When AA doesn't work for you and with a dearth of resources
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Join Date: Jul 2009
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When AA doesn't work for you and with a dearth of resources
What do you do? I have tried EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, there are not many other options in my area. I've gone to every group where I live. While I do appreciate these groups, they are far from my house and it's not that easy for me to get there.
I see a new psychiatrist tomorrow and I am hoping he can help me. I see a new therapist on the 21st and I am hoping she can help me. I've been through the mill on psychotropic drugs, all to no avail.
I have concluded AA is not an option for me, as it just isn't. Any thoughts as to how I might battle this addiction on my own?
I see a new psychiatrist tomorrow and I am hoping he can help me. I see a new therapist on the 21st and I am hoping she can help me. I've been through the mill on psychotropic drugs, all to no avail.
I have concluded AA is not an option for me, as it just isn't. Any thoughts as to how I might battle this addiction on my own?
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WARNING! You might not like this answer 
Drinking again was not an option for me. I didn't like AA much at first, so I had to force myself to sit through meetings until I came to a point of peace between myself and the program of AA. It really came down to being a matter of life or death.
There all many, many things I can do to try to battle alcoholism on my own. Christian programs, this site, books, medications, other recovery programs, chat room meetings, yoga, etc. etc. etc. But the bottom line for me is that I need face-to-face support, spirituality, and a 12-Step program.
If I feel that I've tried everything and nothing is working, then I need to look within myself and discover why these solutions aren't acceptable to me.
Drinking again was not an option for me. I didn't like AA much at first, so I had to force myself to sit through meetings until I came to a point of peace between myself and the program of AA. It really came down to being a matter of life or death.
There all many, many things I can do to try to battle alcoholism on my own. Christian programs, this site, books, medications, other recovery programs, chat room meetings, yoga, etc. etc. etc. But the bottom line for me is that I need face-to-face support, spirituality, and a 12-Step program.
If I feel that I've tried everything and nothing is working, then I need to look within myself and discover why these solutions aren't acceptable to me.
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Originally Posted by Astro 
WARNING! You might not like this answer
Drinking again was not an option for me. I didn't like AA much at first, so I had to force myself to sit through meetings until I came to a point of peace between myself and the program of AA. It really came down to being a matter of life or death.
There all many, many things I can do to try to battle alcoholism on my own. Christian programs, this site, books, medications, other recovery programs, chat room meetings, yoga, etc. etc. etc. But the bottom line for me is that I need face-to-face support, spirituality, and a 12-Step program.
If I feel that I've tried everything and nothing is working, then I need to look within myself and discover why these solutions aren't acceptable to me.
Drinking again was not an option for me. I didn't like AA much at first, so I had to force myself to sit through meetings until I came to a point of peace between myself and the program of AA. It really came down to being a matter of life or death.
There all many, many things I can do to try to battle alcoholism on my own. Christian programs, this site, books, medications, other recovery programs, chat room meetings, yoga, etc. etc. etc. But the bottom line for me is that I need face-to-face support, spirituality, and a 12-Step program.
If I feel that I've tried everything and nothing is working, then I need to look within myself and discover why these solutions aren't acceptable to me.
I have participated in LifeRing and their advice was to go to AA, only because there are no LifeRing meetings in my area. I will not sit through a Baptist Church service to treat a medical-psychological problem.
Oh, and LifeRing's mantra is "Don't Drink, No Matter what." It just happens to be a secularist movement.
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Location: Australia
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Hi Recovered1
I don't do AA - I was un/lucky enough to drink so much that not wanting to die and SR keep me sane - but I agree with Astro when he says
If you do that and you honestly find it really is the programmes and not you, then you owe it to yourself to keep searching for the way that makes sense to you - doubly hard even.
Noone else gets us sober.
keep looking
D
I don't do AA - I was un/lucky enough to drink so much that not wanting to die and SR keep me sane - but I agree with Astro when he says
If I feel that I've tried everything and nothing is working, then I need to look within myself and discover why these solutions aren't acceptable to me.
