Saving Grace

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Laurie Wright: "The meetings of my salvation"

The coronavirus were lockdown was especially hard for people in recovery from addiction because of the support of cancelled meetings.

musician Laurie Wright, 28, from Cheltenham, was in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction for four months. Here, Laurie , and his parents Carol and Richard , your experience of life in lockdown share.

The coronavirus has affected My Life quite strongly, because now the meetings are In Person .

In the 12-step program, you are encouraged to look for a Higher Power . That an atheist God doesn't wash really with me, so I'm looking for a Higher Power , in the human connectivity - The Spiritual human connection that we get by sharing our stories with each other In Person . The hugs, the Eye Contact , the smile.

We make the meeting on the Zoom, But it's not the Same . Each microphone is muted, you can't hug each other, you can't see all of them at once.

There is also a big thing in the 12-step program with the name of service.

I have two service posts in the week, where I made the tea and Greet the people, forcing me to be there. Service is a big part of early recovery, because it forces you to a meeting, because everyone is dependent on you.

With the lack of meetings, I don't do the service, which is an incentive to potentially miss a meeting.

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to not be on drugs anymore, and I knew in the back of my head that alcohol was also a problem. I always thought that if I could stop the medication, I was able to just a couple of pints. But that was never the case.

I fought you continue to do so for a further three years, with the odd month of fasting. This in turn would convince me, I was fine, because, in my head, if I could stop for a month then I couldn't be addicted to it.

That would legitimize The Other 11 months of the chaos.

Sometime everything too much, and it came to a head, as I stepped out of My House and My Girlfriend has left me, both on my birthday. Then I decided that I needed to go sober.

I don't think I needed rehab and I thought I could do it on My Own . That didn't work. I was a whole lot of. I would go to the North for a gig at The End of it And Then tell everyone Back Home was, I was sober.

I finally got sober, when I had had enough and had, as they call it, in the 12-step program, "The Gift of desperation". You simply go: "I can't do it on My Own "The Door 's open, honest, open-minded and ready to be changed.

If you are affected by any of the questions that went into this article help and advice

I was in rehab for a month and it was amazing. I learned the 12 steps correctly and got serious.

I was about Christmas - what had to happen. I knew what Christmas was, especially with all my buddies and what is expected of me as the bringer of chaos. It would Show People I was serious when I get out of there.

But it's not the rehab that keeps you sober, it's the rehab, take you out of The Situation .

The meetings were my salvation, to go by you, every single day. It is not a chore as soon as you in you, you will hear the stories of Other People .

I've always said, it's Like different chapters of the Same story, listen to all other to fight, because we all have the Same obsessive-compulsive nature. For most addicts, meet your Savior.

Obviously, the meetings have been gone due to the Corona Virus, and online.

Although I do on my phone all The Time , I don't know enough to online meetings because it's just not the Same .

"By don't-do-your meetings, your addict brain will begin to convince yourself that you're right,"

But not-do-your meetings, your addict brain will begin to convince yourself that you are good, this then leads to thoughts of, "can I have a drink", of course this can lead to a relapse.

There is a WhatsApp group that we have, this is a list of gratitude. So every morning and every night, everyone says what they are thankful for - such as fasting, or a conversation you had with your parents, or a song you heard.

This is really to say - each, in addition to be disposed of, some of the people loads.

Isolation is a big part, because we are talking about the insulation in the meetings as something negative. Now we are forced to isolate, you can take The Natural progression. People are losing The Plot .

I daydream very much, But still, situations come to be in my mind On Tour and to drink only in the location and everything is absolutely fine.

And it would probably be for The First bit, actually, probably the duration. I would maybe get away with it. But no, wait, that is, to take over where the addict brain starts. You convince yourself that this is okay, But it is not.

I stew these thoughts for too long on a couple of occasions. These situations arose in my head, where I thought, maybe I can drink and take drugs, again. Maybe this is all smoke and mirrors?

But it is not the case. It was much more difficult to talk with the sessions, about things Like that.

There was to lockdown some of the Good Things .

Simple Things Like I've done a lot of cooking, learning the use of The Kitchen with the mom, which is nice. We don't argue as much now.

I write a lot of music, and I had cancelled a tour as well so I just started, live online every night and play. I have also released my EP. If anything, it has made me more productive.

Laurie Wright: "the fact that we will be able to see my sponsor will contribute,"

I have huge fears about The End of the block, because it figures such an exciting time, especially as a musician, because the people come in the high number of visitors to the gigs.

Yes, to do all the drink and drugs that will help around me, it will be difficult - But the meetings.

Being able to see, to meet my sponsor and to see my other friends, rest and meet new people to help.

The meeting will be me to clean.

Richard Wright , the father

It was a real flashpoint between him and Carol, because he would not accept that his mother's point of view during an argument.

He put his head in his hands and He Said : "I can't understand where this comes from. I don't see myself as a bad person, But I do get to go, no options to speak to the meeting, or, with people who have been through similar problems as I had. "

He is definitely missing the meetings.

Richard and Carol Wright : "I would be honest if I said I was worried"

It was a good move, if he go on his Facebook and Instagram live shows. He came from these Three Hours with a lot of adrenaline going through him, it was really good, because in the daytime, it can be static very.

I wouldn't be honest if I said I was not a bit worried about Laurie after lockdown, But I suppose there were similar concerns after he left the rehab.

The First thing he did after rehab was to go the pub to his mates, we were really worried. He spent the night on alcoholic beverages and the people were doing drugs in the toilets. He Said , bothered him a little, But he saw through them.

Carol Wright , mother

After the meeting ended, he told me, he began to doubt, and wasn't sure if he could do it, But that only lasted a few days and it was good to able to say that to me. Because he is awesome.

He is completely immersed in his music. But the spin-off, that he was already on his cell phone all The Time , what people think and I think that is a concern.

I think it would be better if he did, online meetings and communicates with his sponsor, instead of looking The Time , what people, he does not know, think.

A spokesman for Alcoholics Anonymous said, online meetings or phone calls can be arranged Between Friends or sponsors, to help people maintain their sobriety during the self-isolation.

"Many members of the continuation of the AA spirit of service, to talk with phone and E-Mail Responder and the Chat service Now are to people in search of recovery and pointed you in the direction of the meetings," the spokesman said.

Since the beginning of March, calls to the AA Hotline have gone up by 22%, and the use of the chat service, an increase of nearly a third.

interview of George Wright , Laurie 's brother

If you are affected by any of the questions in this article, you can at www. Alcoholics-anonymous. org. uk or call 0800 650 9177. Advice and help is also

self-isolation, coronavirus pandemic, addiction

Source of news: bbc.com