Gottalife

Hi HealthyK,

glad you are back. Yoy know your experience is the same as countless others. We thought after a period of sobriety that it would be safe to drink again. It's very common, and now you know the answer.

I am glad you are going to try AA again, For me it was the only game in town. But from your comment about meetings, I am thinking you may have been labouring under the misapprehension that the AA meetings are the program.

I am guessing your AA prescription might have been something like "don't drink and go to meetings". I have never seen this prescription bring real recovery to alcholics of my type (hopeless variety). An awful lot leave simply because nothing has changes and they find AA unrewarding.

My suggestion is to try a different prescription.

Find a home group and attend at least one meeting a week, perhaps one or two more if you feel up to it.

Find a sponsor who has had a spiritual awakening as the result of working the steps, and meet with them at least once a week to work through the steps together. Study the first 164 pages of the big book. There are meetings that help with this.

Try a little bit of prayer in the morning to seek guidance for the day ahead. And a little prayer of thanks in the evening.

While at your home group, keep an eye out for the newcomer and do what you can to help them. Even a warm smile of welcome and a cup of coffee can men the world to the new guy. Look for little opportunties to contribute.

And that is about all I did. No meeting marathons, no miles of writing and inventory. Just worked steadily and in quiet way towards building a relationship with the God of my understanding, who has kept me sober ever since, no matter what. And, did I mention? Life has been great. The desire to drink left almost immediately.

All the best.