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Old 01-24-2013, 07:09 PM
  # 9 (permalink)  
LexieCat
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
Hi, change!

Don't worry, the stuff from the Big Book, and some of the things said in the meetings are a little confusing in the very beginning. The best way to get a handle on AA quickly is to get a sponsor. A sponsor is just a member of AA who has worked the Steps and acts as sort of a mentor to help you understand the program that will change your life so you can life sober happily--not missing alcohol, not being tempted to drink, feeling your self-confident best!

I also suggest that you buy a copy of the Big Book (they usually sell them at meetings--they are only seven bucks or so, and here is an online version0. Although you hear a lot of talk about God in AA meetings, AA is not religious. The Steps are very specific--that what they mean by "God" is whatever helps you--a power greater than yourself that does not get tempted or feel bad about not drinking or feel bad about who you are. For some people it may be the power of the universe, or just the power of the group of people in the AA meeting. Alone, we have no defenses against picking up that first drink. We may be able to resist it for a while, but because of our addiction eventually we give in to the idea that next time it will be different. It may not feel that way to you now, but what about after you've gone months or a year or something without drinking? That's when a lot of people think, "Hey, I've gone this long, maybe I was making too big a deal out of that drinking stuff, now that I understand more about alcohol I won't make that mistake again." The problem is, the problem is still there and eventually they wind up pretty much where they were before (or worse).

So maybe that helped answer the couple of questions you asked here. I really suggest, though, that you get a sponsor because that person will be able to explain all that stuff to you. How do you get a sponsor? You look around, listen to what people say, and pick out a person (a man if you're a guy and a woman if you're female) who seems happy about their sobriety, and ask if they have worked the Steps themselves and would be willing to help you. If they can't for some reason, ask someone else. You don't have to stick with the same sponsor, but it can really help you get off to a good start.
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