Hey, congrats on your sober time, a huge accomplishment!! I visited AA several times over the course of a decade before becoming sober 6 months ago. Prior to these 6 months, I never got what was so special about these meetings, and never wanted to be part of this group of pathetic people "Hi, my name is ..... and I'm an alcoholic." I thought these people were going nowhere, and there has got to be a better way to be sober!!
Now I have embraced their way, and am learning a lot. What happened in between, or what changed my mind? Perhaps it was honestly admitting that I knew I reacted much differently than others to alcohol for about 20 years, and tried every hair brained attempt to control my drinking, to find myself at 41 years old an educated professional, a daily drinker. In 20 years I found no solution. Talk about pathetic!!! I felt so hopeless, that I was just a drunk, couldn't get along with anybody, and kept screwing things up, that I thought I should just kill myself, I thought "Why not actually try this AA thing? What do I have to lose?"
It's not the sitting in the meetings listening to the "drunk a logs" that keeps me sober. It is actually doing the work in the steps. It's not sitting to the meetings that is improving my personal relationships. It is applying the spiritual principles to my interactions with my family. But sitting in these meetings is where I can meet people who know how to work the steps, and hear examples of the principles in action. It also reminds me that I am an alcoholic, in case my mind starts trying to tell me otherwise!! I can also help others, newer to the program, I'm not ready to sponsor yet, but look toward to it.
I find some people in the meetings seem to be hiding out in AA. Maybe they are addicted to addiction, avoiding other things in their life that need attention. But that's none of my business! I try to stick with the winners, the people working a good program that have success in other areas of their life as well. I find if I don't go to at least 4 meetings a week I am in trouble!!
I was very skeptical for a long time of AA. That was a mistake for me. You owe it to yourself after being sober and going to meetings this long, to try to do the steps, because these half measures are not likely to be effective!! I wish you well on your journey!!