It's been three years since my last drink, I got sober on my own. I was scared of AA. I think it was the AV, actually. I'm pretty sure I was a full blown alcoholic. That, or I did a good job of faking it for 26 years. I have a few friends that quit with AA then stopped going to meetings. Now that I'm not scared of them, I think AA is great. I realize that many of the tools that I've used to stay sober are from their toolbox. Like Dee said, finding recovery to be a preferred lifestyle is where it's at, no matter how you get there. For me, as a family man, there is no substitute.