There Is A Solution!

If you have trouble viewing this email, please view the web version.

R.A.’s Stories Of Recovery Revealed

We are using this newsletter to introduce stories from our latest addition to R.A.'s Suggested Literature, R.A.'s Stories Of Recovery Revealed. After many years of work, the full PDF version of this new book is now available. You can download it from the "R.A.'s Books" page on R.A.'s website.
    The stories in R.A.'s Stories Of Recovery Revealed were initially published in this newsletter years ago. Unfortunately, due to space limitations, some were abridged. In addition, the number of people reading this newsletter has tripled. Therefore, this will be the first opportunity many people will have to read the full versions of these stories.
    R.A.'s Stories Of Recovery Revealed contains the stories of R.A. members. These accounts follow the same structure used by the pioneers of the program in their original stories. In these new stories, R.A. members describe, in a general way, what they used to be like, how they found R.A., worked all Twelve Steps, and what they are like now.
    In R.A., we hope that R.A.'s Stories Of Recovery Revealed, will inspire its readers to go through R.A.'s Step Presentation. They will thoroughly follow all of the pioneers' 'clear-cut directions.' They will fully work all Twelve Steps. They will recover. We believe that R.A.'s Stories Of Recovery Revealed is a valuable addition to R.A.'s Suggested Literature.

God's Grace

...it's the most amazing thing in the world.

An R.A. Recovery Story

Ithought, "This is my life? This is the rest of my life? I would rather die than go on this way." That Saturday night, I was having dinner with a friend. She told me she had heard about some people in a fellowship called Recoveries Anonymous who went through the Steps fast. That night I ran into another friend. She said, "Hi, how are you?" I told her that my life was like a rerun. She said, "Well, I've recovered." I said, "What do you mean, you've recovered?" She said, "I've been through the Steps and I've recovered." I asked, "What do you mean you've been through the Steps?" I said, "I don't know what you're talking about."


	She loaned me a Big Book with a copy of R.A.'s Highlighting Introduction tucked inside.

She gave me something that is now called R.A.'s Highlighting Introduction. It suggested that I underline some words in the Big Book, like "recovered," "sanity," and "solution." I thought, "I've had the Big Book for years, but I'll do it anyway. What do I have to lose? I've tried everything else. It is either this, or I die. I can't go on this way."

So I went home with the Highlighting Introduction she gave me. I took out my crayons (I didn't have a highlighter). I opened up my Big Book, and I read the title page: "Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism."

That gave me pause. I knew its real name wasn't the "Big Book," but I didn't know its actual full title until this moment. But then, I saw that in the Foreword to First Edition, it said: "We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book."

This was mind-boggling to me. I didn't know that someone could be recovered. I didn't realize that the book's purpose was to show me how I could be "recovered." Then, I fell asleep. Each day, for a couple of weeks, I would scan through a couple of pages and then fall asleep. I just couldn't take it in. The concepts in this book were revolutionary!

Something began to happen to me. I started to have hope. From the day my friend told me she had recovered, I began to recover because I began to have hope. There was a solution. It was laid out in front of me. I started going to R.A. Discussions and going through R.A.'s Step Presentation.


I started to have hope. From the day my friend told me she had recovered, I began to recover, because I started to have hope.

I learned that I was powerless over my problems and behaviors. That made so much sense to me. The things that I did with alcohol, drugs, food, and emotions were surely insane. There was a pattern. The fact that I was powerless meant that I couldn't stop. Before, I thought that being powerless meant that I should be able to stop. But now, I knew it was impossible for me to stop.

I came to believe that a power greater than myself could restore me to sanity. I was not a person of faith, but I knew that there was a power greater than me. I knew that the sun rose and set, and seasons changed, rain fell down and not up, and I wasn't doing it. I saw there was some power in the universe greater than myself and began to see how the Big Book defined that Power.

I used to think the Third Step meant that I had to throw back my arms and say, "Take me, God." In R.A., they suggested that I just needed to make a decision to try. I said, "OK." I made a decision to try to turn my will and my life over to that higher power.

(This story is continued in the next section of this newsletter.)

In R.A., they suggested that I follow the instructions in the Big Book and start putting the welfare of others ahead of my own, that I start working with others right away. It was the best thing they could have told me. So I did as they suggested, and it worked. I was getting better all this time. I wasn't hurting myself.

