12 Steps
How are you 12 Steppers working your program on the trail? Do you get to meetings? How do you meet others? Even after 23 years got to be safe...
I remember seeing this thread....
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42497
Hope that helps.
My 12 step program on the AT is as follows... Take 12 steps, rest, breathe. Take 12 steps, rest, breathe, and repeat as needed....
"It was on the first of May, in the year 1769, that I resigned my domestic happiness for a time, and left my family and peaceable habitation on the Yadkin River, in North Carolina, to wander through the wilderness of America." - Daniel Boone
Given what I have seen in rural areas around here, if you check towns ahead, you can probably find a meeting on some of your stops. If not, you can find someone to talk to-if you check with any church or law enforcement agency or a local business, they can hook you up with a someone who is recovering, or a sponsor for someone else who will visit with you. Don't be afraid to talk to law enforcement in rural areas. They usually know the local centers and have people they can contact and some of them are in the program also. I have never been in a program, but work in the legal system and it appears those in recovery will go out of their way to asssit you and encourage your own recovery. Just ask. Have a great hike!
There are also e-meetings that meet in a chatroom off of the AA website. These e-meetings are useful when it is too far to travel to a face-to-face one. No tasty coffee, though, unless you brew your own. If you want more info, PM me and I'll put you in contact with someone who has lots of e-meeting first hand experience.
I saw a lot of drugs and alcohol on the trail. As a recovering addict, you have to make a choice to stay away from that even when it means being antisocial. I made that choice and sometimes I was lonely because of it. If you are not sure that you can stay away from people and places that put you in a precarious position, then think carefully about getting on the trail. If you are confident you can stay clean then do it and have fun.
As a fairly obvious addition to your thoughts, it's my opinion that any hiker in recovery should bring a tent and plan on being independent of shelters.Originally Posted by karoberts
Lord knows it's sometimes not easy staying sober on the trail if one is in recovery. The alcoholic mind isn't selective; therefore, I've relapsed on and off the trail, and here's the thing.......if I am going to use....I am going to use.......and it doesn't matter if I am hiking on the AT or if I am home! I have recently finished rehab once again and I am starting another hike next week.....and I am nervous; however, I am not going to hide from people. I spent several years hiking on the AT and I wasn't very social because I was trying to stay sober, and in alot of ways, that was lonlier than drinking. I plan to be more social on the trail this year, but not hike with the party crowd and keep my trips to town focused on resupply, eating and hanging out with lots of cool hikers.
Take care,
Just Jim
Take care
If you are an alcoholic, PLEASE don't try to hide the fact. I have been more than happy to have a coffee or hot chocolate when in the company of one who cannot use alcohol. My father was an alcoholic. Thankfully, I seem to have dodged the bullet.
Not all folks will understand, but you may be able to jar them into awareness that you just can't fit into their world, and, if they care enough about you, they might just put their world on the back burner to accomodate a fellow hiker.
As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11
I have not thru-hiked (yet). However, I have been "clean" and in recovery for over 25 years. I am a pastor and military chaplain. I am also a certified alcohol and other drug counselor. Here are some tips that I would share for 12 Steppers:
Look for 12 step groups that meet in towns that are near the trail. Make contact with people from those groups PRIOR to your hike--and carry the contact information with you. Call these people again as you near those towns and request a ride to the meeting. I am pretty certain that SOMEONE would be more than happy to meet you and give you a ride.
Here are some starter websites to help you find meetings. If you need information for other types of 12 Step groups (or more information about the groups listed below) please send me a PM (Private Message) and I will try to help.
For Alcoholics Anonymous:
http://www.aa.org/lang/en/meeting_fi...fm?origpage=29
http://www.step12.com/meetings.html
For Narcotics Anonymous:
http://portaltools.na.org/portaltools/MeetingLoc/
For Gambler's Anonymous:
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/mtgdirTOP.html
If you are an alcoholic--and there is no AA meeting in the area where you are hiking --my guess is that folks at MOST NA or GA meetings would welcome you with open arms--especially if you explained your situation. However, you might want to check with the group in advance just to make certain. SOME groups are not as willing as others to open their meetings to folks with another types of addiction.
I would carry 12 step literature with me on my hike--possibly daily devotional type of 12 step literature. I would not only carry it--I would also READ IT!
I would carry a cell phone--and a sponsor's contact number. The phone could also be used to help you phone for rides to meetings.
