Old 07-17-2014, 11:44 AM
  # 80 (permalink)  
Carlotta
Behold the power of NO
 
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: WA
Posts: 7,764
Today I have decided I will keep looking for meetings where I fit in better. I will also utilize other recovery methods where they work for me. The people that tell me this is my sobriety, my journey, are right. I'm not quitting because of a few bumps in the road!
Good.
Since you are willing to try other meetings and (if I am not mistaken) your main problem is to identify with "low bottom" drunks, I would suggest that you look for steps meetings. They tend to be very low on drunkologues and put an emphasis on working the steps instead.
I tended to avoid speakers meetings when I was in early sobriety because I am a "high bottom" alcoholic like those referred to in TomSteve's excellent post.
Since I never smoked crack, got a DUI or made a fool of myself publicly, worked, volunteered, did not lose friends (I drank alone) I knew that my AV would tell me that I was not like those speakers...bla bla bla >we all know that the next brilliant idea from the AV would be to pick up a drink<. I chose to stay on the safe side at least at the beginning and not give it ammunitions.
Nowadays, I am able to identify with people's feelings rather than compare my drinking to theirs but I knew in early sobriety that it could be a bit problematic for me so I stuck to steps meetings sometimes identified by st in the meeting books.
The 12 steps are used not just by alcoholics (we use them in Al Anon too). If you click with them and work them, they are really an excellent tool for having a peaceful, fulfilled sober life.

Anyway, look at all your options and don't pick up the first drink no matter what.
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