WHY ALCOHOLICS CAN’T DRINK NORMALLY AGAIN

Alcoholics usually start drinking because they think they don’t have a drinking problem. They think they can handle couple drinks and be OK. But deep down they know they can’t drink again. But persistent, irrational thoughts compel old patterns of use and are often more dangerous. Where does this stinking thinking come from? And what can be done about it?  Alcoholics are programmed to think they can drink and go back to their old ways. The brain is a positive-reinforcing organ and tends to remember the good times associated with drinking, even glorifying alcohol, without weighing the real-life consequences of drinking like loss of friends, family, relationships, or even work.  Stinking thinking means that an alcoholic can come up with a countless number of positive reasons to drink and be ok. But they are not focusing on their recovery in a proactive manor. Anyone who wants to remain clean and sober needs to remember frequently, as to WHY they stopped in the first place. If you need motivation to stop drinking, be sure to account for both the good and bad in your past drinking.

How to stop thinking about drinking again? One has to change certain mental behaviors triggers, in order to manage and reduce cravings to drink. As long as you are exploring options to CHANGE your thinking, you are headed out of alcoholism. Should you try to drink again normally, a returned tolerance for alcohol starts at the stage one left drinking? In other words, it’s a DEAD END.

First stage of alcoholism is of adaptation, the person begins to rely on alcohol for alleviating stress or forgetting about their problems. They use alcohol as a means of escape from the everyday struggles of life. One starts thinking about when their next drink will be or starts planning on when they can go drinking. They may start to neglect close friends or relationships in favor of drinking. During this early beginning stage it is easier for a person to stop drinking than in later stages. The early signs of alcohol dependency are typically in denial and their drinking could quickly become out of control. This early stage can last anywhere from a few months to a year.

Second Stage of alcoholism is of tolerance, dependence, and craving. The person has an increased need to drink every day, as soon as they wake up in the morning or at lunch time. At this point the person has lost much control over how much and when they drink. They may have the intention to only have a beer or two, but end up drinking more in one sitting. Denial is very prominent in this stage. Family members may express concern, but the alcoholic does not think anything is wrong and that one could quit drinking anytime but don’t want to do. Other problems may begin like DUI’s, money, at work, and relationships. This middle step can last several months or several years before progressing to the final phase.

Final Stage of Alcoholism: The person is consumed by alcohol with malnutrition. Their entire day and thoughts revolve around when they will drink. They will feel sick when they do not drink, as withdrawal symptoms begin to become severe. They may experience shaky hands, headaches, and stomach problems. They cannot make it one day without a drink before feeling violently ill. After years of prolonged excessive drinking, the alcoholic in this stage may also begin experiencing related health problems – kidney and liver disease, heart disease, stomach problems, and others. They develop strong mood swings and erratic behavior posing a risk to their own safety and of others. If the alcoholic continues at this pace, it will be fatal if treatment is not sought.  Alcohol affects the brain in different ways.                                                                                                                                                                                           A. Cerebral cortex:  It slows down the processing of information from the eyes, ears, mouth and other senses inhibiting the thought processes.                                                                                                                                                                          B. Cerebellum: It affects the center of movement and balance, resulting in the staggering, so-called "falling-down drunk."                                                                                                                                                                             C. Pituitary & Hypothalamus: It depresses these centers that control sexual arousal and performance, thus increasing the sexual urge, and decreasing the sexual performance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              D. Medulla: It induces sleepiness by acting on it and can slow breathing and lower body temperature, which can be life threatening, & can cause blackouts.

Conclusion: The problem is the progressive nature of the disease. When the drinking "song" starts playing in the mind of an alcoholic, he is powerless. In its early stages, taking one or two drinks may be all it takes to get the "song" to stop. But soon it takes six or seven and later may be ten or twelve to stop the song.  Somewhere down the road the only time the song stops is when one passes out. The progression of the disease is so subtle and takes place over an extended period of time, that even the alcoholic himself failed to notice the point at which he lost control -- and alcohol took over -- his life.                                     

