Comments on: Sobriety Interview With Patrick Meninga Of The Spiritual River Website http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/ Quit Drinking Alcohol and Enjoy Sobriety Wed, 02 May 2012 04:02:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: 51 Things You Should Know About Recovery by Patrick Meninga | Stop Drinking Alcohol by Recovery Princess http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-2164 51 Things You Should Know About Recovery by Patrick Meninga | Stop Drinking Alcohol by Recovery Princess Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:51:52 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-2164 [...] Meninga from Spiritual River, you can read an interview that I did with him earlier this year. Interview with Patrick Share and [...] [...] Meninga from Spiritual River, you can read an interview that I did with him earlier this year. Interview with Patrick Share and [...]

]]> By: Madison http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-2140 Madison Sun, 23 May 2010 23:48:47 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-2140 Sure. Sure.

]]> By: Annett Cicero http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-2139 Annett Cicero Fri, 21 May 2010 11:11:40 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-2139 Hello could I reference some of the material from this entry if I link back to you? Hello could I reference some of the material from this entry if I link back to you?

]]> By: Madison http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1553 Madison Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:48:04 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1553 I am glad you keep coming back! Thank you for your comment. I am glad you keep coming back! Thank you for your comment.

]]> By: Billy http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1511 Billy Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:59:02 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1511 Good interview! In retrospect Tiger Woods is probably not the role model to mention though, but who knew? Patrick sounds like a positive guy and that is key, I think. Thanks Good interview! In retrospect Tiger Woods is probably not the role model to mention though, but who knew? Patrick sounds like a positive guy and that is key, I think. Thanks

]]> By: Madison http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1314 Madison Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:31:29 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1314 Thanks for your honesty. I think that if I try to do the 12 steps then I will get a sponser with A.A. I have been thinking about it a lot and it also helps to hear success stories like yours. Thanks for your honesty. I think that if I try to do the 12 steps then I will get a sponser with A.A. I have been thinking about it a lot and it also helps to hear success stories like yours.

]]> By: Jared | SpiritualZen.net http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1312 Jared | SpiritualZen.net Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:03:03 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1312 Madison, For me, working the steps alone would have never worked. I mean it never did. I tried for years and years and years. I would Google the twelve steps, sponsorship, recovery, and spend hours working on myself. I was/am the problem so I cannot fix myself. Again, all I have is my experience, and I could have never had a spiritual experience on my own. For me, there was no other way. To me, the key is to determine if I/we are truly alcoholic. I agree with the AA literature when it says, "If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer." In my experience this was EXACTLY true. Until I had a spiritual experience, I was bound to drink again. I would continue, and did, have the obsession to drink until God said otherwise. And the only way for me to have a spiritual experience, was to work the steps with another human being. So once I conceited to my inner most self that I was truly alcoholic, I had to accept that no human power (including myself)is able to cure me of the obsession to drink. In simple terms, if I am truly an alcoholic, I need help to recover. All those years of trying to fix myself (abstinence), was my disease telling me I was able to beat this thing. Knowing deep inside, I really wanted to drink again, and the day would come when I had no mental defense against the first drink. It's patient, calculating, and deadly. For me, that day came a little over six years later when I thought to myself... "hmmm, a glass of Merlot with a steak sounds good." Ah! It found it's way in! I alone am no match for the disease, I proved that time and time again. So today, I take no chances and employ an army of spiritual advisors, sponsors, and friends to help me stay spiritually vigilant. Madison,
For me, working the steps alone would have never worked. I mean it never did. I tried for years and years and years. I would Google the twelve steps, sponsorship, recovery, and spend hours working on myself. I was/am the problem so I cannot fix myself. Again, all I have is my experience, and I could have never had a spiritual experience on my own. For me, there was no other way.

To me, the key is to determine if I/we are truly alcoholic. I agree with the AA literature when it says, “If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer.”

In my experience this was EXACTLY true. Until I had a spiritual experience, I was bound to drink again. I would continue, and did, have the obsession to drink until God said otherwise. And the only way for me to have a spiritual experience, was to work the steps with another human being. So once I conceited to my inner most self that I was truly alcoholic, I had to accept that no human power (including myself)is able to cure me of the obsession to drink. In simple terms, if I am truly an alcoholic, I need help to recover.

All those years of trying to fix myself (abstinence), was my disease telling me I was able to beat this thing. Knowing deep inside, I really wanted to drink again, and the day would come when I had no mental defense against the first drink. It’s patient, calculating, and deadly. For me, that day came a little over six years later when I thought to myself… “hmmm, a glass of Merlot with a steak sounds good.” Ah! It found it’s way in! I alone am no match for the disease, I proved that time and time again. So today, I take no chances and employ an army of spiritual advisors, sponsors, and friends to help me stay spiritually vigilant.

