MeFree

I attend AA on average twice a week, basically around my work and family obligations. However, I look at the "old timers" who have been sober for years, and they are the ones that seem to attend daily or close to it.My question is , do they attend that often to keep their sobriety or do they keep their sobriety because they attend so often? Just wondering if some of my lingering emotional wreckage might be cleaned up by attending more meetings. Thoughts?

terribob

I think it's dependent on the individual. I know that 90 meetings in the first 90 days is key for many. I'll let you know when I get there.

StevenT

In my experience meetings are essential to keeping the time I have. Not saying the other parts of the program come second, but I find that balance in all things is important. I've had a bit of time before and gone back out because I wasn't attending meetings or carrying the message. It says in the 12x12 that one way of practicing step 12 is to go to meetings and carry the message.

TheEnd

I went one day a week for a long time and I was fine. Some people attend everyday, but some people do a lot of things, really doesn't have anything to do with you. How do you feel with your meeting attendance? IMO, some people get hung up on going to meeting instead of just living their life. Why are you getting sober? Is it to go to meetings or to live your life? For me it was the latter, so that's what I did.

MeFree

well that does make sense, and I am on 11, maybe that is why I am feeling the need to go more often....maybe it is a good thing! I have noticed when I am alone dealing with the aftermath, I miss the connection of AA. It feels good to be reaching out to a meeting instead of a bottle! Thanks for your response.

___________________________

AA didn't teach me how to live with my drinking, it taught me how to live with my sobriety.

heath480

Don't forget a lot of old timers have reached retirement age,so they have more free time to attend meetings and don't have the family commitments younger people have.

Just a thought of mine!

sugarbear1

Talk with those old timers and find out directly from them why they attend meetings.

I hit as many as I could in the first 6 months as I wasn't working. My sponsor had me commit to a specific number of meetings and at least meet that number weekly, which I still do. By 4 months, I was also volunteering to answer the intergroup phones as I had to feel more useful.

Employment came, I met my commitment only, employment left, I made more meetings.
If I attend more than my commitment, I need to know my motives for attending (according to sponsor).

Everyone is different.

visch1

Hi. I agree with all the above, it depends a lot on how well/fast we want to get better in the beginning. My circumstances for 30+ years have allowed me to get far more meetings than some one with many TRUE obligations. Family, work etc. I still get to 3-5 meetings a week to hear a "pearl" I might need at the moment, see friends and remember when. I speak and try to help a newcomer and take people to meetings who need a ride. At times I need quiet time and go to listen. I also need to go when I tell myself I don't need to go. BE WELL

sugarbear1

visch, that is a key---getting to a meeting exactly when something in me says I really don't need to go....that antsy feeling.....

Threshold

Varies with the person. I don't think number of meetings per week is the most important factor in recovery. It's one tool, a very good tool. Some find it best if they work it daily, for others it truly is not a viable option.

Some people think they can't work the program if they cannot get to a daily meeting or even more than one meeting a week. Please remember that in the early days there weren't daily meetings. And that people who don't have access to any meetings at all still do get sober using the program, so it's possible.

Most of us know people in the rooms who attended daily, and still went back out, and others who attend only once or twice a week but maintain sobriety.

Db1105

I'm well into my third decade of recovery and still only get to one or two meetings a week. I keeps busy and have a unpredictable work schedule. I thought that with both kids in college now I'd have more time to get to more meetings and more involved agains, but that hasn't panned out. I know when I do retire getting to more meetings and getting more involved is defiantly on my agenda. I know this great life of mine is because of the steps and the fellowship.