An Altered Spirit: The Twelve Steps and Ebenezer Scrooge

By Anna Fruehling

While in the throes of addiction, Anna Fruehling felt hopeless, afraid, lonely, and ashamed. In short, Anna was spiritually dead, just like the fictional character, Ebenezer Scrooge, an addict who only thought of money and was driven by impulse to constantly seek more.

In a creative presentation, Anna compares the twelve steps of addiction recovery with the characters of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, a timeless tale that has both haunted and buoyed her since she began her recovery in fellowship on March 19, 1989. With the intent of highlighting the power of each of the twelve steps interlaced with valuable spiritual principles, Anna leads others through Scrooge’s internal struggles as Marley reminds him that “these are the chains you forged in life,” introduces him to three ghosts, and provides him with hope that he can escape his fate and become all his higher power intends him to be.

An Altered Spirit is a love story and gratitude offering that relies on a timeless tale to help others view the twelve-step process to recovery in a new way to ultimately realize a transformed life.

“An Altered Spirit is a very powerful book to be read by anyone knowing they have an addiction, thinking maybe they have an addiction, thinking they do not have an addiction, that maybe a loved one has an addiction or not. It is a profound story of a woman’s journey from hell and back. It is honest, upfront, plain, simple and clear. Please read it.”
—Bitten Jonsson, world-renowned Sugar / Food Addiction Educator

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Apr 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781982266813

Anna Fruehling

Anna Fruehling has been clean since March 19, 1989, and works as a sugar / food addiction specialist. The mother of three resides with her husband. This is her first book.

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Copyright © 2021 Anna Fruehling.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6680-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6682-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6681-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021907189

Balboa Press rev. date:  04/20/2021

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

The Twelve-Step Call

Denial, Justification, and Rationalization or Humbug

Experience, Strength, and Hope

A Word about the Ghost

An Observation on Self-Destruction

Marley’s Insanity

Faith and Fear

A Power Greater Than

Fezziwig and His Ball

Character of a Higher Power

GOD: Gift of Desperation or Good Orderly Direction

A Word to My Predecessors

When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Will Appear

As We Understood Him

If You Do What You Did, You’ll Get What You Got

If You Want to Be Different, Do Different

Scrooge Witnesses How His Actions Affect the Cratchits

Self-Deceit or Self-Awareness

For Members of Twelve-Step Fellowships

For Mary Rose, my best friend—and

the bravest woman I know

Acknowledgments

I owe the writing of this book to the twelve steps Bill W. formulated so many years ago. Without these principles as a guiding force in my life, I would probably be dead from an overdose, by my own hand, or at the very least a chronic malcontent, hell-bent on self-destruction. The Twelve Steps have altered my spirit. They continue to renew and infuse my spirit with increasing hope, faith, truth, love, and many other spiritual principles that make my life worth living regardless of life’s circumstances.

Right now, we are living in the time of COVID and political unrest. Through the twelve traditions, addicts are able to practice principles before personalities. I believe the best way to be of service to self, society, God, and others is to do the inside job. Using the steps brings about a miracle in the broken perception and spirit of suffering addicts. Part of the miracle has to do with the fact that we work the steps. The steps ought never be worked alone. The old saying an addict alone is in bad company is true.

Addiction of any kind—including food, sex, work, drugs, alcohol, or people—causes guilt and shame, which can cause us to isolate and alienate. The suffering of a junkie living on Skid Row may appear to be a higher price to pay for addiction than an obese woman hiding behind loose clothing, declining invitations to parties, and always wearing a mask of wit and humor to hide her struggle, but the feelings inside are familiar to both. Personally, I believe what my dear friend Bitten Jonsson says about addiction: One disease, many outlets. Whatever your outlet, the twelve steps are the solution.

I would like to thank the mentors I have had over the years.

Julie L.

My first sponsor. She had six months clean when she agreed to sponsor me. She said things like, There is no such thing as a using emergency; just because you feel like using, doesn’t mean you have to! Emergencies consisted of fires, car accidents, bleeding out, and other such dramatic events.

Having your feelings hurt was to be expected. Hurt feelings may feel like an emergency, but they aren’t. She made it clear that I was responsible for my actions, regardless of how I felt. Her words ruminate in my subconscious mind endlessly:

• No is a complete sentence.

• It’s normal for an addict to want to use; it shouldn’t surprise you.

• You are not the hub of the wheel. God is. You’re a spoke—you just go around.

Thank you, Julie. The time you gave me is more appreciated and valued now than ever before. Your words of truth mixed with humor are priceless gifts that keep on giving.

Nell N.

My second sponsor. My friend. My heart.

I asked her to sponsor me when she