Caledonia1

My first AA meeting was a last resort for me.

I was looking for answers as to why I was different to everyone else and discovering it was a mental and physical "allergy" made perfect sense to me.

Thankfully I have begun my journey at long last, into soberiety. Only just over 6 months but the most contented I've felt in years.

CarolD

Hi Everyone....

Y'all were more aware than I was.
I had no knowledge of AA or what it was about.

An ex lover asked me to go with him...he had been attending.
I thought we were going to dinner...so I agreed.

I fled my first meeting at half time in horror..
Who are these weirdo people? I'm not that bad"

3 more years of daily depression...my doctor suggested
I quit and commit to AA.
I was not thrilled at either idea...but off I went

for about 6 months I don't know who said what in meetings.
All I remember is a red banner up front

Keep Coming Back..It Works"

I did and it has....thanks for shareing ... .

PaperDolls

Carol - I was only aware because I was raised by an Sober AAer (and interestingly, and active alcoholic). Had that not been the case, I'm sure my journey would be completely different.

Db1105

My first meeting was on my first day in rehab. I had just dodged 6 months in juvie lockup. I though the speakers were full of Sh$&. I was convince I could come with with a way to drink, maintain a buzz and stay out of trouble.

augustwest

my first meeting i expected to see a bunch of loser god freaks smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee and being pathetic. my perception matched my expectation exactly.

four years later, after getting drug all over the united states of america, through several jails and treatment centers i came in knowing that my dumb arse hadn't a clue and perhaps these people know some important stuff that i don't.

FlyerFan

I was scared sh*tless. lol. I didn't want to go, and ONLY went because i promised a friend of mine that I would give it a try and see what it was about. I was terrified and shaking the entire time. And I thought there were a lot of "old people" (im 24, lol)

I felt like that for a good 2 months before I finally started to ease up and eventually enjoy my meetings.

pearl1806

Tonight will be my first AA meeting, if I dont loose my nerve! Right now all I am expecting is lots of people far older than me. It is scary thinking that I will have to walk into my first AA meeting at 21, but there are so many people who have been saved (for want of a better word) by AA so I guess I need to be saved too. I will let you all know how it goes!

phoenix

It will be ok...may even be some younger folks there.People are getting this sobriety thing at a much earlier point in life than ever.You used to have to lose everything to finally surrender and win.But times have changed for the better.Hope to hear how it went for you soon.

phoenix aka Tinker

DayTrader

I went to get my wife to chill out on me...fresh after DUI 2. I was 20% afraid there'd be a lot pc accusations, confrontation and finger pointing at me like some sort of intervention. 80% of me was afraid I'd find a bunch of weak kneed, hand-holding losers who's only hope of making it through the night was to go to another AA meeting. I figured there'd be a lot of blue-collar factory-worker type folks with little education poor grammar, and that not one of them would be in my class mentally and, therefore, no one would be able to teach me anything. I think I wanted to be right sooo bad that thats really all I saw. Oh yeah, AND a bunch of fake happiness and fake gratitude - I mean, who in the hell could be happy "not drinking?".

9 mos later I went back. Same losers...but they seemed a lot smarter than be4. . I still wouldn't listen to them and drank/went to meetings for another 6 months.

FlyerFan

Let us know how it goes. Don't be afraid. I went to my first meeting at 23, and I have met kids in meetings as young as 17. There is no age limit for recovery.

pearl1806

hi everyone, well I had my first AA meeting last night (I didn't flake out ) When I first told a uni counselor I was having trouble with drinking she asked jokingly if I needed to go to AA and stand up in front of people and say I am an alcoholic, then she laughed. This impression had stuck with me a bit, like no one my age could possibly be in so deep as to want to stop drinking completely, but last night I found that I really did need to be there and I will definitely go again, and will try to go to a few different meetings a couple times a week.
Thank you for your encouragement Phoenix and FlyerFan, I am very glad I walked into that room last night