Spiritual message- In words we are good, but in acts we are bad. We are impure minded and black-hearted, yet we wear the white robes of innocence. Why do we practice meditation and prayer, when our mind is not pure?  Abide pure amid the impurities of the world and thus you shall find the way of AA faith by studying the BB and following 12 steps in daily affairs.

ALCOHOLISM, SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, EFFECTS AND HELP

Alcoholism is a disease that affects many people in the world. This includes India (Punjab) and where ever one lives today. It not only affects the alcoholic, but also their family, friends, co-workers, and eventually total strangers.

Alcoholism is defined as a pattern of drinking in which harmful consequences result for the drinker, yet, they continue to drink. There are two types of drinkers. The first type, the casual or social drinker, for pleasure and only on occasion. The other type, the compulsive drinker, drinks because of an obsession, despite the adverse effects that drinking has on their lives.

The symptoms of alcoholism are changes in emotional state or stability, behavior, and personality. "Alcoholics may become angry and argumentative, or quiet and withdrawn or depressed. They may also feel more anxious, sad, tense, and confused. They then seek relief by drinking more". "Because time and amount of drinking are uncontrollable, the alcoholics are likely to engage in such behaviors as: -

1. Breaking family commitments, both major and minor.
2. Spending more money than planned.
3. Drinking while intoxicated and getting involved with the law.
4. Making inappropriate remarks to friends, family, and co-workers.
5. Arguing, fighting and other anti-social actions.

"The alcoholic would probably neither do such things, nor approve of them in others unless he was drinking."
The cause of alcoholism is a combination of biological, psychological, and cultural factors that may contribute to the development of alcoholism in an individual. Alcoholism seems to run in families, studies show that 50 to 80 percent of all alcoholics have had a close alcoholic relative. Some researchers have suggested that alcoholics have an inherited, predisposition to alcohol addiction. Additionally, alcoholics often drink hoping to "drown' anxious or depressed feelings. Some alcoholics drink to reduce strong inhibitions or guilt about expressing negative feelings. Social and cultural factors play roles in to establishing drinking patterns and the development of alcoholism.

The prolonged use of large amounts of alcoholism without adequate diet may cause serious liver damage, such as cirrhosis of the liver, loss of muscular control, delirium tremens causing hallucinations. Withdrawal may cause agitation, tremors and seizures. Alcoholics may suffer lack of concentration "blackouts," memory lapses, complete memory loss & brain damage. Having a problem- drinker parent often increases the risk of becoming a problem drinker oneself and leads to family conflict, job insecurity, divorce, and social stigma.

Alcohol abuse in the United States cost society from $40 to $60 billion annually, due to the lost production, health and medical care, motor vehicle accidents and violent crimes. One half of all traffic fatalities and injuries are related to the abuse of alcohol. Accidents and suicides that are associated with alcohol problems are especially prominent in the teen years. It is estimated that over 3 million teens between the ages of 14 and 17 in the United States today are problem drinkers. Education and realization of the effects alcoholism can have on the different aspects of a person's life are the best ways that we can help control the number of alcoholics in the United States.

ALCOHOLISM & FAMILY

Although alcoholism is an incredibly tenacious disease, the non-drinking members of an alcoholic family are not helpless to do anything about it.

Alcoholism affects all members of the alcoholic family in hurtful ways.
An alcoholic family is a troubled, pain-ridden family with constricted communication and suppressed emotional expression, but they have all learned to deny that pain and not to express their feelings.

If the family members are to recover from the effects of alcoholism and paradoxically provide the best chance to help the alcoholic quit drinking, all of this must be reversed.
They must learn about the disease nature of alcoholism and its effects on them. They must acknowledge the pain they have suppressed for years and begin to express it.

Instead of focusing their attention on his drinking, they must shift it away from him and refocus it on themselves. They must refuse to take any more responsibility for the alcoholic's behavior and no longer attempt to make him stop drinking or protect him from the painful consequences of his drinking:

1. No more pleading or nagging.
2. No more lectures or futile threats, which aren't backed up with inevitable consequences.
3. No more making excuses for the alcoholic's drinking. No more calling in sick for her when she is hung over.
4. No more keeping dinner warm or cleaning up vomit.

