Tools of Recovery

Sunday, 21 February 2010 23:58

There comes a time when the cocaine stops working--a time when the coke, the other drugs, and all the madness become unbearable.

By then, you just can't stop, so you manage to score and somehow survive and keep on using because, although it's killing you, cocaine has become the most important thing in your life. If you somehow, some way, get a break from it, get free for a moment with a little clarity, you will know this could be your last chance. You must stop using now, and you are really scared. You want to stay away from cocaine, but you don't know how.

If you want to be clean and sober, you can be. If you want what we have, you can have it. No matter how much cocaine you have used or how low you have sunk, you can get away and stay away from cocaine, by doing what we have done. Thousands of recovering cocaine addicts are living drug-free and owning their lives again, by actively using the tools of recovery in the program of Cocaine Anonymous. These are some of the tools that work for us.

TOTAL ABSTINENCE

We who have lost control of our cocaine consumption must abstain from all mind-altering substances. Our experience is that our addiction is invariably triggered by the use of alcohol or other drugs. Just don't drink or use, no matter what.

MEETINGS

This is where we meet other recovering addicts. What we failed to do alone we can do together. We share our experience, strength, and hope at meetings. We also learn valuable information about our disease and how the program of Cocaine Anonymous works in our lives. We suggest that you get a meeting directory and go to 90 meetings in 90 days.

LITERATURE

The books Alcoholics Anonymous (the "Big Book") and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (the "Twelve and Twelve") of Alcoholics Anonymous are two of our most valuable tools of recovery. Cocaine Anonymous publishes numerous pieces of literature to further help the recovering addict.

SPONSOR

A sponsor is a recovering addict with more sobriety and Program experience than yourself who will help you work the Steps. He or she (same sex is recommended) should be someone you think you can communicate with. Begin looking for a sponsor immediately. You can change sponsors if the relationship doesn't work.

THE TWELVE STEPS

Meetings may keep you sober for some time, but the Twelve Steps of Cocaine Anonymous are vital for a stable and happy recovery. The Steps of Cocaine Anonymous are the means by which we move from the problem of drug addiction to the solution of recovery. We learn about the Steps by reading the literature, by attending Step study meetings, and by working with a knowledgeable sponsor.

HIGHER POWER

We urge new members to explore whatever beliefs they may have in a Power greater than themselves. There are no religious requirements or beliefs necessary for membership. Some of us either lost our spirituality before we came to C.A. or have never had any spiritual beliefs. As we recovered, many of us experienced new or reawakened spiritual feelings. Be open-minded.

SERVICE

One of the keys to successful recovery is getting involved. Begin by getting and keeping commitments at meetings--make coffee; help clean up; put away chairs. Help yourself by helping others.

TELEPHONE

The telephone is our lifeline between meetings. Get phone numbers from other C.A. members. We are usually shy about calling at first, but we must find a way to do it. We suggest you call someone in the Program daily.

ONE DAY AT A TIME

The thought of making a pledge to never use again can be discouraging. We stay clean and sober one day at a time, and if necessary, one hour or even one minute at a time.

PRAYER AND MEDITATION

We use these tools to establish and improve our conscious contact with God, as we understand Him. We have found the Serenity Prayer to be very helpful:

God,
grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

Make your recovery your number one priority. All your hopes and plans, even your very survival, depend on a drug-free you. Staying away from cocaine and all other mind-altering substances may be the greatest challenge you will ever face.

The early period can be tough, but that does not mean you are not getting better. Beware of thoughts like "I don't feel good," or "This is not working." Recovery is a process, and it takes time.

We hope that by using these tools you will find the same joy and freedom we have found. Just remember to be patient and keep coming back.

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Cocaine Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from their addiction. The best way to reach someone is to speak to them on a common level The members of C.A. are all recovering addicts who maintain their individual sobriety...

Who Is a Cocaine Addict?

Some of us can answer without hesitation, "I am!" Others aren't so sure. Cocaine Anonymous believes that no one can decide for another whether he or she is addicted. One thing is sure, though; every single one of us has denied being an addict. For months, for years, we who now freely admit that we are...

Welcome to Cocaine Anonymous!

We are all here for the same reason - our inability to stop using cocaine. The first step towards solving any problem is understanding the problem. The Problem The Problem, as we see it, consists of an obsession of the mind and a compulsion of the body. The obsession is a continued and irresistible thought...

This section describes one method for taking the Twelve Steps of Cocaine Anonymous. To help us work the Twelve Steps, Cocaine Anonymous uses a text entitled Alcoholics Anonymous, commonly referred to as "the Big Book." When studying this text, some of us find it useful to substitute the word "cocaine" for "alcohol" and the word "using" for "drinking," although...

There comes a time when the cocaine stops working--a time when the coke, the other drugs, and all the madness become unbearable. By then, you just can't stop, so you manage to score and somehow survive and keep on using because, although it's killing you, cocaine has become the most important thing in your life. If you somehow, some way, get a break...

