THIS TIME MUST BE DIFFERENT

[BBJohn]

Thanks Jo, really great to read that
I'm good, doing what I know works, as you say:

but it mostly boiled down to, don't pick up, go to meetings, get a sponsor, get a home group, and get active in service

Simple but not always easy.
While my wife is away (a time I often have either drank myself silly and / or gone out to score) I am putting lots of effort into recovery. I was told many many years ago if I put half the effort into recovery that I would put into drinking / using I would have a fantastic life.
I have a home group (AA) that I've been going to for years, even when using which lately has been more the issue than drinking. I went last night, I love it, there are a couple of people there who get it with opiate addiction, so I can talk to them about drugs that I can't share in the meeting.
My sponsor who has a similar background of drink & drugs keeps on suggesting we go to NA together, problem is whilst I know it can help I have had bad experiences, meeting other local addicts like me and making contacts I don't need. I promised my wife I would not go. He also thinks I need to go into treatment, he said the same some years ago and perhaps if I had gone then I wouldn't have had the misery of active addiction for the past few years, who knows? Having been around recovery so long, I know the theory, have done tons of counseling, cog psyc etc etc so as I don't need to detox not sure how much I would gain, but I have never done inpatient treatment so who knows?
I am doing what I know works, keeping it simple ODAAT meetings, lots of contact with others in recovery, reading Big Book etc, gratitude, using the just for today card.
WHATEVER HAPPENS TODAY, I WILL NOT PICK UP A DRINK OR DRUG