Following the instructions in the Big Book, I took my inventory in one day. I was able to look for my defects of character and see the harms I had done to others and myself. Over the next few days, I discussed my defects of character with someone, admitted they were objectionable, and asked God to please remove them. Then, I set out to make amends to the people I had harmed because of those defects of character.


	I cleaned up my past. Decades of dust and dirt and shame were left behind. I felt something happening to me and I knew I hadn't done it.

That was so powerful. I actually went out and sat down with the people I had harmed and who had harmed me, and I made amends. I cleaned up my past. Decades of dust and dirt and shame were left behind. I felt something happening to me, and I knew I hadn't done it. I hadn't done it.

In R.A., they suggested that I continue to follow the instructions in the Big Book. They suggested that I continue taking my inventory and making amends. I was to pray for knowledge of God's will for me and the power to carry it out. I learned the absolute necessity of living by spiritual principles in every part of my life and how vitally important it was to my own recovery for me to continue carrying this message to others.

All of a sudden, I had health, faith, hope, sanity, usefulness, serenity, and I didn't do it. I even had someone special in my life, and I didn't do it. I had recovered by God's grace through this Twelve Step program of recovery. This recovery is the most fantastic thing in the world.


I've discovered that the people I work with are doing me a favor when they let me tell my story and talk about this program.

I also found out that the only way I can expect to keep my recovery is through intensive work with others. I can't believe how happy it makes me when I do this. I've discovered that the people I work with are doing me a favor when they let me tell my story and talk about this program.

It feels good to know that if someone decides that this program is something they want, I will do everything I can to help them understand and work it. I've also discovered that I could let go if somebody decides R.A. is not for them. I've learned to trust that they will come back if they get desperate enough and that, in the meantime, we can still be friends. In R.A., no one is under any pressure or obligation. My only hope is that when someone does recover, they will also begin to help other people.

I have learned that when someone decides that they want to be recovered, the best thing in the world for them to do now is to start placing the welfare of others ahead of their own. Doing this in my own life lets me know that I am living in the solution

R.A.’s “How To Begin…” Guides

To find out more about our Twelve Step Fellowship, and how you can get started working the Twelve Steps of our Solution Focused Program of Recovery, we suggest that you visit our website and Download R.A.'s "How To Begin…" guides. This includes R.A.'s Newcomer Guide, "How To Begin Living In The Solution."

R.A.’s Solution Focused Books
Move up to the next step in your search for recovery by downloading and reading the PDF versions of R.A.'s Solution Focused Books. We do not charge for the PDF versions of our books. Instead, we give the passwords needed to open our books to thank those who support our efforts to help others. You can show your support by making a small, one time, tax-free contribution to R.A., or, if you truly cannot afford to make a contribution at this time, by filling out our Feedback Form.
If you are reading this, you have probably spent a lot of time and energy trying things that did not work out the way you hoped they would. Doesn't it make sense to invest a little more time and energy in this time-proven method of finding the recovery you've been seeking? As the pioneers promise in the Multilith Big Book: ''It works—it really does. Try it.''

R.A. Is Self-supporting
If R.A. has helped you, please consider making a contribution in support of our efforts to help others.

Recoveries Anonymous

For more information about Recoveries Anonymous visit our website at www.R-A.org

Please do not reply to this e-mail.
This e-mail is not sent from a valid address. E-mails sent to this address are not received or answered. To contact us, please go to our website at www.R-A.org and click the "Contact Us" button.

Want to be removed from our mail list?
You have been sent this e-mail because you gave us your e-mail address and asked for information about Recoveries Anonymous. To update your e-mail address, use the link at the very bottom of this page. To be removed from our mail list, please click here.

Forward this newsletter to a Friend!
Please feel free to forward this E-Newsletter to friends and family who may be interested in R.A.
Did someone forward this E-Newsletter to you? To start getting your own copy, please click here.

Don't miss a single copy of There Is A Solution!
Remember to add RA-Newsletter@RA-News.org to your address book for uninterrupted delivery.

Is the print of our E-Newsletter too small?
Simply go to the "View" menu. Scroll down to "Text" and adjust the size. You can also try holding down the Control Key, and using the + and - Keys to enlarge or reduce the size of the page.

R.A. Universal Services Inc., P.O. Box 1212, East Northport, NY 11731