As a newcomer, you may have thought or said, "What's this talk about God? I came here to stop using cocaine, not to join a new religion." Don't feel alone. Many of us were put off with the talk about God when we first came to meetings. It is easy enough to confuse the word spirituality with religion. As it relates to God, Cocaine Anonymous is a spiritual program,...

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Here are some tips to help you stay clean and sober... Take the 12 Steps of Cocaine Anonymous. Go to 90 meetings in 90 days. Don't use between meetings. Don't drink or use no matter what. Throw away all your drug paraphernalia. Get a sponsor. Call your sponsor every day. Avoid people, places and things that you associate with drug use. Don't deal drugs. Get phone numbers and use them. If no one is home, and you're in trouble, call the Hotline. Be...

Why Sponsorship? By this time you may have gone to meetings and heard lots of talk about working the Steps, a power greater than ourselves and getting a sponsor. You may also have become aware that Cocaine Anonymous is based on the Twelve...

" ... we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life." 1 One of the most surprising things a newcomer may hear at a C.A. meeting is the sound of laughter. How is it possible that the same people who probably started drinking or using drugs in the pursuit of a good time are now having an even better time without mind-altering substances? At first out of necessity, and then from an honest desire to be open to new experiences,...

In addition to finding a spiritual way of life, recovery is about changing negative aspects of our personalities into positive ones. We came into the program with big egos but little or no self-esteem. We thought we were better than other people yet, at the same time, felt "less than." We were people who took from others and abused friendships all of our lives. We had no concept of doing anything for anyone without the thought of some kind of reward. By the sheer grace of our Higher Powers, we have found...

"At first it was fun. Then it reached the point where every time I used, I had chest pains and my heart beat would go crazy; and yet I couldn't stop." "There I lay in the hospital, almost dead from an overdose. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest and yet all I could think about was getting another hit." "I couldn't stop until my whole paycheck was gone. I promised myself that next week it would be different -- 'I'll only do one' -- but one turned into two, two turned into three, and...

STEP ONE: We admitted we were powerless over cocaine and all other mind-altering substances — that our lives had become unmanageable. TRADITION THREE: The only requirement for C.A. membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. Many people come to Cocaine Anonymous thinking one of two things: "I rarely (or never) even used cocaine. I don't think I belong here," or "What exactly does the 'and all other mind-altering substances' part mean? I came to Cocaine Anonymous...

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Hope, Faith and Courage: Stories from the Fellowship of Cocaine Anonymous was first published in 1994. As its title suggests, this powerful collection of stories delivers the message of recovery as it has been experienced by members of our fellowship, in their own words. The following excerpt from Hope, Faith and Courage is often read at meetings of Cocaine Anonymous: Reaching Out I made it into this Program because someone else worked their Twelfth Step on me. Someone passed it on to me. Someone was...

BECOMING PART OF
It is the common experience for many of us to feel like we didn't fit in anywhere. Drugs gave us that instantaneous feeling of belonging. When we get sober, that drug-induced feeling of belonging disappears. Finding a group of sober people we can relate to is a new start for us. We go to meetings as often as possible, preferably every day. Before long, we find we are most comfortable at one particular meeting. Because we feel "at home" there, we join the home group and commit to attending...

Unity is a common bond that transcends all differences. We've discovered no matter how different our circumstances or the paths that brought us here, we all suffer from the same disease: addiction. We admitted our lack of power and accepted that we could not recover alone. The strength and direction of our recovery is found in our unity. We are people who might never have mixed. Addiction and recovery are the threads that bind us. We relate to such feelings as grandiosity, insecurity, jealousy, and false pride and...

Every C.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. Where does the money in the basket go? You are like many of us when we first came into the rooms of Cocaine Anonymous — we put our money into the basket and then we saw that one person who we thought was the boss or president of C.A. take the money and put it into an envelope or into his or her pocket or pocketbook. At first, this did not seem to be a big deal; then, we came to a point at which we wondered what happened to...

Our primary purpose is to carry the message of recovery to the addict who still suffers. One way we do this is by holding meetings in Hospitals and Institutions for people who are not able to attend outside meetings. Institutions served may include, but not be limited to, correctional facilities, sanitariums, detox units, juvenile detention centers, half-way houses and shelters; either governmental or private. Confinement may be voluntary or involuntary. Through working with others in H & I's, members...

In the ancient world, when children were discovered to be deaf, they were often disowned and left to die or fend for themselves. Currently, six to ten percent of the United States' general population are deaf or hard of hearing. Of that number, ten percent are addicts and/or alcoholics (approximately 2 million). Without access to a program of recovery, this very large group of people are again, left to die or fend for themselves. Cocaine Anonymous' preamble states that "our primary purpose...