How to get out of a mental hole

- Have a plan for the day, constructed by 7.00 p.m. at night for the following day

- The plan includes:

- Basic elements of looking after oneself

- Fulfilling obligations (service, carrying the message, helping others, work, etc.)

- Having a nice time

- The plan covers every moment from waking until going to bed

- Fill the day constructively

- Your life is none of your business

- Your conduct of your life is your business

- Permit absolutely no fear, self-absorption, self-pity, negativity, fretting

- Instead, spend spare mental energy on:

- Prayer

- Immersing oneself in a spiritual or religious tradition

- Use one that gives you a constructive way of seeing and acting

- 7.00 a.m. meditation meeting daily, arriving early, camera on, ready to share on the topic, share if asked

- 14 face-to-face AA meetings a week

- Get there early

- Leave late

- Hand up or voice up to share in each meeting

- Do not leave a meeting without sharing

- When sharing, share on experience of alcoholism and the programme, current programme actions, and current results

- Do ad hoc service

- Go for fellowship

- Do not complain or express any negativity whatsoever, in word, body language, manner, tone of voice, or facial expression

- If people enquire say you’re working the programme very intensively to combat some challenges, explain what action you're taking, and report on the positive outcomes you’re getting

- Otherwise, do not talk about yourself except to carry the message

- Find newcomers or others in trouble to listen to, take to meetings, and share experience with

- Debrief difficulties daily with only a very limited number of people, and people who will not indulge your self-pity and who will talk about the relationship with God as the chief way out of these and any other difficulties

- Report in with a sponsor after each meeting with: (a) what you shared (b) who you helped

- Spend one hour a day on spiritual reading, reporting in daily with what you have learned and how you have been applying it