All of this may sound selfish for the family members to do - and perhaps it is - but paradoxically it creates the best chance they have to bring the alcoholic to sobriety. Without a co-dependent family enabling his drinking, he may decide to seek treatment. There are no guarantees this will happen, but certainly what the family members have been doing for years hasn't worked.

ENABLERS & HELP

If the continued use of alcohol/drugs has a destructive effect on an individual's family or interpersonal relationships, job performance, health or financial condition, there is good reason to suspect dependency. Any of these areas affected by alcohol/drug use is good enough reason for concern.

When dependency is suspected, every effort must be made to refer the individual to a qualified addiction counselor, where a complete and in-depth diagnostic evaluation can be conducted and critical clinical treatment services prescribed if deemed clinically necessary.

This is easier said than done, give the denial system mentioned previously. It is our suggestion that non-alcoholic concerned parties secure some reading material; see a counselor for advice; join Al-Anon, which is an educational, self-help organization for concerned relatives and friends of alcoholics; and learn as much about the illness as possible.

Intervention into alcoholism is a painful process for everyone involved and must be done with clear understanding that it is necessary, even crucial, if the individual is to survive and that half-measures will simply not suffice.

A crisis is often necessary in order to force the individual to accept the seriousness of his/her situation and accept help. Usually the individual will create his/her own crisis, and it only remains for the concerned person to let the alcoholic be responsible for his/her own behavior and therefore have a greater chance of recognizing the consequences of his/her continued use.
All too often, those well-meaning people around him/her have supported the alcoholic in his/her addiction. In fact, the well-meaning people actually help to continue the addictive pattern because they feel duty bound (or guilt ridden) to constantly pick up the pieces for the person using alcohol/drugs. Because they enable the addiction by preventing the alcoholic from facing the consequences of his/her behavior, they are called "enablers".

The enabler operates from many points of view. Often the alcoholic has succeeded in convincing the people around him/her that they are responsible for his/her alcoholism. "With a wife like you, who wouldn't drink" or "With my job pressures, anyone would drink/use drugs like I do". These are complete fabrications; no one is guilty of causing alcoholism since we don't know the single cause of it. These alibis only serve to pacify the conscience of the alcoholic and, at the same time, spread guilt among the people who support them. This guilt then strengthens the alcoholic's hold on his/her supporters.

Other "enablers" tend to operate from the premise that they control the drinking and in some way manage both the alcoholic and his/her problem. This doesn't work...alcoholics can stop drinking, but they cannot control their drinking. Total abstinence is the safest remedy we have at this stage of our knowledge.

Another type of enabler believes that alcoholism is only a symptom of some other underlying problem, and that if this causative factor can be dealt with, the alcoholism will disappear. This is simply not true and its fallacy has been demonstrated over and over again.

Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, whatever its cause is a "primary" illness and must be treated as such. The alcoholic or drug addict who uses chemicals will continue to do so destructively whether he/she has any problems or not. The point is that other problems cannot be successfully dealt with except in the absence of the chemical; and when sobriety is maintained, many of the problems disappear.

Unfortunately, this type of enabler is often times a professional such as a doctor, clergyman, social worker or marriage counselor. Fortunately, for the dependent people, these professionals are slowly coming to realize the error of their well-meaning endeavors and are gradually accepting dependency as a legitimate illness with a prescribed course of treatment.
One last word on the "enabler". An alcoholic or drug addict cannot die of their illness without the support of at least one other person described above. Although there is not guilt attached to dependency itself, it would seem that there is certainly a moral obligation on the part of the concerned persons to see that the afflicted person gets the help he/she so desperately needs.

In summary, intervention is a process of becoming detached from the problems created by the illness, not from the person, and letting the alcoholic take full responsibility for his/her behavior.
Stop lying for them, making excuses and protecting them from embarrassment. Be honest with them no matter how painful and tell it like it is, being neither judgmental nor critical of them as a person. It is not a moral illness though they have secretly begun to think it is, and you will only strengthen this assumption and make matters worse. Openly and honestly confront the person with the facts neither mitigating nor exaggerating anything. Point out the obvious conclusion and explain what help is available. Then tell the person what you are going to do and not what they are going to do. Lay out some alternatives that you are considering and give those options. Do not threaten any actions, which you are not fully intending to carry out. Remember that Compassion is the key to successful intervention.

