How did you come to AA????

[Tazman53]

Just out of curiousity how did you come to AA?

For me it was a last resort, I was desperate, I had no answers and saw no solution, I went to a doctor, he sent me to detox, in detox they told me if I wanted a chance to stay sober to go to at least 90 AA meetings in 90 days & get a sponsor. AA was the only thing I saw as even a possible solution so I went.

[AW2486]

With both my parents in recovery, Ive been around AA pretty much my whole life. My Dad did a lot of speaking at pot-luck gatherings. I remember growing up thinking I never wanted to become and alcoholic. I didn't want to be like those people. My first meeting.. My GF at the time had a brother-in-law that was sober and attending AA. I sought him out for help. He took me to AA and has been my sponsor ever since.

[dgillz]

I was court ordered, 11 years ago, but I answered came on my own. when I got my DUI I went to AA as ordered but I did not pay any attention and the only lesson I learned about my DUI was to take a taxi home from the bar. I couldn't have told you a single thing about AA from that time, even though I went to 8 meetings as ordered.

Fast forward 7 years and I had beat myself up enough that I came into AA willingly, started to listen and learn.

[aasharon90]

Thanks Taz for ur Topic....

Off topic....my husband has
a Taz tattoo on both arms.
One with him saying Who Me?
The other is riding a motorcycle.


Back to topic.

I entered the door of rehab Aug.1990
after a failed attempted to check
out of this world. Thank my HP
and my family for stepping in for
me and doing for me what i couldnt
do for myself.

A family intervention where the
authorities came to pick me up
and a what seemed to be the
longest ride of my life in the
back of a police car to God who
knows where at that time.

I ended up in the phych ward the
first night for observation then
spent the next 27 days in rehab
for Alcoholism.

It was there that i was set on the
path of recovery recieveing the
tools and knowledge of my disease.

I took that and began my journey
one day at a time learning to live
the 12 steps and principles provided
to us in the program of Alcoholics
Anonymous.

Today with some 18 yrs of many
one days at a time collected together
I can honestly say that I am Happy
joyous and Free.

Thanks for letting me share on this
Awesome Topic.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Originally Posted by Tazman53

Just out of curiousity how did you come to AA?

hmm

I believe, I was driving an F150 Ford at the time

Actually, there needs to be another step added to the 12 steps.

The first one ought to be 1 step ahead of the law, family, job or anything you want to add to it.

[Astro]

To make a long story as short as possible.......

I woke up on a Monday morning after another long weekend of marital issues, lying, sneaking around, etc. and found out that my ex had been having an affair with a coworker. My family and my life was falling apart, I was too deep in my disease to see what was going on, or more likely I was in total denial.

I met with her sister for coffee to discuss our problems, she suggested that AA might be a good place to start. I went to my first meeting that night, and continued going, at first out of fear, then out of faith.

My marriage didn't survive. But as I often share, recovery has given me a life beyond my wildest dreams and expectations, I'm living the dream. I owe that to AA, and a Higher Power that I choose to call God.

[navysteve]

A Judge

A Nudge

A Grudge

[shaun00]

Went on my own....last resort..

Problems staying sober in the begining........bits and bobs of sober time.

Treated it like a social club........look at girls......play with my cell phone..etc.

Kept getting drunk........but something stuck.........keep coming back i guess.

Whats that book about anyway...the one they read at the begining...lol..lol

you get my attitude...

On the last drunk i decided i would do anything to stay sober.

Picked up the book... asked a sponsor.........and life began to mean something pretty quickly.

I got sober 1st sep 2000.........but id been messing with AA for a couple of years before that.


trucker

[fulminouscherub]

I went on my own.

Which is to say God dragged me kicking and screaming.

About ten years ago I had a spiritual awakening. I realized that I could have a God of my own understanding and not buy into all the bs the preachers are sellin'. I realized then that the bottle was an idol to me but I was of insufficient character to put it down. I started going to church, looking for one that had something I wanted.

My friend got popped for his second DUI and got a court card. I offered to go with him.

I found in AA what I couldn't find in church--honesty and humility. A bunch of alcoholics asking for God's help. My home!

I wish I could say my character eventually matured enough to stop drinking. Nope. Circumstances beyond my control did it. Thank goodness! I'd been wanting to stop for years! But when it came time to put the bottle down, I knew where to go to learn how to be happy about it. And to continue to find a God of my understanding.

[Freedom1990]

I was first introduced to AA while I was in rehab. I will be eternally grateful for the people who were bringing the AA meeting into the rehab at that time. It gave me a whole new understanding of how important H&I folks are.

[Ago]

Originally Posted by fulminouscherub

I went on my own.

Which is to say God dragged me kicking and screaming.

