I remember, when we were young kids in grade school, we were taught geography. I don’t know what they call it today, but it was geography then. The reason I bring this up is because of something we were taught back then. It was about a peculiar phenomenon called the doldrums. It concerned a body of water in the ocean, where, at certain times of the year, sailing vessels would get stalled for long periods of time because of a lack of wind and the seas were becalmed. Sailing ships could spend days, even weeks without moving and under intense humid heat. It caused terrible suffering for the crews and even death. Depressing? Of course and hence the description applied to those of us who sufferer from the sliding down into a funk. They say we’re in the doldrums.
I was thinking about this today, after a conversation with an old friend of mine in the program. He seemed to be in the doldrums. His description of his circumstances related to his projection into the future and then the loss of hope. These two things can start a landslide within us, if we stay in the doldrums too long. It can lead to great mental and emotional suffering and, if we drink again, even death.
Hard words indeed. But that’s the way it is with us alcoholics. In our way of thinking there are no greay areas. Unless we can experience a change in attitude and achieve a balance within. That’s been my experience. Evidence that the spiritual life is not a theory. And working the steps, going to meetings, and talking to others can bring this change about in us.
For years in this program I suffered the same thing. I kept missing the solution. I failed to follow the suggestions given to me and would end up projecting a disastrous future and slip down into the doldrums. Fortunately for me, my sponsor would not accept my condition as permanent and would tell me the answer over and over and over again.
We need repetition in this program. We don’t need new answers. If I don’t hear the same thing over and over, I probably might miss it. Eventually the repetition seeps down through the cracks in this hard wired brain of mine and suddenly the light goes on and I say to myself, “Oh! That’s what they’re talking about. Now I get it.”
After all, I’ve been telling myself all these negative thoughts over the years. Repeating the same old lines to myself. How else is anything going to get through that thick wall unless it repeated over and over and pounded into my head?
Another old friend of mine recently recounted her experience in talking to another member. She said that she had suggested she was going to talk about the program. The other person’s response was, what an interesting idea. Talk about the need for repetition
If I don’t want to drink again and get out of the doldrums, it’s a good idea to talk to others and have them repeat what I’ve heard so many times and failed to grasp.