91: Half Measures Avail Us Nothing

“Half measures availed us nothing” captures a powerful truth about recovery: trying to do sobriety halfway can keep old patterns alive. In this episode, we explore what “no half measures” really means and why lasting recovery requires fully engaging in the program—not just the parts that feel comfortable.

Steven shares his journey of getting sober at 19, staying sober for 12 years, relapsing for five, and returning to recovery on November 12, 2004. We discuss the daily practices that support lasting sobriety and the importance of working the full program, one day at a time.

If this message resonates with you, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review. What part of an “all-in” approach to recovery is hardest for you?

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Transcript

Twenty-One Years One Day At A Time

Steven Ginsburg 0:00

21 years clean and sober. It's been a day at a time. It's been a meeting at a time. It's been a triumph at a time. It's been a tragedy at a time. It's been a prayer at a time.

Steve Coughran 0:09

This is the Addiction Recovery Podcast with Steven T. Ginsburg, founder of Restore Detox Centers in Sunny, California. Enjoy your experience.

What Half Measures Really Means

Steve Coughran 0:23

Steven, so good to be back together with you today. There's this phrase I've heard you say before half measures avail us nothing. And I'm sure you're talking about people that like put half of their heart into recovery or just effort or action, whatever it is. And I want to hear more from you. And that's where I want to kick things off with is just this whole idea about half measures. What are you talking about?

Steven Ginsburg 0:47

Steve, thank you. This is a topic that is absolutely near and dear to my heart. And this is very traditional, old school, foundational AA speak, and it holds true and it holds up even as we sit 91 years later at the inception of this fellowship. You know, in the big book, there is a specific chapter called How It Works. It's chapter five in the big book. And in that chapter, that chapter starts out saying, rarely have we seen a person fail who's thoroughly followed our path. It goes on to say in that same chapter that half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked his protection and care with complete abandon. I think what's important there as a talking point is you can't do some of it, but not all of it. There was no moderation for myself in my drinking and drugging. There can be no moderation for myself in my recovery. Now that I've done me, I want to go to the we. For those of us who are in pursuit of curing that spiritual malady and treating that spiritual malady a day at a time, half measures in this fellowship will literally deliver no results. You can't do some of it and expect any of it. And if we want what people have in the rooms that we see that have walked ahead of us, we do what we do, what they do, and we get what they get. And it's inclusive of everything and anything that leads to that ongoing remission and reprieve.

California Sober And Skipping Meetings

Steve Coughran 2:30

So when you when you're saying that, I mean, is it the same concept of like you can't be half pregnant? Like you can't just like you can't be like half in with recovery, where you're like, okay, tell you what, I'm gonna, you know, I'm just I'm I'm only gonna drink maybe one day a week instead of getting wasted every night, or I'm gonna do the the California sober life or whatever it's called that that you guys reference out there is I'm gonna just smoke weed and it's it's better than doing cocaine. Right now you're referring to, or I mean it could even go as far as like, you know, I'll do a meeting this week, but next week I'm gonna be out of town, so I'll skip next week and I'm in a meeting the following. So okay, yeah, I'll skip the next two, but then I'll get caught up at the end of the month. Is that what you're referring to? Right?

The Five Parts Of The Program

Steven Ginsburg 3:13

That and then yes. So, first of all, yes, and then secondarily on that yes, because I'm not just yesing you. We also don't have the ability. Like, if all we're gonna do is go to meetings, it's not gonna work. Is if all we're gonna do is get a sponsor and work with a sponsor, it's not gonna work. What half measures availed us, nothing pertains to is this. We have that conception of a power greater than ourself, we have that individual with working knowledge of steps in our life. That's a sponsor. I believe in a meeting a day because there was never a day where I didn't get drunk or loaded. We work all 12 steps, and those 12 steps work in our life, and they produce and provide a psychic change, and they produce and provide our spiritual awakening, and then we are of service. Those five facets comprise the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and sobriety. It's not an omelet bar. We don't get to have some of this and some of that. We do all of it, or we get none of it.

Steve Coughran 4:10

And we did an episode a while back, and I can't remember the specifics on this, but how long has AA been around?

Steven Ginsburg 4:15

They just celebrated like 91 years.

Steve Coughran 4:18

Yeah, so 91 years. So I'd imagine over the 91 years, they've been able to refine their program, maybe make some tweaks here, see what works, see what doesn't work, eliminate this, add that, whatever it may be, to really get like a really solid transformational program. And you know, it's rooted in like principles of like the gospel of God, right? So I think it's been tried and tested and it and it's true. Obviously, it worked for millions of people. So I imagine like they figure they like they figure this out. So it's like if you just work the steps, if you work the program, then the transformation happens. But I'm sure some people come into it and they're like, well, I mean, maybe I don't need a sponsor. It's kind of like awkward talking to a sponsor, but I'll do meetings, but it doesn't work when

A Relapse From Stopping The Work

Steve Coughran 5:10

you don't do the full thing.