I just sprayed Coffee all over my keyboard

I love hearing people share about Honesty, Open mindedness, Willingness, and Humility, and how they effortlessly acquired these traits, and how they continue to seek them "in all of their affairs"

I have yet to learn anything new, or grow where God DIDN'T drag me kicking and screaming, that includes sobriety and all of the growth that accompanies that process.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Originally Posted by navysteve

A Judge

A Nudge

A Grudge

love it

[CAPTAINZING2000]

In all honesty

It wasn't to stop drinking. It was to figure out a scam to be able to drink and not get thrown in the county jail for being drunk all the time

[sugErspun]

I have gone for most of the above reasons except : SR suggestion | Court ordered.

The last time I returned (came back to AA after a binge) - it seemed to be the only place I COULD go.

[Jbh5058]

One night, no different from any of the other nights, I realized things would never change. That I would never stop drinking and would always be miserable.
So I called a friend who was in the program and started my journey in AA. 2 years later my life has changed. I have hope today.
Jennifer

[gravity]

I checked “on my own” but I can’t help but think that I was guided there.

On December 16, 2007, I came to in a hotel room, 120 miles from home. Another Friday to Sunday bender after planning to go out for a couple of drinks. The fear, guilt, and self-hatred were so intense.

Halfway home, I stopped at a gas station and called my home town AA hotline. It was a recording that provided about 10 phone numbers of AA members.

The first five numbers I called – no answer or voice mail. I was getting very frustrated and discouraged. The sixth number, I talked to a gentleman. He listened to what I had to say and he then told me that he was 1,000 miles out of town (cell phone) and couldn’t really help me. I couldn’t believe it! I felt so doomed and hopeless. He told me to give him my phone number and he would arrange to have the perfect guy (based on my story) call me back and meet me when I got home.

Randy called me ½ hour later and invited me to his home. We talked for a few hours (he told me so many things that I needed to hear) and we arranged to go to a meeting the following night. I walked out of his home still terrified but with a glimmer of hope.

Randy is my friend & sponsor.

I feel so blessed. Before my first AA meeting, I had a sponsor and my step 1 completed. I know that not everyone is so fortunate.

It all seems like less of a coincidence and more that it was meant to be.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

You were willing to go to any length from the start.

Could've been easy to say forget it after no reponse on the other end.

I went to a district conference Sunday. I wanted to make sure, my cell # got changed as a contact in my area. My son has my old #.

It's a God send to have that hand of AA reach out and be there

[SoberforME]

I was living in a co-op and we had a person living with us that was AA, but I didn't know it. One night I got really drunk and smoked some pot. I was so drunk I couldn't walk back to my room on my own and he had to carry me back to my room. I fell down stone steps and scraped myself up but didn't know it. The next day he mentioned he was 15 years sober and my first thought was "oh great! This guy thinks I need AA'

I used living around constant drinkers as a reason for my drinking, then when I moved into an apartment with my SO and would sit on the patio and get drunk. There goes that excuse. I would hope my SO would go to bed, so I could get as drunk as I wanted without her knowing. I would "read" but be so drunk I couldn't read and just kept drinking. She came very close to leaving me.

I found AA online and found out that I live across the street from a meeting! She went with me that first time and I went to meetings, but I started drinking again after 30 days.

I drank for about 2 more months, but in the meantime started a class for comedy that was led by a guy who's 16 years sober. From then on, I just kept on meeting people that were sober through AA who had the kind of life I wanted.

I finally made the decision January to stop. I just logged 60 days.

Thanks for reading.

[Astro]

Originally Posted by SoberforME

I found AA online and found out that I live across the street from a meeting!

That'd be the perfect place to live! And congrats on your 60 days, that's good progress.

[dgillz]

Taz,

Great thread. I needed this.

[jimhere]

I voted that I came on my own, but that is not actually true.

I came to AA because I ran out of places to go, I ran out of good ideas, and I ran out of money, whiskey, people, and time.

I was brought to AA by the only thing that could get me to AA-alcohol. I can't even get myself to the place I need to be. That is why I am grateful for alcohol.

Don't hate what brought you here. Alcohol is our friend. It gets more alcoholics to AA than anything else.
Jim

[CAPTAINZING2000]

booze might have brought me into AA but, we weren't on good speaking terms at the end

[CarolD]

I choose door #3...but...

an ex lover did suggest AA ...took me to my first meeting.
....I fled at half time Geez..i was not that sick!
Taxied to the closest bar.

3 years later...after being diagnosed with situational depression
3 suicide attempts...3 other stays in mental hospitals
I returned on my own and stayed...

[Tommyh]

I checked someone brought me,which means I came with 2 friends to my first meeting.
They had got in trouble with the law.They made one meeting.We got stoned before we pulled into the meeting.I hated the meeting.I did notice there was quite a few happy people there.
6 months later I came back on my own,partially to get my wife off my back.One year later I came back because i wanted help.I was at a dead end and have been here ever since

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Originally Posted by CarolD

I choose door #3...but...

an ex lover did suggest AA ...took me to my first meeting.
....I fled at half time Geez..i was not that sick!
Taxied to the closest bar.

3 years later...after being diagnosed with situational depression
3 suicide attempts...3 other stays in mental hospitals
I returned on my own and stayed...

After 3 sucide attempts, God had other plans for you