You could use public computers at libraries and other public places near the trail to contact online 12 step meetings and forums. You could also carry a Blackberry, iPhone or similar web-capable device to access online meetings. Some of the many sites include:
http://www.12stepforums.net/aagroup.html
http://www.recoveryrealm.com/
Keep your eyes and ears open on the trail for other possible 12 Steppers. Even in the midst of the Hurricane Katrina disaster response I bumped into other 12 Step folks and we held our own informal "generic" 12 step meetings in the middle of a totally destroyed New Orleans. Some "meetings" were as simple as just two of us recovering folks talking to each other about our addiction and our recovery (like Doctor Bob and Bill W. did in the earliest days of the program). We had other informal "meetings" that had more structure--such as reading the 12 steps/12 traditions, Serenity Prayer, reading from a "Big Book", etc. Having informal "partial" meetings is better than attending no meetings at all (and sometimes such informal meetings are even better than formal meetings!!!!)
Anyone with recovery issues please feel free to PM me to brainstorm other possible ideas and solutions. (and if I have questions, I will try to find you and contact you!)
"A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world." - Paul Dudley White
I have to say when I was on the trail everyone was respectful of my choice not to imbibe. And I was respectful of their choice to party if they wanted to. I mostly avoided the party trips to town, and usually just went to my hammock when the bottle/smoke was being passed around the fire. Result: got up earlier, felt better, made more miles/day than many. The serenity of the woods were (and are) a great source of strength for my recovery.
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. -Kahlil Gibran
Thanks so much for the support. It's amazing what happens when you just put it out there...
q-tip,
Have not thru hiked yet, but it has already been on the wife and I's list of worries. Things we have discussed is using the websites, especially NA to find meetings close to the towns we pass. Also, we have discussed having family come to meet us at certain points and take us to meetings. We will keep a list of numbers (not like I dont know them by heart by now) just in case we cant get somewhere and need to talk. I def. would recomend if you need something to talk to the local law enforcement. Most in small towns are more then welcome to help you with this. Finnaly at least with NA there are a series of very small books in paper back that we plan on taking. I also want to thank you for bringing this up. I went back and forth for a while and did not know exactly what the reaction of people would be on here.. Thank you and thanks to everyone for posting...
DBD
I'm not a 12 stepper or very religious but there are churches in every town you pass through. I think even if some don't have AA or NA meetings, these would still be good places if you need council, support or just somebody to talk to.
Rarely have I seen that failVice versa usually works too. In fact, my AA home group used to be "crashed" by a couple women in Weight Watchers. Didn't seem to hurt anyone....
If you come thru here I have a list of contacts that will pick you up and take you to a meeting........
I was "in and out" for 6 years before I got my first medallion... when I finally "got it right" one of the things I had to do (YMMV) was just plain avoid booze. We used to have people in my group who said they "didn't run from it". Well, I did. And walked from it, drove from it, stayed away from it, and hung up the phone to it. I still prefer not to be around much of it, but now it's less self defense and more just distate.
But the self-defense aspect is still there. If I hang around a barber shop long enough I'm probably going to get a haircut, and if I hang around bars and parties long enough and often enough I'm probably going to have a drink; I'd rather pick up my 19th this August.
Im new to this sight and I would have had no idea about AA on the trail and the many other recovering hiking. What an awesome way to support. I thru hiking CO than JMT don't know what i will be doing about meetings and all yet. I keep a 24 hour coin with me, it helps because the keeping in the moment and to my values is where its at. If you can take a look at the link i have posted PEACE TO ALL Jason http://pages.teamintraining.org/li/moosetri09/jflaster
I've been in recovery 26 years and have also been an addictions counselor, which for me means I have to be real careful about remaining humble.
The sponsor who took me through the steps taught me that you cannot waste time planning. There's a wealth of good ideas here and in the above referenced post, and I'd bet there's more on other forums. You can get meetings lists and phone numbers from AA's general service office in New York and carry with you a plan with alternatives, even if its just a phone talk withg another recovering person.
I have been very fortunate. All of my hiking buddies in recovery have also been in recovery, and my wife, who is my hiking buddy now, is also in the program. Helps me stay humble and keeps before me what I stand to lose if I relapse. (I don't smoke cigars any more for that same reason). And, all you need for a meeting is two drunks and one resentment.
We carry a tent and a tarp. I remove myself from people who are using. So we are always able to get away from relapse triggers like that and still have the company of someone who understands.
And I'd bet a lot - though I haven't thru'ed yet - that you can meet lots of others on the trail who are in recovery.
Another thing that helps a lot, for me, is praying in the morning and night exactly how they taught me to pray when I joined AA.
Good luck.
Sailor
wow, recovory on the trail.
I have found that bringing something to light gets you support and a way out. Q-tip you brought this to light and opened up so much, thanks!!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