Steven Ginsburg 5:11

Again, spot on. Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. The founders proclaimed that if they were going to redo anything, they would have written that never have we seen never's a big word in recovery because we don't do never, but they would have proclaimed never have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. I've had a chance in my own life, Steve, to live that part of the testimony. And I want to lend my voice to it for a moment. I was I got sober when I was 19. I was sober for 12 years. I stopped working a program, I relapsed. And what I mean by stopped working a program, the entirety of what the program is, I was no longer working it. I could not, did not, and would not stay sober. And I had a five-year relapse. I came back, I made it back to the program, November 12, 2004. I've been sober each day, a day at a time, including this day, doing the same thing on a daily basis. The things we've just covered, the things that are written in the book, the things that they're prescribing and describing when they say half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. I stood at that turning point. Was I going to choose life or death? I chose life. I worked my program today. I don't know which one of those five things I said to you works or keeps me sober. So I choose to do all five of them on a daily

Effort Over Time The Gym Analogy

Steven Ginsburg 6:38

basis.

Steve Coughran 6:38

Yeah. Well, and it's interesting. I was talking to my mom about this the other day. When it comes to just things in life, it requires an extraordinary amount of effort to become really proficient or really good at anything. And like the older I get to realize that, you know, it just takes like so much effort. And even like working out, we've talked about this before in other episodes too, where it's like, how long have you been working out, Steven?

Steven Ginsburg 7:05

My gosh, I don't know if since I was 18, I'm gonna be 57 years old, brother.

Steve Coughran 7:09

Yeah, so it's like it's ridiculous to believe that we're gonna go to the gym. You've never worked, you haven't worked out in the last 20 years. You go to the gym for one month, and we've seen these people in the gym, right? They're they're good entertainment. They're there, they're grabbing the 50 pounders, they're curling it, you know, breathing hard, they're making all these loud noises, they're slamming their weights down, and they do that for two or three weeks, and then they're like, you know what, this isn't working out. I'm not seeing any results, right? Oh, I hurt my arm or whatever it is. It's like, yeah, because you come in and you think you're gonna get fit in three weeks.

Steven Ginsburg 7:45

Amen.

Steve Coughran 7:46

It's a very it's like with me, it's like I've been working out the same, same as you. I think I started working out when I was like 13. That's probably why I'm so short. I probably extended my growth, but nonetheless, I've I've worked out almost like every day, with uh you know a few gaps here and there, but pretty much every day my whole life. And it's like it took me 30 years to get fit, not 30 days. And I think the same thing is true with like being sober and just the life of recovery. It's like you've been sober for how long now since your last relapse?

Steven Ginsburg 8:20

21 years, eight months, and some days.

Steve Coughran 8:23

Yeah, and it's like over those years, over two decades, how many times have you missed a meeting?

Steven Ginsburg 8:29

I I don't think I can count it on one hand, honestly. Yeah, not exactly count on one hand, and you just do it, you just you do it again over and over again, yes, and I get to do it. It's not have to, it's not want to, it's get to. Yeah, that I love, I love it.

Steve Coughran 8:47

That's a better way to say it. And I'm gonna just do some math because we're we're nerds here. 365 times 21. You've been to 7,000 meetings.

Steven Ginsburg 8:59

Yeah, it's been a lot of meetings.

Steve Coughran 9:00

7,700 meetings, a lot of talking about your sobriety, celebrating your sobriety, sharing your story with other people. I mean, it's I mean, and and I think that's I love that's the beautiful thing about our message today, is just like you can't just like be half in, you just have to like do it, just do it the whole thing, and I want to tell you one thing relating

The 24-Hour Chip And Staying Aware

Steve Coughran 9:22

to that.

Steven Ginsburg 9:22

You triggered me, so thank you. Good job. Listen, I because I was looking at this the other day. I have I have in my possession my 24-hour chip from my first day back sober again after my relapse. I physically have that in my possession, and it's in good shape, and I've taken care of it and I look at it often because that was that first day. I didn't wake up 21 years clean and sober. It's been a day at a time, it's been a meeting at a time, it's been a triumph at a time, it's been a tragedy at a time, it's been a prayer at a time, but it has worked, the promises have come true, but I am willing to do my part. And if I don't do my part, my disease is waiting, cunning, baffling, powerful, persistent patient. And I suffer from a progressive illness, it will come back worse than it did both times before. And this time it will finish the job. And I remain aware of that today. And what I want people who are listening to do and to know is that we are here to remain aware of that together a day at a time.

Steve Coughran 10:27

Amen. No half measures. It's it's been great doing another episode with you, Stephen.

Listener Questions And Closing

Steven Ginsburg 10:32

Steve, thank you so much. Uh, if you're out there, if you have questions, we want to hear from you. We want to know you. We are for you. We love you. Everyone, have a safe and sober day.