This brings up a lot of difficult points of contention. I ahve known people who are successful and never went to any aa meetings, and I know people who went to aa meetings drunk.
The hardest part of a lot of this i found for me, is understand that our disturbed thoughts delivered us to the addiction. This is what is meant by the fact the addict is created before the drug. It is my thinking that led me to the medicine.
I personaly do not like many of the steps, and am following my own way on staying clean.
First and foremost--be grateful.