MagillaGorilla

Training takes me 1500 miles away for 2 weeks, but it is on a government facility so likely no bars. Some people are worried that I will muck up this offer with the freedom and no meetings, I am confident that I will remain sober...going to take my big book.

sugarbear1

Where are you going?

fini

Magilla,
of course you can.
meetings don't keep people sober.
and unless you're solidly locked up somewhere, you have the freedom to drink any time.

it's always good to have access to support, though, so maybe you'll be able to use SR and other such sites? and there's the regular old phone, too

Dee74

Congrats on the job Magilla
I have faith you can do this and stay sober doing it

D

Delilah1

Congrats on the new job Magilla!!!

hellrzr

How long have you been sober? Call your sponsor and some other guys in your sponsorship line and you should be fine. Try to get to a meeting but it's tough on the road.

When I first went on the road for work I was close to 2 years sober and was told that I would drink if I didn't get to any meetings. I was scared to death and made myself sick with worry because I didn't have time to get to a meeting. Well I went 5 weeks with no meetings and didn't drink or even think about drinking. When I got back home I got back on schedule and was just fine. That's when I really understood the saying meetings makers make meetings. Now I know meetings don't keep me sober now but for awhile they sure were important and I recommend keeping them in your schedule for your long term success!

Gottalife

If you have recovered, meetings are not what will keep you sober. At least, that has been the case for me. I developed a working relationship with the god of my understanding and he has been with me 24/7 providing the all important defence against the fatal first drink.

At the present time and many times in the past my circumstances are such that I may go without meetings for months at a time. But I can still come here, I can still look out for the still suffering alcoholic, I can still work with others, and I can still try to practice those prinicples in all my affairs. And life is great.

I am in an area where there are meetings at the moment so I make the most of the opportunity to give back while I am here.

Berrybean

Where are you at with your step work and the recovery work you do independently on a daily basis. I can see both sides of what you've been told as you're recently relapsed, so possibly haven't built up your sober toolkit yet. I suppose the thing is that you will stay sober if you want it enough.

I really wouldn't rely to heavily on there being no access to alcohol. Alcoholic find alcohol when we want it - our resourcefulness in this situation is quite astounding at times. Chances are that others there will make sure they have a stash ready for when they want a drink, and as we tend to attract those as sick as ourselves, these could well be some of the first people you'll meet. I'd suggest that reliance on your acceptance that you're an alcoholic, your Higher Power, and the willingness to work a solid plan will be far safer. (This is why I ask where you are with your step work).

You CAN take your BB with you, and READ it (every night and every morning) .
Also....
You CAN touch base with your sponsor and other friends in AA on a daily basis.
You CAN make it to online meetings on here.
You CAN get hold of other literature to read as well as the BB - Share Magazine is a good, more light hearted top up.
You CAN chose to remove yourself from any unexpected drinking situations (and arm yourself mentally with an escape route in preparation for this eventuality)
You CAN practice saying, "No thanks. I don't drink" with a smile (and mean it).
You CAN take us with you (presuming there's an Internet connection ).
You CAN listen to AA Speaker recordings. 5500+ AA Speakers & Tapes - Organized & Mobile-Friendly!
You CAN pray to your HP every morning, and again whenever you need it (restarting your day any time you choose). Friends of Bill W. - Twelve Step Prayersfromthe Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous
You CAN do a gratitude list and come on here to find someone to help if resentments and self-pity threaten your equilibrium

There are lots of thing we can do to protect our sobriety aside from meetings, and you (like the rest of us) CAN choose to do these things. Personally, I need to do all these thing as well as go to meetings. I do most of these things every day. If I don't, the quality of my sobriety quickly plummets. Meetings (unity) are only one leg of the AA stool, and you can find unity in other ways temporarily. But we still need the other legs of the stool to make our recovery comfortable, secure and sustainable. (Unity, Service and Recovery. ) Do you believe that you WILL do these things? That's the important question. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what we think. But a Big Book in the bottom of your suitcase and a reliance on there being no alcohol easily available isn't much of a plan. Please give yourself the best chance possible. Go with a solid (rigorous) plan, and the willingness to put your plan into action.

Wishing you all the best for your recovery.

Dave42001

Kudos to you on the new gig!!

Don't listen to the POD's out there, "predictors of doom!

Focus on the training, throw in a couple Grapvine magazines with your big book, reach out to your buds here on SR, often!!!

You've got this!! Pat yourself on the back, nice job!!! Good stuff!!

biminiblue

I'm still sober 28 months after quitting. No meetings since month four.

I'm with Dave, meetings don't keep you sober...and there are PODs everywhere.

Good luck with your new job! That's awesome!

KeyofC

Thank you for sharing, wish you the best
You can do this!

sugarbear1

I had asked where you were going as you could possibly locate meetings in advance, if you want.

Have a phone number handy if you need to talk to someone (sponsor or people in your network--I have a few people I chat with).

If you've worked through the steps, then you have a connection with a power greater than you. Maybe just carry a positive attitude with you and be kind and gentle to others, this way you are being useful to others.

Have a productive and serene time!

tomsteve

I feel sorry for those working a fear based AA program that says a person will get drunk without meetings when THE big book clearly says in quite a few places our sobriety is contigent on our spiritual condition- reliance on or infinite God rather than finite people.

Gottalife

Well put Tomsteve. That is my experience too. I might add that "nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics"

Being in an area where there are no meetings actually inspires me to look for one to work with. Wherever there are drinkers, there will be alcoholics.

I like to follow the suggestions in the book about trying ministers and hospitals, and keeping an eye on my wider social circle.

It seems making some effort in this area brings spiritual results for me, even if I don't find anyone. As one very wise man put it recently, "we are in the effort business, God runs the results business" I wish I had thought of that

least

Congrats on the new job! You'll stay sober as long as you want to be sober more than you want to drink.

Berrybean

Completely agree. Not sure I would have been quite at that stage in early sobriety though, and certainly not when I was just going to meetings but not engaging with the program. That's why I wondered if the OP is working the steps or has a sponsor and how that's going.

Berrybean

Are you doing your training yet, or is that still in the pipeline?