Originally Posted by
Pouncer 
I am a non-religious person and I do not subscribe to the disease theory of alcoholism, but there may be a lot of wisdom I can glean from 12-step methods. The thing is that I really felt good working on SMART, but because I tend to go full force in everything I do, I get overwhelmed quickly.
There is a SMART meeting tomorrow and I am thinking about actually attending. Actually a big step for me - going in person.
I think going to the SMART meeting in person is a great idea. It's bound to be scary the first time, but maybe attending the meetings will give you the extra support that keeps you focussed on your goals and helps you to recognise that AV next time it (I always think of mine as a 'he' for some reason?!) starts whispering in your brain.
You don't need to be a religious person to do AA - when they talk about spirituality and spiritual growth, that doesn't mean 'religion' as such - it means changing our past behaviours which tended to rely on habitual selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear, by developing our capacity for and striving towards a life built around unconditional love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control and humility. 'God' can mean a multitude of things in any one meeting, depending on the individuals there. For some it might just mean the AA Fellowship. I know that the majority of people at my home group are not religious. Some are quite anti-church due to some scarring childhood experiences. Others are very religious. But we focus on what we share, not our differences, and I can honestly say that it is an amazing atmosphere. I love going to that meeting and it's like stepping into a warm bath. I'm not sure how we manage to fit so much warmth and compassion into one room. (BUT! Not all AA meetings I've attended have been like that - I had to try a number of different ones to find those that suited me. And I still force myself out of my comfort zone occasionally to go to some that I feel less at home in - because apparently I'm more likely to learn that way.)
Sorry - That turned into a bit of a ramble. Anyway - I reckon that if everyone who attended AA was religious, our church services would be a lot busier on Sundays!
I know some people do more than one support method, but I think that would confuse me. Might be worth going along to the SMART meeting, then trying an AA one as well and see what suits you. You sound like you're determined anyway. I hope you update us re the SMART meeting and how you get on. Good luck
x