The focus of your efforts is always to get this person to a trained professional counselor or to Alcoholics Anonymous. If you have a good relationship with a knowledgeable and understanding clergyman, doctor, or social worker, fill them in on your objectives and possibly they will serve as the instrument by which the alcoholic or drug addict can be induced to see a qualified counselor.

ADDICTION AND ITS SIGNS

The term. “Addiction” describes an obsession, compulsion or excessive psychological dependence on a variety of substances and behaviors. These include drugs, alcohol, and food, shopping, love, clutter, exercise, crime, money, gambling and tattooing. Recently, technology-related addictions have joined the mix: video games, texting, cell phones, e-mail, and eBay, Web surfing, online gambling, social networking, micro blogging etc.

Where do you draw the line between enjoying a substance or activity and having an addiction? It's not easy, particularly when you've been covering up the truth from yourself (and others) for years, but there are signs and clues that can help you determine whether you might be an addict.

September is Recovery month. It promotes the message that recovery from addiction, in all its forms, is possible. Asking yourself the right questions can be the beginning of your journey to recovery.

Here are twelve preliminary questions you might ask to determine whether you've crossed the line into addiction:

1. Am I drawn to a substance or activity that I feel like I no longer have a choice about taking or performing?
2. Do I need more and more of the substance or activity to get the same effect that it originally provided?
3. Is it difficult, or impossible, for me to stop?
4. When I don't have the substance or activity, do I experience withdrawal symptoms of some kind such as physical craving, anxiety, depression or irritability?
5. Am I compelled to hide or deny the amount of time that I spend on this substance or behavior?
6. Do I feel the need to keep this part of my life hidden from friends, family and co-workers?
7. Is my performance at work or in school, or my participation in personal relationships, suffering because of my use of the substance or my involvement in the activity?
8. Do I find myself spending too much time planning when, and how, I can next use the sub¬stance or engage in the activity?
9. Are there important people in my life who are concerned about my well-being because of the substance or activity, and do I want to reject their input and concern?
10. Are you restless, irritable, and discontented?
11. Did you have any problems with the law?
12. Do you think you can stop on a non-spiritual basis?

Your answers can help bring clarity to your situation. Your loved ones might offer support, but they can't put you on the road to healing. Only you can do that. Sometimes addicts know on a gut level that they're in trouble, but they're in denial. But the only way to get help is to ask for it, and the only way you can motivate yourself to ask for help is to acknowledge your addiction with willing acceptance.

SERENITY

CALMNESS of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought with spiritual progress.

A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as he develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect he ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, serene.

The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of him and rely upon him. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, and his power for good. The individual will find his prosperity increase as he develops a greater self-control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with a man whose demeanor is strongly equable. The individual who considers every one equal is religious.

The strong, calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. "Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character, which we call serenity, is the calm man, having learned how.

It is the last lesson on culture as flowering of life and the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold. How insignificant mere money seeking looks in comparison with a serene life--a life that dwells in the ocean of Truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of tempests, in the Eternal Calm!

“Truth is above all and above Truth is truthful conduct”-----Guru Nanak

How many people we know who sour their lives, who ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers, who destroy their poise of character, and make bad blood! It is a question whether the great majority of people does not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control. How few people we meet in life who are well balanced, who have that exquisite poise which is characteristic of the finished character! There is a different flow of spiritual wisdom from the higher worlds to animate those who dwell here below with growth in spirituality. This flow of spiritual vitality occurs on following the esoteric principals laid down in the 12 step program of AA.

