I got sober 19 years, three months ago. I had a boyfriend in the program and I turned to him when I understood that I'm an alcoholic. He told me to call AA, which I did. He walked me to my first meeting. At the door, he said "you have to go in here alone"
Thank God he did that! Every year on my anniversary I talk to him and remind him how grateful I was that he made me do it alone. Because otherwise, recovery would have been about him. But going in alone the focus was on me and my disease.
I think it's like taking a child to the first day of school. You leave them at the door. They'll cry and try to get you to stay with them ... but the moment you leave they'll be fine.