• H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist | cdin | Lil'LinaptkSix

Recovery has god helped you?

Yes. I don't believe very much in a traditional God, but I also won't come in here espousing my stance on whether God is a real thing or not. Even so, God, whatever that is has helped me.

The concept of there being a God who loves and accepts all I am no matter what has helped comfort me at a few points in my life when I was feeling that kind of weakness.

When I was 26/27 and in the depths of my first major meth addiction I went to Church several times and found some solace there. Whether that's God, or just putting myself in that environment calming my mind a little, I don't know or care. It helped at the time.

There are things in my life which have happened which I cannot explain for the better and worse, but I'm focusing on the better here. Example, I was so fucking sure I was going to be hitting a park bench in Covid sitting in detox in April. I was homeless and no one wanted me, would take me in for anything, housing supports were not answering. Last couple days they finally answered and I was found a place very quickly in my home town. That place wasn't the most conducive to recovery and I wasn't the most formidable force against doing more drugs and drinking so I was pretty screwed up right away. Then, I met my current partner who's basically saved me. I'm still struggling with addiciton but all the other unstable aspects of my life are taken care of and I'm also taking care myself. It's a wonderful thing, and why I deserved that kind of retribution.. I didn't but here I am.

Among other things. Is that God? Could be. Maybe not. Either way by God I've been helped out and given chance after chance when I'm such a fuck up ad I dont know why. The powers be, greater than my own will have kept me alive and well and for that I say yes, God has helped me in many ways whether that's a real entity or not.

I'm alive, for instance.
 
Diogenes-looking-for-a-man-attributed-to-JHW-Tischbein.jpg

„The Madman.—Have you ever heard of the madman who on a bright morning lighted a lantern and ran to the market-place calling out unceasingly: "I seek God! I seek God!"—As there were many people standing about who did not believe in God, he caused a great deal of amusement. Why! is he lost? said one. Has he strayed away like a child? said another. Or does he keep himself hidden? Is he afraid of us? Has he taken a sea-voyage? Has he emigrated?—the people cried out laughingly, all in a hubbub. The insane man jumped into their midst and transfixed them with his glances. "Where is God gone?" he called out. "I mean to tell you! We have killed him,—you and I! We are all his murderers! But how have we done it? How were we able to drink up the 168sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the whole horizon? What did we do when we loosened this earth from its sun? Whither does it now move? Whither do we move? Away from all suns? Do we not dash on unceasingly? Backwards, sideways, forwards, in all directions? Is there still an above and below? Do we not stray, as through infinite nothingness? Does not empty space breathe upon us? Has it not become colder? Does not night come on continually, darker and darker? Shall we not have to light lanterns in the morning? Do we not hear the noise of the grave-diggers who are burying God? Do we not smell the divine putrefaction?—for even Gods putrefy! God is dead! God remains dead! And we have killed him! How shall we console ourselves, the most murderous of all murderers? The holiest and the mightiest that the world has hitherto possessed, has bled to death under our knife,—who will wipe the blood from us? With what water could we cleanse ourselves? What lustrums, what sacred games shall we have to devise? Is not the magnitude of this deed too great for us? Shall we not ourselves have to become Gods, merely to seem worthy of it? There never was a greater event,—and on account of it, all who are born after us belong to a higher history than any history hitherto!"—Here the madman was silent and looked again at his hearers; they also were silent and looked at him in surprise. At last he threw his lantern on the ground, so that it broke in pieces and was extinguished. "I come too early," he then said, "I am not yet at the right time. This 169prodigious event is still on its way, and is travelling,—it has not yet reached men's ears. Lightning and thunder need time, the light of the stars needs time, deeds need time, even after they are done, to be seen and heard. This deed is as yet further from them than the furthest star,—and yet they have done it!"—It is further stated that the madman made his way into different churches on the same day, and there intoned his Requiem aeternam deo. When led out and called to account, he always gave the reply: "What are these churches now, if they are not the tombs and monuments of God?"—“

The Gay Science, Nietzsche.
 
You do realise that any 'higher power' that comes to your aid is actually your own inner strength?

Don't give the big guy that doesn't exist all the credit...
The Kingdom of God is within my child.

That being said no God never has.

Edit: While I don't believe in a single God I also have to admit if I can't disprove Him how can I prove he hasn't helped?

Don't they say the Lord helps in mysterious ways sometimes?
 
I had a weird dream, remember Dr. Seuess, the pushmepullyou? It was like that but the were like 3 headed, 4 headed, 2 headed pushmepullyouss, with different costumes and colors, all engaging in Gladatorial Games and Circus Combats, Olympic Games and Mysteries. No god per se but pretty cool.
 
I'm not one of those bible-thumping holy rollers by any means, but I have always inherently believed in a higher power. The universe just seems too amazing and unexplainable to be nothing more than one big meaningless accident. Therefore, I do pray for strength and guidance in my ongoing recovery. It certainly can't hurt.

That being said, I don't expect to sit back and have all of my problems magically solved. I still have to put in the work. My dad always said, 'God helps those who help themselves.", and that's pretty much what I live by. Anyway, that's just my two cents for what it's worth.

Peace, Love and Faith,
Dreamflyer
 
A couple months ago, I would've said hell no, I hate God. But as of recently I've had a spiritual awakening of sorts and opened myself up to the possibility of a higher power. I can't say I've exactly fully recovered from my addiction or my mental illness, far from it actually. But having faith in God has made my life just slightly more bearable, and I've been able to reign in my emotions a little bit more. The little stuff doesn't bother me as much anymore, and neither does the big stuff. I just do the best I can, spread love as best I can, and truck on. I do believe good things have been happening because of it.

And although I've had some rough patches, I feel slightly more complete and content these days. I'm more able to accept the blessings in my life for what they are, blessings. As opposed to before, I would just lose sight of the good in my life, and wallow in self pity. Day by day I feel I'm making progress and developing as a human being, and I believe reading the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament has a lot to do with it.
 
Gotta agree with some people here: It's your own inner strength you've been praying to. Be glad that you have that strength, and build upon it. You're strong.

Also: Yes, ffs! Alcohol is a drug. Just like sugar, or caffeine, or heroin. They're all drugs, no matter if they are legal or not.
 
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