Yes, humanity surges with uncontrolled passion, is tumultuous with ungoverned grief, is blown about by anxiety and doubt only the wise man, only he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, makes the winds and the storms of the soul obey him. Tempest-tossed souls, wherever you may be, under whatsoever conditions you may live, know this in the ocean of life the isles of Blessedness are smiling, and the sunny shore of your ideal awaits your coming. Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the bark of your soul reclines the commanding Master; He does but sleep: wake Him and follow his command and will. Self-control is strength; Right Thought is mastery; Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, "Peace, be still!"

By letting the God in, the five senses are stilled and thinking has ceased, when the intellect does not stir, in between two thoughts than one can enjoy the tranquility of mind and reaches the highest state of spirituality, only by subjugating the lower instincts of lust, anger, attachment, pride, and greed, and by letting God in by development of Godly instincts of Truth, Contentment, Compassion, Faith and fortitude and develop that peace of mind or serenity.

That man, who in the midst of pain does not feel pain, who is not affected by pleasure, affection or fear, and who looks alike upon gold and dust? Who is not swayed by either slander or praise, nor affected by greed, attachment or pride; that remains unaffected by joy and sorrow, honor and dishonor? Who renounces all hopes and desires and remains desire less in the world; that is not touched by sexual desire or anger - within his heart, God dwells. That man, blessed by God’s Grace, understands this way. He merges with the Lord of the Universe, like water with water in serenity.

SPIRITUALITY

AA is the only program based on spirituality. The other programs like Rational Recovery and Secular Organizations for recovery are non-spiritual, preaching of total abstinence. Instead of higher power they depend on will power.

Acts of compassion, selflessness, altruism, and the experience of inner peace are all the characteristics of spirituality. It is what we do with our desires, longings, and restlessness. It is the art of making life a sacred adventure. It is being of the spirit. It is a devotion to the metaphysical matters and activities, which renew lift up, comfort, heal, and inspire others and us with whom we interact. It is the development of True Divine being to the point that one’s spirit is developed to the Holy Spirit of God. The highest spiritual achievement ever made.

There is only One Creator, who created the world. He is the Cause of causes, the Generous Lord. He showers His Grace and Mercy upon us.

True spirituality is achieved by means of scientifically applying teachings that allow ego to vanish in the fire of Divine love. The purpose of developing our spirituality is to be free of spiritual ignorance, free of selfish or destructive behavioral patterns. The original intentions of religions were to promote and teach true spirituality among all but they turned themselves to become organized, institutionalized and controlling people. Development of true spirituality is free from any church or religion. God is the Holy Spirit and has no religion. There is only one religion of Dharma (right conduct/cosmic order or law); let everyone grasp this truth.

The spirit is one part of the triad forming reality. The others are mentality (being of the mind) and sensuality (being of senses and body). These three together create reality. To achieve harmony a delicate balance must be maintained with contentment in the unity with the universe. Spirit is the non-physical aspect of existence. Mind is a bridge between spirit and body. Spirituality was the domain of religion but lately science has developed with close alignment.

In recent years, “spirituality” has often carried connotations of the believer’s faith being more personal, less dogmatic, more open to new ideas and myriad influences, and more pluralistic than the faiths of established religions. Those speaking of “spirituality” rather than “religion” are apt to believe that there are many “spiritual paths” and that there is no objective truth about which is the best to follow. On the other hand there are many adherents of orthodox religions who consider spirituality to be an aspect of their religious experience, and they are more likely to contrast spirituality with secular “worldliness” than with the ritual expression of the religion. Others of a more new age disposition hold that spirituality is not a religion per se, but the active and vital connection to a force, power, or sense of the deep self. Some proponents of spirituality believe that the goal of “being spiritual” is to simultaneously improve one’s wisdom, and communion with God/universe, which necessitates the removal of illusion, of feeling and thinking at the sensory aspect of a person.
But if he eliminates his self-conceit and then performs service, he shall grow spiritually.
Other spiritual proponents point out that spirituality is a two-stroke process. The upward stroke relates to inner growth and the downward stroke relates towards manifesting improvements in the world/reality around us as a result of the inward change.

