About Women For Sobriety (Men For Sobriety, Too)

Women For Sobriety's "New Life" program is for those who would like something in addition to 12 Step programs or who would like some guiding principles instead of a 12 Step program.

WFS is a self-help program that adheres to 13 main principles/statements and accompanying affirmations:

1. I have a life-threatening problem that once had me.

Affirmation: I now take charge of my life. I accept the responsibility.


2. Negative thoughts destroy only myself.

Affirmation: My first conscious act must be to remove negativity from my life.


3. Happiness is a habit I will develop.

Affirmation: Happiness is created, not waited for.


4. Problems bother me only to the degree I permit them to.

Affirmation: I now better understand my problems and do not permit problems to overwhelm me.


5. I am what I think.

Affirmation: I am a capable, competent, caring, compassionate woman.


6. Life can be ordinary or it can be great.

Affirmation: Greatness is mine by a conscious effort.


7. Love can change the course of my world.

Affirmation: Caring becomes all important.


8. The fundamental object of life is emotional and spiritual growth.

Affirmation: Daily I put my life into a proper order, knowing which are the priorities.


9. The past is gone forever.

Affirmation: No longer will I be victimized by the past, I am a new person.


10. All love given returns.

Affirmation: I will learn to know that others love me.


11. Enthusiasm is my daily exercise.

Affirmation: I treasure all moments of my new life.


12. I am a competent woman and have much to give life.

Affirmation: This is what I am and I shall know it always.


13. I am responsible for myself and for my actions.

Affirmation: I am in charge of my mind, my thoughts, and my life.


These 13 items are to be used as tools to help in gaining and maintaining recovery - a more manageable and balanced lifestyle. In this, it is suggested that a person rises 15 minutes earlier each day in order to place these 'tools' into use. Go through the Thirteen Affirmations at the start of the day, meditating upon the meaning of each. Then take a single statement (alternating on different days) and use the statement 'mindfully' for the entire day. At the end of the day, review the use of the statement and determine, if possible, its effects upon your day and your actions.

WFS has been around since July 1976 and is both an organization and a self-help program. Women For Sobriety, as the title indicates is a program for women, however, there is also a program called Men For Sobriety (MFS) which is similar in nature and, of course, is for Men who are trying to put their lives back together or maintain lives that they've put back on track after the experiences of addiction.

The WFS and MFS programs, based upon the Thirteen Statements above are programs intended to promote positivity, spiritual, emotional and personal growth. These programs have been effective in helping individuals to overcome alcoholism (and other addiction) and learn to live healthier lifestyles.

The Thirteen Statements should not conflict with other programs of recovery and can be used alongside other programs if an individual so chooses to utilize multiple methods of recovery. The Thirteen Statements approach that WFS (and MFS) uses is currently being used in many clinics, treatment facilities, womens (and mens) centres, hospitals, self-help groups and many other places where alcoholics (addicts) are discovering how to overcome addiction.

The WFS and MFS are programs that each attempt to deal with some specifics of gender where addictions are concerned - because life for men and for women in society is, in fact, different. Men have pressures and situations that don't follow the same for women and vice versa.

For example, many men may not have the 'child-care' stresses that women might have and therefore, in the WFS group, women can address women's issues during their 'recovery gatherings' with a freedom that might not be possible in a both-gender setting. By comparison, men may have 'main household provider' issues that they can feel free to speak about within their male-oriented group. In this, the MFS group can more fully meet the needs of men who are trying to deal with addiction and recovery issues, where they may feel that other 'programs' aren't able to meet certain 'safe discussion' or other support needs.

This post is intended to provide information mainly about the Women For Sobriety program, however, I thought it important to mention that although WFS is a gender-specific group, this doesn't mean that Men are excluded entirely from a similar form of support and self-help opportunity. Since I would not naturally, as a female, attend a Men For Sobriety meeting or gathering, I have limited information about the program but I am working on some correspondence with men involved in the MFS group. I hope to have permission very soon to write about some experiences (maintaining anonymity, of course) with the MFS self-help organization and recovery program.

I have attended WFS meeting locally and found many of the affirmations to be helpful in my own recovery - and I use the affirmations along with other recovery principles from other programs.

"Daily Dose" Will Be At The Bottom

I decided recently to start posting some common 'Daily' messages that can be found in 12-Step Literature.

Since I read literature about addictions from more than one 12-Step organization, I already realized that sometimes I'll post from 'Daily Reflections' material, sometimes from other recovery sources, so just be aware that 'Daily Dose' could be from N.A., G.A., A.A., M.A., or any other recovery source - including, from time to time, an 'Alternate' recovery source such as a 16-Step (Charlotte Kasl) or SMART Recovery information.

I realize that I only posted to the blog twice, as well...

I had posted on a daily basis since I started last week - but left almost every post in 'draft' mode until I could figure out which kind of daily message would be most appreciated. I wondered whether to offer a short daily 'menu' of AA, NA, and an Alternative daily reading each day (which left me tryin' to decide WHICH Alternative source would be best) - to try to cover different perspectives...lol

Leave it to me, a recovering addict - to make things complicated!

Haha - a friend finally told me, "For gosh-sakes - just put whatever you want - down at the BOTTOM and readers can choose to look or not. That way you won't offend anyone by occasionally switching sources." Of course, she also rolled her eyes at me.

I deserve that, I suppose, haha

So that's how I'll do it now, anyway - I'll just change the form at the bottom each day.

Any die-hard 12-Step members who really REALLY dislike other sources - won't have to read the Daily Dose at the top of the blog. They won't need to sort through any of the 'complications' that I had been wondering about. Anything 'Daily' will now be found at the bottom of the blog under that psychedelic-looking banner I recently made. By the way - don't look at that for a long time if you have relapsed and are 'on something' because it will make you pass out pretty quickly lol.

NO I WAS NOT ON SOMETHING WHEN I MADE THAT

haha

I like it - it's staying.

BTW - putting the "Daily Dose" at the bottom, having explained that there will be several sources I will draw from - now also gives me license to select different DAYS, too (I decided this 'cos it's MY BLOG)...so if I'm havin' a really bad day and want to be reminded of something SWEET - I might post a July 15th Sunny-time 'Daily' reading in the middle of December's snowstorms during the Xmas season or something. Xmas isn't my favourite time of year at all, so thank goodness it's only May right now - 'cos I won't have to do any 'adjusting' for a while lol.

Readers beware muhahaha

(I also left a typo in this post that I noticed after I hit 'publish' - but I'm gonna still leave it there just to see if anyone even notices it HAHA - I'm thinkin' my OCD-inspired friend will find it, and I MEAN THAT with the greatest kindness 'odc-friend.' Wow I came back all the way through the 'edit' process in blogger just to type that I am not going to change my typo lol)

Just for Today...

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee HAPPY!!