blitz

Wnen I became an alcoholic (not beeing able to stop after the first, getting a hangover with a couple of beers, the works) at the begginning of 2002 I started to treat my problem in a different manner I seem to have discovered here.

First I went to a psychiatrist who gave me meds for a deep depression. As you may guess the best anti-depressive I could find was beer (30+ a day). Then, my mother, a Doctor herself (pediatrician, not much help) found an expert on addictions who had been working for 15-16 years dealing with drug addicts and alcoholics. After seeing her a few times, I agreed on taking Dissulfirame (Antabuse) and so I went for 2 years, with regular consultations to check how I was feeling, cravings, professional and personal life, etc.

During this period of 2 years I had 4 relapses, and the last one was the most severe, and the Doctor decided that this outpatient therapy wasn't working and so I went into a 28 day rehab programm .That was the first time I ever spoke in groups with people with my own problem AND THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO A/A MEETINGS. Four weeks later I was an outpatient again seeing this Doctor and a Psychiatrist and eventually a psycologist.

It's pretty clear that for 3 years I only communicated with people sharing my disease for a month. Since I found this site, I've been feeling wonderfully, trying to help other people, beeing helped by reading your posts.

What about the A/A? You mention them so often as life saviors, contact A/A if you feel you're in trouble (a relapse). I've only been there 12 times and my short experience tells me that people are not allowed to interuupt the speaker: there's no dialogue like in groups or here. Notice that I'm from Portugal, maybe things work out differently in the USA.

What's so wonderful, nearly magical (as per your posts) about the A/A? I'd like to try a new approach on my road to sobriety.

Thanks everybody.