The rule of thumb when evaluating any spiritual approach is that six months of diligent, proper practice should manifest noticeable improvement in one’s life. If not, then the usual advice is to pick another approach that is more likely to assist you in achieving your specific goals.
The spirit or psyche is a multidimensional aspect of “consciousness” most commonly thought of as being composed of the “subconscious” and “super conscious”. Thus, to humans, the psyche is considered to be those portions of the self other than the ego. If the Lord grants His Grace, one acts according to the Teachings of the Word ego is erased.

However, traditional definition of the psyche is limited by our lack of experience in utilizing the psyche as an integral, involved segment of acknowledged experience. Laws of space and time do not bind the psyche, although it is capable of having experience within space-time dimensions. At its deeper levels, such as the subconscious level, the psyche expands out into a gracious communion of cooperative venture with all consciousness. Therefore, the individual who learns the art of communicating with the psyche enhances the ability to tap into universal knowledge that is both specifically life altering and of great import universally.

The universal psyche is comprised of all of the living, self-aware forms of consciousness in existence within all realms of experience. The individual psyche is the you, that recognize at this given time as you are focused in on the singular signal or frequency that represents your current life. The ego is a portion of the psyche, its physical face but the psyche is composition in its entirety encompasses literally unlimited realms of knowledge and creativity.

Spiritually pertinent wisdom and knowledge reside within the psyche, sitting in wait for the individual to stir into action and learn the language of the psyche.

By altering the patterned performance of the conscious mind, the ego is gradually introduced to unfamiliar neurological messages that reside within the psyche. The stance of the individual shifts in its relationship, to space and time. Perceptions heighten. Alternate flows of powerful and pertinent knowledge and creativity results, and the mind elevates to a new level of intellectual/intuitive functioning.

The sponsor, faith, Truth, and Higher Power are necessary for sobriety. With out teacher there is no spiritual/Divine knowledge. With out faith there is no meditation. With out Truth there is no credit and with out capital no balance. The best act is Philanthropy (desire to help mankind, step 12), with out which human birth is accursed. Alms gifts, penance and sacrifices are not equal to Philanthropy. The worst sin is selfishness.

He who accepts the will of God will benefit greatly. There is no greater penance than patience, no greater happiness than contentment, no greater evil than greed, no greater virtue than mercy, and no potent weapon than forgiveness.

God created egotism and arrogant pride, and placed greed within our beings. Keep me as it pleases Your Will; everyone acts as You cause them to act step (3). Some are forgiven, and some stand and serve You. If, in practicing Faith of 12 step program, one does not achieve any degree of spiritualization and one remains on the level of an animal with a will of its own, he has to let go his own will. The potentiality of this faith is infinite, but it requires great effort and vigilance.

Deferred gratification is the ability to control the immediate satisfying of one’s desires - to wait and work for greater rewards at a time in the future. This requires great strength of character. This is spirituality triumphing over materiality, the angel over the ape. If we get spirituality right, the rest will follow, for it is what animates the soul, illumines the mind and sensitizes the heart of the individual. It is coming closer to God / Personal relationship with God.

Development of Spiritual Progress

Prayer, Meditation, Remembrance of the Word of God, Contentment with the Will of God, Morality, Selflessness, Integrity, Honor, Dignity, Trustworthiness, Restraint, and Deferred gratification of desires lead to spiritual progress. As spiritual awakening begins, motivations inevitably shift from the egocentric toward the desire to serve others. This kind of service is seen as absolutely necessary if the awakening and development are to continue; spiritual growth requires a life of service.

SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

Is awareness of the existence of God (Truth), all that we are to expect of a spiritual awakening?
No, accepting the omnipresence of God (Truth) is only a bare beginning; it is only the first gift of the first awakening.

If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on. As it does go on, we find that bit-by-bit we can discard the old life - the one that did not work - for a new life that can and does work under any conditions by using the tools of 12 step program.

One who believes in Truth with all his heart recognizes the Cause of causes as the Root of all and whose heart is filled with faith in Higher Power, the essence of spiritual wisdom is revealed to his mind.

The terms "spiritual experience" and "spiritual awakening/awareness” means a change in personality manifesting in different forms over a period of time. Friends are aware of the change long before the individual realize himself as a profound alteration in reaction to life. Such a change could hardly been brought by him alone in years of self-discipline. Individuals tap an inner resource identified by their own conception of a Higher Power.

Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the essence of spiritual experience. Our more religious members call it "God-consciousness," but others call it Good orderly Direction. Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the indispensable essentials to understand spirituality. The principle of contempt prior to investigation can keep a person in everlasting ignorance from the 12 step program, which has so far never hurt any one and if it does not help we will give your misery back to you.

The mind has to be controlled. The more mastery you have over yourself, over the vagaries of your own mind, the better you are placed for enjoying even this normal world - even if you don't have any spiritual hankering. It is difficult to control the mind while perusing one’s desires all the time to enjoy the spiritual experience, which is the ultimate goal of the life. Many of our problems arise because of a sense of boredom, loneliness, monotony, pressure, and unfulfilled desires throwing off the mind of its balance, even if there is no major external situation. A change of attitude is necessary to get a grip over the mind to get better results.

In an objective situation you cannot expect that there will be no bad experiences in life. A man has to learn to possess inner calmness in reacting to circumstances without getting emotionally involved. Each individual is looking differently at the same situation depending on the stage of his spiritual progress. Most of us spend much of our energy in fretting and fuming. To make decisions we take days and days. When we work we have our worries, our anxieties. A calm, quiet man, once he decides something, can quietly do it without losing his mental poise and balance by meditation.
The spiritual attitude is, to find a meaning for every suffering. The moment you have found some explanation, that suffering becomes less and if the spiritual awareness is there, he is a well-rounded, practical, efficient, and spiritual man. The real spiritual experience is so profound that it wholly transforms the character of the individual.

God’s presence can only felt by an individual through an spiritual experience in a belief system that allows for the possibility that maybe there is an Unconditionally Loving Higher Power - a God-Force, Unfathomable metaphysical Energy, Great Spirit, whatever it is called - which is powerful enough to insure that everything is unfolding perfectly from a Cosmic Perspective in the mind of the individual. That everything happens for a reason - there are no accidents, no coincidences, and no mistakes and logic is necessary to understand all of this.

Spiritual emergence is the process of personal awakening into a level of perceiving and functioning with out ego. The process may at first include one of the following phenomena: acceptance of a personal prayer, occult phenomena, pre-cognition, clairvoyance, astral travel, mystical experience and perception of auras. At its peak, spiritual emergence is the experience of the ultimate unity of all things, a merging with the Divine which transcends verbal description. This leads to among the positive effects of this process with increased creativity, feelings of peace and an expanded sense of compassion and the wealth of the Serenity Prayer is easily and intuitively received.

Those speaking of “spirituality” rather than “religion” are apt to believe that there are many “spiritual paths” and that there is no objective truth about which is the best to follow. The goal of “being spiritual” is to simultaneously improve one’s wisdom, through God’s Will (Step 3) and communion with God/universe/energy/force, which necessitates the removal of illusion of feeling and thinking at the sensory aspect of a person.

Spirituality or its awareness is preparing your, body and mind, to receive God's inspiration and translating it in you’re thinking, speech, and in your actions leading to the formation of virtuous habits forming good character. Spirituality is a two-stroke process. The upward stroke relates to inner growth and the downward stroke relates towards manifesting improvements in the reality around us as a result of the inward change.

As spiritual awakening begins, motivations inevitably shift from the egocentric toward the desire to serve others. This kind of service is seen as absolutely necessary if the awakening and development are to continue. Spiritual growth requires a life of service of humanity (step 12). It only happens if the individual eliminates his self-conceit and then performs service.

Prayer, Meditation, Remembrance of the Higher Power, Contentment with the Will of God, Morality, Selflessness, Integrity, Honor, Dignity, Trustworthiness, Restraint, and Deferred gratification of desires lead to spiritual progress with the guidance and use of the tools prescribed in the Big Book. The secret is in "understanding the real meaning not literal translation" that is behind the words, between lines, and what is not written. These words, language and the symbols are merely "tools" for the linear mind's understanding. It is the action on these instructions, which makes the difference. Faith with out right action is dead. There is no greater penance than patience, no greater happiness than contentment, no greater evil than greed, no greater virtue than mercy, and no potent weapon than forgiveness. With out a sponsor/big book there is no “Spiritual Awareness.” With out faith there is no meditation. With out Truth there is no credit and with out capital no balance. The best act is desire to help mankind (step 12).

