Steps and Traditions.

Welcome Dirk. Love the recommendations--I like the AA Big Book as well for good info on steps, but I think it comes alive better when read with others, instead of a solo read. Actually, I feel that way about the 12 X 12 too, but I have heard folks new to the AA literature say they enjoyed the solo read of the 12 X 12 better than the Big Book.

I'm not in NA, but will take your word on the recommendation. I look forward to parts of the literature that you share as I'm not familiar with NA literature!

I've been helped here to take the steps and apply it to my gaming addiction, which I could not stop any other way. I had tried repeatedly to stop on my own--and of course by the time I wanted to stop I no longer had the power of choice to do so!

I've been game-free for 10 months now, and it's been a tremendous gift. I'm glad you are here, and hope you can find what you need here to help you stay game free, one day at a time!

As with the fellowships you are already familiar with, you know that "new" people like yourself are our lifeblood, and any chance we have to be of service and offer encouragement to you helps us gain another day game free. Your 1 day is absolutely monumental--I remember my first 24 hours and it was very, very intense.

My AA sponsor had to remind me all over what we would tell new people because I honestly felt lost, way too fresh, and completely blind, being in withdrawal from gaming. She reminded me that cravings lose their power when we tell others, that keeping them secret helps them grow. She also told me that every craving I rode out was one less I would have to do, if I could just not game right now. She suggested as many meetings as I could, praying to be relieved of the obsession, and of course the step work.

I had lots of waves of fatigue, and was told by my OLGA sponsor and others here at the site that the sleep was therapeutic, so I gave in to that and took lots of naps.

Because our innate desire to "do things" is so damaged when we get here, the encouragement of the OLGA members to not question things too deeply, just do them was helpful. So if I had an even fleeting idea to do something like go for a walk or whatever, I would try not to question it too much, and go do it.

For me I didn't do well with anything as goal oriented as "I'm going to exercise for 30 minutes." Instead I would simply go for a walk without a goal of time or destination, spend time in a pool without any idea of how long I must stay or that I should move or should be floating--just trying to have in body, real world sensory experiences. This was very helpful in getting me back out in the world. Even minor stuff like going to a movie at the mall, and maybe sitting on a bunch simply watching real people walk around was helpful.

My house had fallen into horrible, horrible squalor, and I worked on that a square foot at a time, took lots of breaks. Today the house is clean enough again that I can host suprise visitors without fear--the same was absolutely not true during my gaming days.

It definitely gets better, so hang in there!

I found this book by Kevin Griffin and Sylvia Boorstein really helpful:

One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps

http://books.google.com/books?id=9cGEcIZY6kEC&dq=One+Breath+at+a+Time:+Buddhism+and+the+Twelve+Steps&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=Y85sTJb-LZPGsAOYuN2mCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

I discovered it through a post by t00smitty on this stream

http://www.olganon.org/?q=node/22307

Thank you t00smitty!

Serena