bugeyedearl

Ok, a couple of people have asked how it went ... The good news is, since what i can only refer to as "The Bookcase Incident" last week, (before AA and posting on here) I have only experienced one minor skirmish with alchohol, namely one sip of repulsive pear beer at the behest of a barman. (BTW i work in a bar, so i guess i'll have to deal with that from time to time) but for me the big steps were throwing away drinks i was offered (drinks made wrongly in work are usually consumed by whomever grabs them first), and even foregoing the post-work can of beer. I'm sticking by the "don't have one or you'll want 100000000 ...." principle!

As for AA, i doubt i'm going to make 90 in 90 ... I went along to my first meeting on Wednesday night at a local hospital. It was great! They had a lovely room, tea and coffee, sandwiches and even cake! I found it very odd to be in a room of mostly men, in Glasgow, discussing their feelings and inner demons. The first half hour there was a "guest speaker" discussing his life as an alcoholic, and his life in recovery. The juxtaposition gave me lots to think about. Then, i guess i assumed people would be reluctant to talk, but it was "fastest fingers first"! I really wanted to say something, just "hello" even, but i couldn't get a word in ... And that was one thing that actually disturbed me, just a little, guys who'd been going to AA for years, desperate to get their chance to talk, to tell a little of their own tale of woe ... I don't want the replacement for alchohol to be the chance to tell a bunch of people every day how bad things used to be. I want it to be the springboard to living life fully. So, that would be the thing i feel reluctant about. But i'm going to try some other meetings, see how they go, and not drink!

Hope everyone's still sober out there in recovery land ...

Gary

CarolD

Excellent plan...well done on your sober time!

zJoe99

Hello Gary,

I'm a newby here too. Today is just my 15th day of sobriety. I don't have much to offer in the way of experience or advice at this point. However, I would like to encourage you to keep an open mind on the AA meetings. I know I have a tendency to focus on the negative at meetings sometimes. There's a part of my brain than desperately wants me to drink and it can twist my judgement.

Wishing you the best in your struggle,
Joe

GrouchoTheCat

Welcome Gary,

My name is Ted and I am an alcoholic in recovery.

Glad to have you here, you will find as I did that the people here are really wonderful.

Sounds like you had a good AA meeting. Yes many of us in the fellowship love to talk.

Here in the states there is an AA pamphlet titled "A Members Eye View of AA".

If you can find one where you are I highly reccommend it, it does much to explain the concept of AA.

Take Care,

Ted

hope3

Thanks for keeping us posted on how you are doing.

Hoping we all stay sober another day, amen. Hope3