Went to my first AA meeting and ...
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 186
Went to my first AA meeting and ...
It was awesome. Very personable group, only 7 of us. Got a number from a lady she said I could go to a different meeting with her next week.
Really happy I went. There are actual people ( moms and dads!) like me, staying sober. Binge drinkers like me.
It was so scary and also a relief. I like that I may have to be a bit more accountable now. And I actually spoke my name and said I'm an alcoholic. I said it to people and they could hear me, and they didn't tell me no like my family often does ("no your crazy, of course your not an alcoholic" "you just had a few too many" blah blah... Denial!)
Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions to go, you were all right. It's a good step for me, I think!
Really happy I went. There are actual people ( moms and dads!) like me, staying sober. Binge drinkers like me.
It was so scary and also a relief. I like that I may have to be a bit more accountable now. And I actually spoke my name and said I'm an alcoholic. I said it to people and they could hear me, and they didn't tell me no like my family often does ("no your crazy, of course your not an alcoholic" "you just had a few too many" blah blah... Denial!)
Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions to go, you were all right. It's a good step for me, I think!
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
pretty wild,eh? i was completely amazed. sonce we had a detox in town here and the clients would be brought to the meetings, i heard a lot of what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now meetings. i was completely amazed hearing the people with sobriety, people i had never met, telling my story. it wasnt the drinking thing that i was amazed at, it was the thinkin thing!
then i got the big book real quick. i was completely amazed that a book written on alcoholism, one published 28 years before i was born, had me in it!!!
keep goin back and dont be afraid to pick up the phone and call!
and dont be concerned. we wont break out any aliens any time. i really thought my sponsor was an alien. there was no way someone could be that serene and peaceful all the time. found out it was the spiritual experience he had by working the steps and he was just another alcoholic like me.
then i got the big book real quick. i was completely amazed that a book written on alcoholism, one published 28 years before i was born, had me in it!!!
keep goin back and dont be afraid to pick up the phone and call!
and dont be concerned. we wont break out any aliens any time. i really thought my sponsor was an alien. there was no way someone could be that serene and peaceful all the time. found out it was the spiritual experience he had by working the steps and he was just another alcoholic like me.
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
So glad you had a great meeting!! I always cringe when someone happens to hit a not-so-good meeting. They are out there, but in my experience pretty rare. And even a great group can have an off night. You'll see. LOL, I hear people say that if you like EVERYONE you meet at an AA meeting, you aren't making enough meetings!
But the key is that it really IS principles above personalities. There are people I don't feel particularly warm-n-fuzzy toward that I still listen to in meetings--if they are working the program, they often command my respect, if not my complete affection, lol.
Keep comin' back!
But the key is that it really IS principles above personalities. There are people I don't feel particularly warm-n-fuzzy toward that I still listen to in meetings--if they are working the program, they often command my respect, if not my complete affection, lol.
Keep comin' back!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by doggonecarl 
Hope this is the point in your journey where success and sobriety is yours. Good luck.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by LexieCat
So glad you had a great meeting!! I always cringe when someone happens to hit a not-so-good meeting. They are out there, but in my experience pretty rare. And even a great group can have an off night. You'll see. LOL, I hear people say that if you like EVERYONE you meet at an AA meeting, you aren't making enough meetings!
But the key is that it really IS principles above personalities. There are people I don't feel particularly warm-n-fuzzy toward that I still listen to in meetings--if they are working the program, they often command my respect, if not my complete affection, lol.
Keep comin' back!
But the key is that it really IS principles above personalities. There are people I don't feel particularly warm-n-fuzzy toward that I still listen to in meetings--if they are working the program, they often command my respect, if not my complete affection, lol.
Keep comin' back!
I like the idea of having a phone number now! A life line.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by quitforme79
So glad to hear you had a good experience. AA has been such a saving grace for me. You will meet many wonderful people like at SR 
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by tomsteve
pretty wild,eh? i was completely amazed. sonce we had a detox in town here and the clients would be brought to the meetings, i heard a lot of what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now meetings. i was completely amazed hearing the people with sobriety, people i had never met, telling my story. it wasnt the drinking thing that i was amazed at, it was the thinkin thing!
then i got the big book real quick. i was completely amazed that a book written on alcoholism, one published 28 years before i was born, had me in it!!!
keep goin back and dont be afraid to pick up the phone and call!
and dont be concerned. we wont break out any aliens any time. i really thought my sponsor was an alien. there was no way someone could be that serene and peaceful all the time. found out it was the spiritual experience he had by working the steps and he was just another alcoholic like me.
then i got the big book real quick. i was completely amazed that a book written on alcoholism, one published 28 years before i was born, had me in it!!!
keep goin back and dont be afraid to pick up the phone and call!
and dont be concerned. we wont break out any aliens any time. i really thought my sponsor was an alien. there was no way someone could be that serene and peaceful all the time. found out it was the spiritual experience he had by working the steps and he was just another alcoholic like me.
I am reading the big book online!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by Pondlady
Mammy,
You sound good ! I'm sure it feels good to connect with other parents. I too hope this is the turning point for you....I know how badly you want sobriety. You and your children deserve it.
You sound good ! I'm sure it feels good to connect with other parents. I too hope this is the turning point for you....I know how badly you want sobriety. You and your children deserve it.
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
Collect phone numbers (of women) at the meetings you go to. At some point in every meeting for the first couple of weeks or so, introduce yourself, say you are new and would like some phone numbers. At our meetings we pass around a list for new people.
You want a bunch of numbers so there is ALWAYS someone to call if you need help, or just need to talk, and so you will get to know people. It's good to get in the habit of making even a quick call every day--someday, when you are in a bad place, it will be much easier to pick up the phone if you've gotten into the habit.
You want a bunch of numbers so there is ALWAYS someone to call if you need help, or just need to talk, and so you will get to know people. It's good to get in the habit of making even a quick call every day--someday, when you are in a bad place, it will be much easier to pick up the phone if you've gotten into the habit.
Re-Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 7,583
Mammy,
I too think you very much may have made the turn. I have read your posts here from the beginning and agree that for one who wants it badly it is about time. I had a terrible first meeting in a rehab I volunteered for and quit rehab when they said it was not an option to skip them. I immediately jouned here and a week later tried AA again after hearing the same thing here. But I only took a week to try it again. AA helped me save my life.
I too think you very much may have made the turn. I have read your posts here from the beginning and agree that for one who wants it badly it is about time. I had a terrible first meeting in a rehab I volunteered for and quit rehab when they said it was not an option to skip them. I immediately jouned here and a week later tried AA again after hearing the same thing here. But I only took a week to try it again. AA helped me save my life.
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