Stopping the War in the Mind by Surrendering to a Higher Power – Chris Raymer.

About This Speaker Tape

DAA - 3rd Annual - 2018

A Friday the 13th in 1987 serves as the anchor for Chris R.'s collapse—a night of hot dogs returned checks and a bottle of pills. He describes a life of 'bumpy poo' and alcohol in the high-pressure kitchens of Houston hotels where beer on the chef's table at 9 AM was the norm. After a failed attempt to save his marriage through sheer will and a subsequent divorce Chris R. found himself in a room where a little girl grabbed his belt loop to keep him from walking out the door. He rejects the 'watered-down' recovery of chip-collecting and 'meeting-making' without step-work advocating instead for a rigorous literature-based approach. He speaks of the 'spiritual warfare' of the mind and the necessity of running toward a life of purpose rather than simply running away from a drug. He remains a 'big book thumper' who believes in the total removal of the obsession.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Chris R. opens with a joke about his poor eyesight and introduces himself as a recovered addict.
• 4:15 Discussion on the 'watered-down solution' in treatment centers and the importance of the Big Book.
• 8:30 Laughter: Stories about the drug-heavy culture of the food business and hotel kitchens.
• 14:20 The turning point: A domestic dispute and the failure of 'willpower' to maintain sobriety.
• 21:00 The 'Friday the 13th' suicide attempt and the voice that told him to go back to AA.
• 26:45 The encounter with the little girl who held his belt loop and the introduction to the 12 Steps.
• 32:10 The experience of the obsession leaving after completing a written Fourth Step.
• 41:00 The story of the double rainbow in South Padre Island and the need to stay spiritually connected.
• 52:00 Discussion on the 'spiritual warfare' of the mind and the danger of non-12-step treatment facilities.
• 58:30 Closing story about a 'knucklehead' asking for sponsorship and the importance of saying yes.