]]> By: Madison http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1296 Madison Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:25:13 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1296 Hi Jared, Thanks for sharing your insights with us. I attended A.A meetings many years ago and only for a short period of time. I was not 'ready' at that point either. This time round, I have not been to A.A, I have read some of their material and I have also read much of Women For Sobriety and found that to be useful. It is good to hear you so positive about your sobriety journey. Action is definitely key, you really need to have goals and an idea of what you want your future to look like to be successful in sobriety, and that is just one small element of everything else you have to overcome. It is sad and scary to hear that you have known people dying from this terrible disease. You are certainly one of the lucky ones. Me too for that matter. I find the 12 steps interesting even though I have not done them myself. Your recent posts on Spiritual Zen have made me think about whether I should try them alone. What do you think about doing it that way? Maybe Patrick or yourself could be my mentor! Infact, what do you think of virtual mentors for those who do not want to attend meetings? Come back soon! Hi Jared,
Thanks for sharing your insights with us.
I attended A.A meetings many years ago and only for a short period of time. I was not ‘ready’ at that point either.
This time round, I have not been to A.A, I have read some of their material and I have also read much of Women For Sobriety and found that to be useful.
It is good to hear you so positive about your sobriety journey. Action is definitely key, you really need to have goals and an idea of what you want your future to look like to be successful in sobriety, and that is just one small element of everything else you have to overcome.
It is sad and scary to hear that you have known people dying from this terrible disease. You are certainly one of the lucky ones. Me too for that matter.
I find the 12 steps interesting even though I have not done them myself. Your recent posts on Spiritual Zen have made me think about whether I should try them alone. What do you think about doing it that way? Maybe Patrick or yourself could be my mentor! Infact, what do you think of virtual mentors for those who do not want to attend meetings?

Come back soon!

]]> By: Jared | SpiritualZen.net http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1294 Jared | SpiritualZen.net Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:58:10 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1294 Oh, one other thing.. ha! Action. The reason why now one get's sober only going to AA meeting is... they just sit in meetings and do not take any action. (i heard this from someone else) I can go to 90 bars in 90 days and sit at the bar and talk about how drunk I'm going to get. How wasted I'm going to feel when I put one of those bottles behind the bar up to my mouth and drink down all that liquor. But that's all I do, sit there and talk about it. Nothing happens. Same thing with recovery. 90 meetings in 90 days with no action isn't going to bring about any change. You may come out of conversations with others "feeling," but you won't be "healing." There's a difference. I didn't have a spiritual awakening and have the obsession to drink and use removed by sitting around talking about it. Oh, one other thing.. ha! Action.

The reason why now one get’s sober only going to AA meeting is… they just sit in meetings and do not take any action.

(i heard this from someone else)
I can go to 90 bars in 90 days and sit at the bar and talk about how drunk I’m going to get. How wasted I’m going to feel when I put one of those bottles behind the bar up to my mouth and drink down all that liquor. But that’s all I do, sit there and talk about it. Nothing happens.

Same thing with recovery. 90 meetings in 90 days with no action isn’t going to bring about any change. You may come out of conversations with others “feeling,” but you won’t be “healing.” There’s a difference. I didn’t have a spiritual awakening and have the obsession to drink and use removed by sitting around talking about it.

