Originally Posted by Jimboagust

Thank you all for the comments. It is very helpful and encouraging to read your feedback.

I had a couple of years of sobriety a little while ago and eventually started drinking again. It was controlled, for the most part, but it is definitely starting to ramp up again to a point where I can only go a few days at best without drinking. I've tried almost every method in the book for maintaining long-term sobriety and going semi-regularly to AA meetings has been the only thing that worked (I was pretty active in the recovery racket for those two years sober). The problem is that I always had to drag myself kicking and screaming to those meetings. For a variety of reasons - cultural, personal, philosophical - AA tended to drive me absolutely up the wall. I ironically do not have an issue with the religious aspect, which bothers a lot of people, but rather everything else having to do with the ethos and practice of AA. That being said, I was (and still am) fully aware of the fact that the reinforcing mechanism of going to meetings and the social support of fellow alcoholics made a huge difference in my ability to stay sober.

I'm currently struggling with the question of whether or not I should try going to meetings again. I know it would help, but it's also going to drive me absolutely nuts. I unfortunately don't have access to any other group meetings in the area.

Maybe I just need to think of AA as being akin to chemotherapy for a cancer patient. The treatment is horrible, but it is nonetheless preferable to the alternative.

Again, many thanks for the guidance. Even though I almost never post anything on this site I check in regularly. It is always very inspiring and helpful to see people helping one another and giving support.