Originally Posted by
Gottalife 
I am always astonished by the claim "I know dozens of alcoholics who have happy long term sobriety without AA" The big question is how do you come to meet them all? In over 34 years active in AA, carrying the message to detox, working with community services, I have never met a single one. .
I'm willing to bet you have met many poeple who got sober without AA.i don't go around telling people I'm a recovering alcoholic who got sober with AA. And when it comes up some people are quite shocked to hear I had a serious drinking problem. Why should or would those that got sober without AA be doing it???
How did I come to meet these people that got sober without AA? Well, it wasn't spending time carrying the massage to detoxes. Think abut it...how many people there went to AA and aren't clean/ sober???? People don't go to detox with," hey life is great and Im clean and sober and been that way for a long time so I think I better go to detox and rehab!!!"
One thing that has helped me see there are a lot of people out there sober without AA or even any recovery program is keeping my ears open.
right off hand over a dozen I know with very long term sobriety with no formal recovery program, although they made major changes in themselves.