Noone else gets us sober.
keep looking
D
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 81
Originally Posted by Dee74
Hi Recovered1
I don't do AA - I was un/lucky enough to drink so much that not wanting to die and SR keep me sane - but I agree with Astro when he says
If you do that and you honestly find it really is the programmes and not you, then you owe it to yourself to keep searching for the way that makes sense to you - doubly hard even.
Noone else gets us sober.
keep looking
D
I don't do AA - I was un/lucky enough to drink so much that not wanting to die and SR keep me sane - but I agree with Astro when he says
If you do that and you honestly find it really is the programmes and not you, then you owe it to yourself to keep searching for the way that makes sense to you - doubly hard even.
Noone else gets us sober.
keep looking
D
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,876
Hey Recovered...aa, while a huge help for some, is not necessary to obtain and maintain sobriety. What is necessary is fierce determination and patience. Please do not feel as if a rejection of aa lessens your chance to be successful. You have to want to quit more than you want to continue in the insanity. SR is a great place to find support. I wish you all the best.
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
Alcoholism is pretty tough to recover from. I guess that's why things are not all that different from the way it was in the 1930's... When a world renowned and still respected PSYCHOLOGIST... Carl Jung... held little hope for the hopeless alcoholic... except that those who found a spiritual (not religious) seemed to have a better chance at recovery.
Carl Jung was a medical doctor, psychiatrist who observed that a spiritual solution helped in cases of alcoholism....
So even though it doesn't seem to interest you, medical/psychological professionals still seem to acknowledge the approach. Oh, BTW.... I've only been to a baptist church once, AA meetings are nothing like them.... Spiritual, not religious.
I really hope you find a way... many here have without AA... hopefully they will be along soon to guide you.
Peace
Mark
Carl Jung was a medical doctor, psychiatrist who observed that a spiritual solution helped in cases of alcoholism....
I will not sit through a Baptist Church service to treat a medical-psychological problem.
I really hope you find a way... many here have without AA... hopefully they will be along soon to guide you.
Peace
Mark
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 81
Originally Posted by CarolD
Why not re locate to an area where Life Ring is active?
When it comes down to saving my sanity and life...
I'd be packing quickly....
When it comes down to saving my sanity and life...
I'd be packing quickly....
It's just that I consider the crappy economy and what have you and then I back down. At least I have security. Thanks for your post.
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, one big happy dysfunctional family!
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Originally Posted by Recovered1
LifeRing's mantra is "Don't Drink, No Matter what."
Pain is a terrific motivator. When I get tired of hurting, I'm more open to anything that might be of help, in fact I gasp out like a drowning rat. For years I've found that help in the rooms of AA. But.......
Recently I've been in some pain again. I'm not hearing the message at my meetings, I'm not sponsoring anyone, I'm not doing a whole lot of service work, I'm just going through the motions. Maybe AA stopped working for me, but more likely I've become complacent and bored. So last week I walked back to Celebrate Recovery, last night I bought the workbook and started Step 1 again.
When I feel that I have tried everything and nothing is working for me, then it's time to figure out what I need for my recovery. Either that or I might as well pick up a drink cuz that'll be the next step I take.
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Originally Posted by Astro
That's an AA saying too. What I'm trying to say is this....
Pain is a terrific motivator. When I get tired of hurting, I'm more open to anything that might be of help, in fact I gasp out like a drowning rat. For years I've found that help in the rooms of AA. But.......
Recently I've been in some pain again. I'm not hearing the message at my meetings, I'm not sponsoring anyone, I'm not doing a whole lot of service work, I'm just going through the motions. Maybe AA stopped working for me, but more likely I've become complacent and bored. So last week I walked back to Celebrate Recovery, last night I bought the workbook and started Step 1 again.
When I feel that I have tried everything and nothing is working for me, then it's time to figure out what I need for my recovery. Either that or I might as well pick up a drink cuz that'll be the next step I take.
Pain is a terrific motivator. When I get tired of hurting, I'm more open to anything that might be of help, in fact I gasp out like a drowning rat. For years I've found that help in the rooms of AA. But.......