]]> By: Jared | SpiritualZen.net http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1293 Jared | SpiritualZen.net Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:48:29 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1293 Great interview Patrick and Madison, Thanks for sharing with us. I have never seen the Triennial-Surveys data. Quite interesting. I believe the dismal return and success rate in AA is a product of it becoming more group therapy sessions and less about having a spiritual awakening and a new way of thinking. The first time I ever attempted sobriety in 97' I got out of the hospital after a severe 6 day detox and attended one AA meeting. It depressed the crap out of me! All I heard was peoples issues and problems and how they lost another job and their divorce... no one was talking about the solution. Sure, maybe I wasn't "ready" and only heard the differences. But no one said, "if you work your ass off and do these steps, no exceptions, you're life will be so freakin' great you won't believe it!" I work with a lot of guys in recovery and they're either willing to do the work or they're not. Most get to the 4th step and I never see them again, or I hear about their funeral or see them a few months later when I'm speaking at the local treatment center. It really does come down to what you pointed out Patrick, they just haven't surrendered to their disease. It's not their fault, the disease is so powerful. I still love everyone of them! Alcoholism and addiction is the only disease that people get looked down upon for showing their symptoms. "Oh he drank, he wasn't 'ready'" No one knows who is and who isn't ready. I believe that I would drink until God (or whatever you believe in) said differently. Period. I just simply had to have my ego beat down enough that I was willing to do whatever it took. And the only thing I've gotten in return... everything imaginable! I too lived in a recovery house for over 18 months. What a revolving door! (for years I was one of them) But that's when I become a recovery warrior. Yes it was sad watching great guys come and go, and some die, but in the end, I'm responsible for me and I would have kicked my mom out of that recovery house if she was jeopardizing my sobriety. I still go to AA a couple times a week (my sobriety date is March 12, 2006). I share the solutions and how my life is today. I share how a life based on spiritual principles and emotional growth is worth going after! Sorry for the long rant... I'm passionate about recovery I guess, ha! Great interview Patrick and Madison,
Thanks for sharing with us. I have never seen the Triennial-Surveys data. Quite interesting. I believe the dismal return and success rate in AA is a product of it becoming more group therapy sessions and less about having a spiritual awakening and a new way of thinking. The first time I ever attempted sobriety in 97′ I got out of the hospital after a severe 6 day detox and attended one AA meeting. It depressed the crap out of me! All I heard was peoples issues and problems and how they lost another job and their divorce… no one was talking about the solution. Sure, maybe I wasn’t “ready” and only heard the differences. But no one said, “if you work your ass off and do these steps, no exceptions, you’re life will be so freakin’ great you won’t believe it!”

I work with a lot of guys in recovery and they’re either willing to do the work or they’re not. Most get to the 4th step and I never see them again, or I hear about their funeral or see them a few months later when I’m speaking at the local treatment center. It really does come down to what you pointed out Patrick, they just haven’t surrendered to their disease. It’s not their fault, the disease is so powerful. I still love everyone of them!

Alcoholism and addiction is the only disease that people get looked down upon for showing their symptoms. “Oh he drank, he wasn’t ‘ready’” No one knows who is and who isn’t ready. I believe that I would drink until God (or whatever you believe in) said differently. Period. I just simply had to have my ego beat down enough that I was willing to do whatever it took. And the only thing I’ve gotten in return… everything imaginable!

I too lived in a recovery house for over 18 months. What a revolving door! (for years I was one of them) But that’s when I become a recovery warrior. Yes it was sad watching great guys come and go, and some die, but in the end, I’m responsible for me and I would have kicked my mom out of that recovery house if she was jeopardizing my sobriety.

I still go to AA a couple times a week (my sobriety date is March 12, 2006). I share the solutions and how my life is today. I share how a life based on spiritual principles and emotional growth is worth going after!

Sorry for the long rant… I’m passionate about recovery I guess, ha!

]]> By: Madison http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1290 Madison Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:33:21 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1290 Hi Everyone, Thanks for the comment Brett. Anyone who reads this site will come across the Spiritual River name multiple times, Patrick's no nonsense writing was one of the reasons I believe I was able to embrace sobriety and his words have helped me through many a bad day as well as a few good ones. This interview has been a fantastic opportunity for me to question Patrick more in depth, I am positive that many readers will appreciate his words of wisdom. I just wish I had got a few more questions in. Don't worry I am already planning an update interview! Thanks again Patrick! Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the comment Brett.

Anyone who reads this site will come across the Spiritual River name multiple times, Patrick’s no nonsense writing was one of the reasons I believe I was able to embrace sobriety and his words have helped me through many a bad day as well as a few good ones.
This interview has been a fantastic opportunity for me to question Patrick more in depth, I am positive that many readers will appreciate his words of wisdom. I just wish I had got a few more questions in. Don’t worry I am already planning an update interview!
Thanks again Patrick!

]]> By: Patrick http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1289 Patrick Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:53:57 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1289 Thank you for that Brett and thank you for hosting this interview, Madison. It was fun answering the questions! Thank you for that Brett and thank you for hosting this interview, Madison. It was fun answering the questions!

]]> By: Brett http://recoveryprincess.com/index.php/2009/08/sobriety-interview-with-patrick-meninga-of-the-spiritual-river-website/comment-page-1/#comment-1287 Brett Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:33:13 +0000 http://recoveryprincess.com/?p=1187#comment-1287 Hi Madison. Just wanted to congratulate you on a great interview. Patrick sure sounds like an amazing guy. Brett. Hi Madison.

Just wanted to congratulate you on a great interview.

Patrick sure sounds like an amazing guy.

Brett.

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