RECOVERY

SURVIVAL
GUIDE
12 Tips to Getting, and Staying
Clean and Sober
12 TIPS TO GETTING ing him to keep me away you feel guilty about
from a drink and a or you make a mistake,
AND STAYING CLEAN
drug for another day. call someone and ask
AND SOBER I tell him I can’t do for help/advice/re-as-
it by myself. My higher surance. We’re all in
1.You have to sur- power comforts me when this together, only a
I’m scared and con- drunk and an addict un-
render to Win.
fused and I call on him derstand another drunk

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many times during the and addict so make the
ntil you decide
day to guide me, give call before you use!!
that you have a
me strength and cour- Speak your peace at
disease called ad-
age and perseverance to meetings so people can
diction and you can’t
carry on. get to know you and
safely use, you will
know what you’re strug-
never succeed. Drink-
3.Go to 12 step gling with.
ing just beer, drink-
ing on the week-ends, meetings every day.
trying just a few lines 5.Get a sponsor and

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of cocaine or a pill in t’s like taking work the 12 steps.
the morning. You have your medication, if

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to surrender to win, you want to stay ou have to do
you’re an alcoholic/ad- healthy you don’t skip the work if you
dict and zero is the days taking your medi- want to stay so-
only way. Until you cation. Meeting Mak- ber and clean. Noth-
accept that, you will ers make it. We spent ing worth anything is
continue to fail. It’s hour after hour drink- easy, put in the work
the only time you have ing and using drugs, we and reap the rewards.
to surrender to win. can spend an hour at a Working the steps has
It’s the easier soft- 12 step meeting keeping helped many an addict
er way being sober and us away from the drink and drunk, the proof is
clean. What do you want and the drug. Take what in the pudding and not
for your children? For you need from the meet- only will you get so-
you to watch them grad- ings, from the people, ber and clean, you will
uate from High School and leave the rest. You be able to look at all
or for them to bury you will get what you need, the other junk in your
in your grave. every time. life and clean that up.
We are so lucky to have
2.Get a higher pow- 4.Ask for help. the 12 step programs,
use all the tools at
er.

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e all need people our disposal.

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ou can’t do it from time to time.
alone. Whether Collect telephone 6.Do service work
it’s God, the uni- numbers and call people immediately.
verse, the sun and to re-assure you and to

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moon, anything that guide you. Pick up the ive back what you
is greater than you. phone if you feel like get. If you don’t
My higher power hap- you’re going to drink give it away, you
pens to be God. I start or drug and ask some- won’t keep it. I do all
my day everyday at the one for help. If you’ve kinds of service work.
foot of my bed ask- done something that I speak to inmates
at jails and prisons ey. Your true friends ready to guard your so-
about how screwed up I will call you and ask briety. Keep your de-
was when I was drink- you how you’re doing; fenses up.
ing and drugging and they won’t encourage
how much better I feel you to be around all 10.Avoid your trig-
about myself now. I the drugs and alcohol. gers.
go to a recovery cen-

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ter/detox every week 8.Change because you f hanging out at
and help people who really want to. certain places or
are trying to quit. It with certain people

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keeps me aware of where e only have one are triggers to start
I used to be and how I life to live, drinking and drugging,
could relapse at any don’t waste it. I avoid them. If going on
time if I don’t work wasted 27 years of my dates with people who
my program. I have a life drinking and drug- drink could lead you to
home group that I go ging. I was emotion- drink or drug, don’t
to every week and I ally stunted while us- go. Avoid bars, the
stay late and sweep and ing. I was stuck at 20 drug dealer’s house,
mop the floors put- years old for 22 years. parties where alco-
ting on a 12 step meet- Don’t change because hol and drugs are being
ing for others helps me the courts tell you to, used, gatherings like
be grateful. I spon- your family wants you re-unions, holiday cel-
sor others showing and to; you’re going to ebrations, 4th of July
teaching them how I lose your kids. Change bbq’s, superbowl par-
got and stay sober and because you’re sick and ties, wedding recep-
clean. tired of being sick and tions, etc. An old say-
tired. Change because ing is there’s a slip
7.Stay away from you know you can live behind every slip. That
slippery people and a happier, healthier, goes for females too
places. more fulfilling life, when they want to party
the life you’ve always with old boyfriends,