The spiritual experience is a personal ecstatic pleasure of the mind which cannot be shown or shared with others but does make an impact of God’s presence & Grace in the mind of the individual experiencing it. We are all experiencing an evolutionary process of Spiritual Awareness, which is unfolding perfectly according to divine plan, in alignment with precise mathematically, scientifically and musically attuned laws of energy interaction. We are spiritual beings and are having a human experience.

To have knowledge of the dynamism of that unmanifest Lord is a very deep experience, and to say something of that ineffable Lord is a Herculean task. Life is a process of growth that is spiritual as well as physical, from one stage to the next. A person practices truth and develops virtue, self-control, insight, and self-confidence, and finally the stage of maturity.

Signs of Spiritual Awareness:

1. An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
2. Feelings of happiness and enjoying each moment with out any worry.
3. Feelings of being connected with others and nature.
4. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
5. A tendency to think and act spontaneously.
8. A loss of interest in conflict, judgment, and interpreting others actions.
9. Gaining the ability to love without expecting anything in return.

SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTSY IN ALOHOLICS

Most alcoholics are generally spiritually bankrupt. We are going to find out what had blocked us off from Spiritual progress. 12 step program is not theoretical but is an active program consisting of active participation in its principles by subjugating the lower instincts and developing the higher instincts. It is inner cleanliness with the evolvement of good moral character important for spiritual growth.

It is indeed a fact that we all are actually at different steps of spiritual growth, and we cannot compare one with the other. An individual is one of his kinds in this world.

First we have to make a fearless and searching moral inventory of our selves. We have to take the stock honestly. We have to search for flaws in the make up of our self, which caused our failure and manifests in various ways. Self-will is the root cause of our troubles, manifested by our resentments, our fears, our sex conduct and harm towards others. We try to judge others by pointing a finger; we should realize that 3 of our fingers are pointing towards ourselves. No one has the right to judge any one. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.

We humans have 3 basic instincts comprising self, the social instinct, the security instinct and the sex instincts. These are needed for the human race to survive but when used selfishly or incorrectly it brings harm to others. In being selfish and self-centered we attempt to fulfill these desires, we are in constant conflict with others e.g. interfering when some one is speaking or passing remarks or in a debate with out having any understanding of the issues involved or in discussion. We all should concern with our own inventories rather than some one’s else. Every one calls himself perfect none calls himself imperfect.

Each resentment boils down to” that the person is not acting the way I think he should”. This very self centered, what we resent in others are the things we struggle with Our Selves. We are merely seeing in others something we do not like our selves. The other person’s behavior is being a mirror for us so we can see OUR OWN defects & ask ourselves, where we have been selfish, self-seeking, frightened, dishonest or inconsiderate and whom did we hurt?

One should question himself regarding;

1. Did I unjustifiably arouse bitterness?
2. Was I at fault? What should I have done instead?
3. Though a situation had not been entirely our own fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved ENTIRELY.
4. Where were we to blame? The inventory was OURS, not the other man’s.
5. Have we begun to learn tolerance, patience and goodwill towards all men?

Now you have swallowed and digested big chunks of Truth about your self.

This kind of analysis is not about who you are but it is about finding out who you are not? It is about cleaning your house by throwing out the things you do not want and not rearranging the old stuff.

One should know that one can’t be helpful to all people, but ask God at least show me how to take kindly and tolerant view of each and every one. Thy will be done.

The motto of an individual should be “I might be a single person in this world, but I may be the world for the individual I help”.

The way you are is NOT the result of what has happened to you, it is the result of what you decide to keep inside you. Non-consideration of our character defects is every bit as self destructive as denial of them. Admission of them is what’s called for, which might lead towards spiritual growth ending spiritual bankruptcy.