anxiousrock

Monday I have an appointment to fill out some forms to maybe be able to see an addiction counsellor without paying $350 + $100 per session. It would be free!
Problem I have is: I’ve never missed work from drinking or being hungover, sick or whatever. Nothing drinking related at all. I’ve been good that way. BUT for this addiction appointment I have to miss 2 half days of work!
I am not thrilled, but help in this town is limited.
After I do that for 2 Monday’s in a row I see if they can take me on.
Are they going to take me seriously? I have problems drinking. I drink maybe every 2 weekends, but last year took several months completely off and now I’m 18 days sober again.
Not sure if they’d give me a spot or take on someone who drinks/does drugs daily. What do you think?

ScottFromWI

simple answer: yes, go see the counselor.

Mac4711

Anarock,
By taking 2 half days off you’re cleary demonstrating that you are concerned about your health. That ought to be enough for them to take you seriously!

anxiousrock

Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. I have to do the questionnaires and paperwork and then they decide if I’m sick enough that I need a counsellor.

anxiousrock

I hope so! Then I could stop bugging you guys with all my dumb questions lol

ScottFromWI

No problem, just do the questionnaires first then. Just be honest in filling them out, nothing more or less.

Obladi

I think if I were you, I'd be thinking "I'm not worthy. "

But as a compassionate human being, I'd say "Who are you to think you're not worthy? "

You are struggling. You need help. You're doing what it takes to get along.

Hell yes, go for it!

NYCDoglvr

Alcoholism is a progressive disease and, untreated, you will accumulate missed work and other problems. I applaud you for realizing you need help. Go for it!

anxiousrock

That's exactly why I want to go...it can only get worse from here.

Berrybean

Go for it... But I hope you'll still be here asking questions as well. Those questions need to be asked by someone. I reckon for every person asking a question on here there are lots of other people searching on here hoping someone else asked that question so they can get to see the answers. You help others every time you ask a question.

Xx

hellrzr

Have you been to an AA meeting? All the help you could ever dream of for only $1 a meeting and your work never needs to know! Actually, the $1 is optional : )

WinterThunder

If you feel you have a problem, worth it to check it out.

anxiousrock

Yes I go to lots and i really do enjoy them. I think because I get to see people and not be drunk. It’s still hard because of my social anxiety but getting a lot easier.
I do contribute a couple dollars a meeting. I don’t have a lot but if there was no money for the rooms I’d be in a worse place than I am now. Plus I save a lot of money by no drinking.

NYCDoglvr

I suggest getting a sponsor, it made a huge difference in my recovery.

anxiousrock

Haven't had any luck....asked a few people here how to get one. They've said they all had to wait 8 months - 1 year PLUS to get one .

Done4today

Because you don't think that your usage is in the danger threshold, the counselors understand addiction. I would think that a program that treats addiction would take someone struggling in and out of the disease before someone in it with no desire to attempt sobriety. That is my HO and the logic I look at it. As others have said, just jump through their hoops being honest and you'll get the support you need. Good luck

hellrzr

What??? That is about as an insane a thing as I've ever heard! How are you expected to stay sober without working the steps with a sponsor. You really need to get to other meetings and find someone to work with now. I'm sorry you have ran into some AAers who think like this. The program most definitely doesn't want you to wait a year to start working the steps.

Great job though getting to meetings! Walking into that first meeting in one of the most difficult things you may ever do.

anxiousrock

One of my first meetings a guy told me I needed a female sponsor and to stay out of the “AA bed”.
There’s honestly not that many meetings in my little town and mostly the same people go to all of them.

Berrybean

Maybe try the meetings in the next town if you have transport. There can be some big differences from one area to the next.
In the city I lived before (at start of my sobriety) the meetings had a very different vibe. They were okay. And really helped me just to stay sober initially. But we'd already committed to moving so we went through with it (despite it being early sobriety it all went through) . Turned out to be the best thing I could have done because the meetings in my new town and the neighbouring ones are so much better for me. Calmer, with lots of quality long term sobriety in people I can learn from. Plenty of folk drive distances to get to the more helpful meetings., or just to some different ones for a change.

Bb

Berrybean

Just reread your post.

Asking people 'how to get one' isn't that same as going and asking someone to be your sponsor.

Here's how we get a sponsor. We get ourselves to enough meetings to get to know who turns up regularly, who seems able to deal with life sober in the way we'd like to. Usually someone who has a good dose of acceptance, seems calm and serene, who doesn't dissolve into self-pity and rage whenever things don't go their way. Not necessarily someone you want to be, but someone whose sobriety you would like. Once you have someone in mind you approach them and say something along the lines of "Hello. I'm X, I'd really like to start working on the steps soon and will need a sponsor to guide me through this. I wondered if you might consider being my sponsor."

That's how we get a sponsor. By asking someone to help us. And it pretty much needs to be that way round, because if we've not got the humility yet to ask for help, then we're also not yet ready to get honest or take suggestions. Took me over six months to get desperate, willing and humble enough to ask my sponsor. Maybe they just waited like i did. That isnt necessarily becaue they had to wait. My sponsor has just had her 20th Sobriety Birthday. She's in her 60s. She doesn't seem like she could ever have done half the things I did. But that judgement on my part proved wrong as well. She had (and still has) a lot to teach me.

If you want a sponsor just go ask someone. It's no good dropping hints. That's not likely to work.

BB