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ou can’t hang wanted. Don’t waste new boyfriends, old
around people using your life any longer!! lovers, etc. Don’t set
and drinking and yourself up for fail-
think you’re not going 9.HALT. ure, if sex leads to
to do the same. Hang drinking and drugging

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around the barber shop on’t get too Hunga- or vice versa avoid the
long enough, you’ll get ry, Angry, Lonely, sex. There are plenty
a haircut. Hang around or Tired. All of of sober and clean re-
healthy sober and clean these things can up- lationships; we don’t
people and your chances set your emotional and have to escape reality
of staying sober and physical well being and with drugs and alcohol
clean rise 100 fold. can lead to using drugs to have intimate rela-
Stay away from your old and alcohol. Don’t set tions.
using friends. Many of yourself up by be-
them weren’t your true ing weak emotionally 11.Always, Always,
friends anyways; they or physically. Take Always be vigilant.
just use you for sex, care of yourself always
drugs, booze, and mon- and you will always be
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hen you aren’t vigilant, the
drink and the drug will sneak
up on you. Not only will it get
you when you’re not on your game,
it can get you when you’re on top
of the world. I once got this great
news and the first thing I thought
of was “I should celebrate, where’s
the beer store!” The good news came
out of the blue and I surprisingly
wasn’t ready for it. The same can be
said for the terrible things that
happen in life. The death of a fam-
ily member, cheating of a spouse,
financial or health catastrophes.
Expect the unexpected and when it
happens be ready. Lay a solid foun-
dation that will weather any storm.
12.Put old matters to rest.
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f you have had some tragic
events in your life and never
talked to someone about them,
do it now. My father committed sui-
cide and I didn’t talk about that
event, not even a single word, for
23 years. I drank and drugged my
feelings away and I paid a heavy
price. After being sober and clean
for 18 months, I talked about my
father’s death to my family. Fi-
nally I was free and the crying on
the inside stopped. If you have
been sexually, mentally, or physi-
cally abused talk to someone. You
may have been raped, cheated on,
taken advantage of, old dirty family
secrets, suicide, cancer, murder,
crime etc, talk to someone about the
issues you are keeping to yourself.
Find someone you respect and trust
and confide in them. Whether it is
your mother, father, uncle, sponsor,
priest, lover, or friend. Share your
hurt with someone else and you will
avoid drinking and drugging over it
and the truth will set you free.
You will start to flourish and grow
again.
Copyright © 2008 The Man Overboard. All rights reserved.
About the Author…
Darryl Hagar grew up in mid coast
Maine with his mother, father, three
brothers, and sister. He graduat-
ed from Maine Maritime Academy af-
ter four years of rigorous training
and education earning a Bachelor of
Nautical Science degree and holds
a United States Coast Guard Chief
Mate License, unlimited tonnage, any
oceans.
Darryl sailed for big oil corpora-
tions for 20 years carrying millions
and millions of barrels of petroleum
around the country and the world.
Darryl was an active alcoholic and
drug addict through it all and fi-
nally left the industry and got so-
ber in May of 2005.
He currently lives in Portland,
Maine raising his eight year old
son and travels to colleges, jails,
prisons, detoxification and recov-
ery centers, and other large groups
to discuss the dangers of drug and
alcohol abuse. Darryl tells people
what he does to stay sober and clean
and is a shining example of how peo-
ple with severe drug addiction and
alcoholism can overcome their de-
mons and live a happy and fulfilling
life.
For more information and help,
please visit:
www.themanoverboard.com