Originally Posted by
autumn4 
I think I have my low grade childhood PTSD activated from the meetings as I find the people there harsh (no offense to anyone)
I just wanted to speak up and let you know that this happened to me too. My mother had been in AA many years ago when I was a young child. There were a lot of bad memories for me wrapped up into that whole AA experience and were activated when I walked into the doors as an adult. I am not sure, but I am guessing it's something that could be worked through if you want to do AA badly enough. Personally, I found that the meetings didn't help me much at all. Reading the literature did though! I continue to read the literature when I feel the need for it. I did the Steps too, but I did a secular version of them that made more sense to me.
Not much else to add here, but I wanted to let you know that if you experience more pain than benefits, it's worth it to reconsider and identify other programs that might be a better fit. SMART and Women for Sobriety are both programs I have used in the past. WFS especially is one that is empowering and supportive for women.
Best wishes to you
