ready.

Hi everyone, my name is Wendy and I am an Alcoholic.  At this moment I have 175 days sober.

The 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholic Anonymous are usually introduced in recovering alcoholics and addicts during their stay in drug rehab. Some inhabitants respond to the 12 steps with doubt, and even though the 12 steps are not a scientific method or an evidence-based program of addiction treatment, they do provide a lot of importance to people new to upturn and are a worthwhile insertion in any alcohol or drug treatment program. Here are some benefits of 12 Steps Support Groups.