Originally Posted by
oldsoul1122 
The way you utilize AA can be your choice. Make it work for you as an individual. I don't go to meetings every day. I go once a week but I'm committed and consistent. My goal is not to live in the halls and only speak AA, but to learn how to live a normal life and get involved in the mainstream of life. At 6 months I'm doing that with new hobbies, places and people. I have an AA friend I stay in contact with who encourages me to find my own path, not copy theirs or be dependent. I've had the same experiences as you especially when it comes to relating with other's stories. They can be a drag with the stories and repetition. BUT...I'd rather be at them now not relating instead of drinking again killing myself until I DO relate.
Exactly.
I am grateful for AA, remain connected to it, have read the Big Book several times, have learned an incredible amount from those in the rooms, and have drawn invaluable tools from the program. Without it in my arsenal - I wouldn't be sober today (over 2 years now).
At the same time, I go to meetings infrequently. It is but one of many aspects of my sobriety. It's an important one, but I'm not dependent upon it. I want to live a full and balanced life and for ME, that also means not being so AA_centric that I can't go for a few days or even a few weeks without AA and stay sober.
On the other hand.... I always gain something from those meetings... I give back by volunteering at hospital meetings.... I benefit when I give back or when I just attend. I learn and grow - and not just about alcohol or addiction, but as a human. I often think it ought to be called Humans Anonymous.
Anyway.... these are my experiences and I share them for quitforson and others' consideration. It can be easy to make a snap judgement about AA or any program.... especially when our addictive thinking takes charge. I know that my experiences are my own - yet I also know that many before me and many to come will go through similar processes down similar paths. Perhaps these words of sharing can helps someone find their own path to sobriety in a shorter, less painful way than I did.