Recently I've been in some pain again. I'm not hearing the message at my meetings, I'm not sponsoring anyone, I'm not doing a whole lot of service work, I'm just going through the motions. Maybe AA stopped working for me, but more likely I've become complacent and bored. So last week I walked back to Celebrate Recovery, last night I bought the workbook and started Step 1 again.
When I feel that I have tried everything and nothing is working for me, then it's time to figure out what I need for my recovery. Either that or I might as well pick up a drink cuz that'll be the next step I take.
No, what I need is another solution to not repeat the "insanity wheel" of continuing to do the same old thing expecting different results.
Ultimately, it might come down to my relocating to go to the kind of groups where I need to be. Sad state of affairs in 2009 with respect to addiction SCIENCE (and I emphasize the word science). It's a brain disease, to be sure, not a spiritual one. Respectfully and thank you...
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Originally Posted by Cubile75
Alcoholism is pretty tough to recover from. I guess that's why things are not all that different from the way it was in the 1930's... When a world renowned and still respected PSYCHOLOGIST... Carl Jung... held little hope for the hopeless alcoholic... except that those who found a spiritual (not religious) seemed to have a better chance at recovery.
Carl Jung was a medical doctor, psychiatrist who observed that a spiritual solution helped in cases of alcoholism....
So even though it doesn't seem to interest you, medical/psychological professionals still seem to acknowledge the approach. Oh, BTW.... I've only been to a baptist church once, AA meetings are nothing like them.... Spiritual, not religious.
I really hope you find a way... many here have without AA... hopefully they will be along soon to guide you.
Peace
Mark
Carl Jung was a medical doctor, psychiatrist who observed that a spiritual solution helped in cases of alcoholism....
So even though it doesn't seem to interest you, medical/psychological professionals still seem to acknowledge the approach. Oh, BTW.... I've only been to a baptist church once, AA meetings are nothing like them.... Spiritual, not religious.
I really hope you find a way... many here have without AA... hopefully they will be along soon to guide you.
Peace
Mark
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 81
Originally Posted by Astro
AA ain't broke, it still works for some people so there's no reason to fix it.
For the lucky 5%, I say good and great. What the heck do the other 95% of us out there do?
No need to change AA, BUT we do need more options. At times I feel like addicts are the scourge of the earth - the throwaway people. This frustrates me greatly. Look at all of the people sitting in prisons as their drug of choice was not alcohol. How sad.
I just want to see awareness raised and more options given to those of us who struggle and I would REALLY like to see it become mainstream. I don't hold this hope out in my lifetime. No, I will probably just be one of the many who could not get with the program and die an early death.
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I don't see the need for this to turn into another AA bashing/AA adherents thread.
We have a million of them.
Lets move on.
If you feel that strongly recovered1 then strike off the 12 step programmes and look at the next option.
This is the resource list from this forum:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...resources.html
This is the resource list from Substance Abuse:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...i-recover.html
My advice is to keep the focus squarely on yourself and what you need to do next - don't get distracted arguing science vs spirituality.
D
We have a million of them.
Lets move on.
If you feel that strongly recovered1 then strike off the 12 step programmes and look at the next option.
This is the resource list from this forum:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...resources.html
This is the resource list from Substance Abuse:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...i-recover.html
My advice is to keep the focus squarely on yourself and what you need to do next - don't get distracted arguing science vs spirituality.
D
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
When Carl Jung practiced, as is the case now, alcoholism had/has been on the planet since the beginning... yet he, a very smart and educated man, had no answer... he could only observe that those who had experienced this "phenomenon" had recovered.
Tough thing, this alcoholism. Yea, makes you wonder doesn't it? They just haven't come up with anything that works, those scientists...
We are on the same side, maybe we'll use different tools....
Peace
Mark
Tough thing, this alcoholism. Yea, makes you wonder doesn't it? They just haven't come up with anything that works, those scientists...
We are on the same side, maybe we'll use different tools....
Peace
Mark
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 81
Originally Posted by Dee74
I don't see the need for this to turn into another AA bashing thread.
We have a million of them.
Lets move on.
