Berrybean

Glad you're feeling strong and focussed at the moment.

You don't need to write anything off at the moment. Why not see you how you feel further down the line and reassess from time to time. For me it was a bit like going on a road trip. At first I felt like I knew where I was going and that I could confidently navigate the path. Thing is things felt unfamiliar and scary when I found myself having to deal with life and people on their terms further down the road, and that's when I decided I needed support. Maybe you will want some form of support further down the line, perhaps not. One day at a time and all that jazz.

Wishing you all the best for your recovery. BB

SoberCAH

Congrats on your recent 5th anniversary.

Great job, brother.

Algorithm

Perhaps, but what matters is whether or not you actually will do it.

What if you were 'craving' a drink, for example? What then?

What is your plan for your future use of alcohol and other drugs?

cejay

Hi Doubter,

I felt really similarly to you. In my case, I really didn't want to go, and felt exactly as you did. I'd tell myself everyday that I wasn't going to drink. Then, that night, I'd be drinking. So I told myself the next time I drink, I'd go. Well I drank on a night that I didn't want to so I went to AA the next day and was able to quit.

I saw some misconceptions in your post and wanted to point a few things out. In AA, you don't have to do steps, you don't have to believe in God, you don't have to get a sponsor, and you don't have to speak at meetings publicly or to anyone if you don't want to.

You can go to as few or as many meetings as you like and each meeting operates a little differently from the other and if you DO ever decide to check it out, I strongly suggest you try different meetings.

The rest of my story would be quite long so I'll spare you, and welcome you to PM me if you want to know more about my experience.

I don't really go to meetings anymore, I meet with my AA friends for coffee or activities that we like to do together. I learned sooo much about living life, fun, and more.

If you can quit without AA, fantastic but if you're here, talking about not needing it, chances are you might have had a hard time stopping drinking and if you've struggled with alcohol and want to quit, why wouldn't you investigate every option available to you before ruling them out?

Resources that come to mind are:
Books, podcasts, websites, SR, SMART, LifeRing, HAMs, counseling, etc.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

CJ.

fini

it's not an issue, Doubter, for anyone else's opinion to have a bearing on.
and most certainly many quit and stay that way by themselves.

i am wondering why you announced this instead of just keeping on and doing it?
what is that about, do you think or know?
Is it the doubt you named yourself after?

MrTumble

I couldnt do that speaking in front of a group either, not talking about my emotions at least.

I wish there was some sort of socialising group from non-drinkers though.

SteveAlex

Hows it going doubter?

flashback1

I don't use AA, but I have a solid person who I call and text when I'm feeling out of funk.

That just works for me.

Teetotaler56

I feel the same way. I quit for two years on my own. But I am glad those groups are there for those who need it. Like you, I couldn't see me getting up in front of people and talking. Just not my cup of tea. That being said, I'm grateful for this group, because it is nice to be in a place where others have the same struggles and we can converse with one another and find some support here.

ljc267

You may not need any professional support or an organized support group, but it does help to have support from somewhere. I find that having someone to talk to when I'm feeling down is very helpful.

JustTony

Oh come on.... really?

I'm not even looking hard and I know a few.

Femaleboss1980

We have similar story goodluck x

Gottalife

I did meet one chap 20 years sober who had done it alone. He had a brain tumor (terminal) and wanted to talk about his journey. He didnt join AA because of a very poor example set by his father, who had that double life, mr AA in AA, and a tyrant at home. Suffice it to say he felt his 20 years was pretty average.

Maybe we mean different things when we talk about alcoholics. I meet alcoholics of my type in places like detox wards and rehabs. Some have had so many admissions the staff call them "frequent fliers" I haven't seen any of these recover on their own.

Then there was my rehab group of ten. Two went to AA and never drank again. Eight of us set out to do it on our own. 12 months later I was the only one still alive. I went to AA and never drank again. Only one in the group was over forty. None of us managed to moderate,or recover on our own power.

If you look at my school mates or work mates, it was easy to find those with a diagnosable alcohol use disorder. They all straightened out on their own. Just grew out of the boozing. At the time, they appeared to be like me, but they were not. They either stopped or moderated, and that was that. They did what I could not do.

It was really frustrating wondering why I couldn't do that as well.