Geez Louise...I am just kind..m.

Hi Rose - great questions...First of all, there are lots of different suggestions for newly recovering people. Many counselors and AA sponsors suggest that in the first year people should avoid making any major decisions such as moving, new jobs, relationships - ending or starting, etc. There are many exceptions - for example, if a person is in an abusive relationship, it may be critical to end it asap! The reason for these recommendations is that the first year of sobriety takes so much energy and effort - everything is new, emotions can be very raw with wide mood swings, etc. People work the steps at different rates - the first step "Admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives were unmanagable" - sometimes people need to stay on that step for months, others, with the help of a sponsor, move on more quickly. It depends on the person, the person's situation, etc. It varies from individual. I worked on the first 3 steps over and over the first 9 months of sobriety. My sponsor guided me through the rest of the steps during the rest of the year and well into my second year. Hope this helps! Hugs, Leslie