If you feel that strongly recovered1 then strike off the 12 step programmes and look at the next option.
My advice is to keep the focus squarely on yourself and what you need to do next - don't get distracted arguing science vs spirituality.
D
We have a million of them.
Lets move on.
If you feel that strongly recovered1 then strike off the 12 step programmes and look at the next option.
My advice is to keep the focus squarely on yourself and what you need to do next - don't get distracted arguing science vs spirituality.
D
Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,055
Recovered1~ First of all good for you for looking at ways to get sober. I was able to do it on my own, with the help of SR and my many Friends here for 11 months. However I still felt the pain and anxiety that drove me to drinking for a lot of that time. I was adamant about not going to AA, did NOT want to go to a meeting. But when my fear of relapse became bigger than my not wanting to go to AA, guess what? I went.
I've only been to a handful of meetings, but can honestly say I've learned something at each and every one of them. AA is not for everyone, but if it's AA or nothing, if it's that or returning to drinking...what would you rather do?
Take Care and Good Luck Sweetie~
ETA: You could check some recovery books out at your local Library if possible. One thing I've also found helps is exercise. It may sound simple, but it really does help! Again, I was here for 11 months before I stepped into a meeting and I did that by *choice*. You can use chat here, PM, read around. Find someone you feel you can connect with and talk to them. I was also very blessed, my Husband has been an amazing support as has my Best Friend. Do you have anyone you can talk to IRL?
I've only been to a handful of meetings, but can honestly say I've learned something at each and every one of them. AA is not for everyone, but if it's AA or nothing, if it's that or returning to drinking...what would you rather do?
Take Care and Good Luck Sweetie~
ETA: You could check some recovery books out at your local Library if possible. One thing I've also found helps is exercise. It may sound simple, but it really does help! Again, I was here for 11 months before I stepped into a meeting and I did that by *choice*. You can use chat here, PM, read around. Find someone you feel you can connect with and talk to them. I was also very blessed, my Husband has been an amazing support as has my Best Friend. Do you have anyone you can talk to IRL?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 81
Originally Posted by Mariposa18
Recovered1~ First of all good for you for looking at ways to get sober. I was able to do it on my own, with the help of SR and my many Friends here for 11 months. However I still felt the pain and anxiety that drove me to drinking for a lot of that time. I was adamant about not going to AA, did NOT want to go to a meeting. But when my fear of relapse became bigger than my not wanting to go to AA, guess what? I went.
I've only been to a handful of meetings, but can honestly say I've learned something at each and every one of them. AA is not for everyone, but if it's AA or nothing, if it's that or returning to drinking...what would you rather do?
Take Care and Good Luck Sweetie~
ETA: You could check some recovery books out at your local Library if possible. One thing I've also found helps is exercise. It may sound simple, but it really does help! Again, I was here for 11 months before I stepped into a meeting and I did that by *choice*. You can use chat here, PM, read around. Find someone you feel you can connect with and talk to them. I was also very blessed, my Husband has been an amazing support as has my Best Friend. Do you have anyone you can talk to IRL?
I've only been to a handful of meetings, but can honestly say I've learned something at each and every one of them. AA is not for everyone, but if it's AA or nothing, if it's that or returning to drinking...what would you rather do?
Take Care and Good Luck Sweetie~
ETA: You could check some recovery books out at your local Library if possible. One thing I've also found helps is exercise. It may sound simple, but it really does help! Again, I was here for 11 months before I stepped into a meeting and I did that by *choice*. You can use chat here, PM, read around. Find someone you feel you can connect with and talk to them. I was also very blessed, my Husband has been an amazing support as has my Best Friend. Do you have anyone you can talk to IRL?
)I have been to more than 1000 meetings in my lifetime. Maybe more. I have been to seven rehabs. I have been to many shrinks and therapists. Yet, I have a new one tomorrow and maybe he will help me!
I agree with you on exercise. That IS a lifesaver.
I live alone with no one, so I cannot really rely on anyone but ME. Yet it has come down to ME.
I seek help as I just do not know what to do anymore. Thank you for your kind post.
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