On the idea of abstinence
A good while back, I found a group of OAers who didn't emphasize abstinence as a part of their program. I wanted to update this thread, because things have changed a lot for me since I posted it, but I can't seem to find it.
At the time, I was reacting to a problem in our local groups where people were abstinent but were not working the steps. So I went exactly the opposite direction. I studied the steps but didn't maintain an abstinence.
So, yea! Experimentation, right? .... Yah, it doesn't work. And now I know that. I'm sure that some people benefit from the steps and don't have the physical problem that gets aggravated by certain foods. But apparently I'm not one of them.
I joined a different group that starts by studying the forward of the AA big book (AKA, "Alcoholics Anonymous".) In this forward, it discusses how our brain is configured differently to react in an abnormal way to some foods. Our understanding of neurophysiology is very different today. But all the new stuff that we are learning confirms that some brains respond much more strongly to certain neurochemical-altering substances than others.
I really found great value in reading that forward and I would love to pass on that suggestion. If you want to hear a speaker on the subject, a speaker was just recorded on the matter at www. avision4you .info. Just go to "special edition meetings" and click on the talk for January 3, 2016.
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