tkdan

Good morning all. It is a morning without any alcohol after effects for me. It feels good to wake up clear headed. I appreciate everyones support yeasterday. My question is this, what are the support options available? I'm not anti AA or anything like that. I realize many find what they need there. I was just wondering if a person finds AA is not for them what other options do they have?

valleytracker

I am on day one today. Next week I will be starting group sessions 2 nights a week for 1.5 hours at a local addiction and treatment center.

Anna

This is from the Sticky at the top of the page:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-programs.html

scratchy

Could you mention what about "AA" might not be for the person?

I was just wondering, because you see years ago when I started my recovery, the first big problem I had was denial. Not only denying that I had a problem, and was an alcoholic, but denying that "AA" was for me. I mean, I was the most analyzing person in the world. If I read or heard something that I thought was bull****, it was bull****!
So I fought and fought the drink by white knuckling it for quite sometime. That stupid big book never meant a thing to me. I mean its like a bible, a lot of it can be looked at as junk! And thats the way I looked at it.

Then I looked for alternative ways to recovery, studied up on them and thought they all were just some group of idiots opinions and none of them were EXACTLY how I thought.
And then I finally realized, the problem wasnt with the recovery programs, it was with me and my thought process. I mean if it wasnt all about me it, and centered around me, it was garbage. I needed to let go and open my mind. I needed to put forth an honest open effort to whichever recovery program it was. And you see this is my opinion, but if we ALL open up our shallow minds, and quit being so defensive, and start doing the steps open and honestly, all recovery programs will work.

They all have tools, just like in my garage. If I use the tools, my motorcycles run like the dickens. If the tools get rusty, I'm walking!!!!!

The rest is up to you and you alone!

Tazman53

tk there are other ones as Anna provided a link for, check out that link as well as with your state/county health care services, one advantage AA IMO has hands down over all other programs is in most parts of the country you can find a meeting every day of the week, you can go almost any where in the world, pick up a phone book and find a meeting or if you really need someone to talk to because you really have the need for a drink and need someone to simply talk you through it, that same phone number can get you that also. One other thing it has over some of the others..... it cost nothing yet it works if you work it.

CarolD

2 women I sponsored in AA...and still see often
have relied on their different religions
for the past 3/4 years.

They are doing well and staying sober.

There is no wrong way to find sobriety.

tkdan

Thanks all! Scratchy-I simply meant that maybe a persons personality doesn't match a certain program. Maybe a person is truly not comfortable with certain situations. This could apply to any recovery program I only mentioned AA because it is the one most people use with success. Which is why I was wondering if it is an alcoholic's only choice. I am not opposed to trying any means available, I know I need help. I do probably over analize things myself. I am trying to be open minded about this. I truly want to change. I have read about AA, I have read parts of the big book. I'm not saying I personally see anything wrong with the program. My life is so busy. Every evening out of the week I'm busy. I don't know how much time I could devote to a program. The only way I could drink was by depriving myself of sleep. I basically get up go to work, go to karate either for my classes or one of my three children after that we eat and get ready for bed. If I don't drink I go to bed at this point then wake up and do it all over again. When I drink it is after everthing is done and I should be going to bed. Weekends are a different story I pretty much stay drunk the whole weekend. I realize I need to change my way of thinking. I know I need to quit being so prideful and admit I can not do it on my own. This is probably the hardest step and the most important on the road to recovery. I did not mean to be so long winded I just have alot on my mind. Thanks again for the support.

Tazman53

One thing an Old timer told me about that very statement is:

Simply devote the same amount of time you devoted to drinking to AA and you will get and stay sober.

I thought about how much time and effort I put into drinking and to be honest I put more time and effort in staying drunk then I actually have to get and stay sober.

Sit down and honestly think about how much time and effort you put into drinking, then put the same amount of time in effort in a recovery program.

I do not care what program you try, if you do NOT work it, it will NOT work.

GlassPrisoner

Going to my first AA meeting was a funny thing. I fought it tooth and nail. I'd tell people I was going to go, and just drive around for an hour. I'd drive by, see all the "strangers" standing out front talking & smoking and get cold feet.

Circumstance finally warranted I go, as tried everything else.

It is the best thing that ever happened to me.

zoomer

I guess for me that I had to put my sobriety first and formost if I wanted to get well even before my kid's events. If I'm not sober there will not be any events in the furture for me to go to. After the first year then things can get back to "normal" if you want them to be. I found I love my meetings and it's hard to give them up even for my kid's events LOL. At anyrate there are meetings on weekends that you could go to if that is when you find time. I found though that I had to make the time because being sober was so important. I know there are other ways to get sober,so good luck in finding what works for you,but don't spend too much time looking or you might just get one of those DUI.

collinsmi

AA challenged a lot of my assumptions, and initially I wasn't comfortable at all with it. Sometimes I'm still not comfortable with it. I'd submit that's not a valid reason not to do it though. And not just AA, anything new and different in life. Maybe ideas, assumptions I have about things arent valid. I won't know that until I try, and in doing so, put those ideas to the test.

Ah, time for AA. My sponsor says "fit your busy schedule around AA, not AA around your busy schedule". Also, I find it takes a lot less time than I think. Today, for example. If I would have done my 11th step stuff as soon as I woke up (RTO a whopping 20 minutes), I'd be out the door and taking care of all that stuff I want to get done today. Evidently, I have to "check my e-mail" and fool around on the internet for a while first. Have a good day all, out here.

CarolD

I love to start my day with AA.
7 a.m. meetings are great!

ay100

The AA meetings in Istanbul is at 7 in the evening. It is interesting to hear that there are morning meetings.

Tazman53

ay it depends upon how many AA folk are in an area. One of the neat things is if a few people want to start a new meeting all they have to do is arrange a place to have the meeting and some people to come. There are still meetings held in peoples homes all over the world, that is how the first meetings were done.