Spacegoat

Well now. I get a few meetings in during the week and this doesn't usually happen.

I don't know if it was the content (not so much) the context (possibly) or my own private thoughts.

The latter of which some I shared to another member after the meeting. This sux.

Jtmlk

I went to a few AA meetings in the first few months of sobriety and they always seemed to trigger me to want to drink. In fact for some reason they were more of a trigger for me then going to a pub with drinking friends and not drinking- weird.
I then went on an inuitive thinking course which is like AVRT and haven't been to a meeting since. I may one day pop back to a meeting as you get to meet some great people but for now it's best I avoid.

Spacegoat

I don't know if I'm an alcoholic or a Christian as I go to meetings for the Christian overtones

NoelleR

Ya know; they're not mutually exclusive.............

(o:

sugarbear1

The miracle of working those steps for me was that my obsession/desire to drink left me. No more "triggers" for me. It's been 5 years now and I worked those steps on days 14 and 15 of sobriety.

ScottFromWI

"Triggers" can be found anywhere and everywhere, and they are usually more a function of what's going on inside our mind that what is happening around us.

Glad you talked it over with someone afterwards, that's a good way to take note of what the source might be.

butcher70

Meetings triggered me as well. No clue why. AA is a great program that has helped many but I haven't gone for almost three years. Not ruling it out for the future. Never hurts to pickup extra tools and not need em than than the alternative.

blueberry2015

AA sometimes has triggered me, I find that it is all part of the awareness.

chickippo

AA saved my life. I don't go so much (well, at all!) these days. I have made some lifelong friends. but I live in a smallish country town with a huge drug and alcohol problem, and AA here can tend more to the personalities. there is a lot of drama, a lot of sleeping around and a lot of feeding off others emotionally.

none of this is AA's issue, but it means I keep myself apart from it as I can't cope with the bumpy ride. I need stability and safety, so I work my programme just with me and I keep m side of the street clean and I won't drink today. find what works for you and hang onto it.

luvmygirls

I had the same experience, and it's one of the reasons I'm waiting to resume meetings this time around. Maybe it's because unlike every other situation in daily life, it's all about drinking, even if it's actually about NOT drinking, if that makes any sense. I agree that it's likely more about us than it us about AA, but as with anything else, I'm not going to walk into a known trigger situation without careful thought and planning.

Spacegoat

Bought the 12 & 12 book yesterday.

Really bad day for triggers to boot, both mental and emotional.

More so of the latter. I'm exhausted.

August252015

So, this would be a good day to go easy on yourself. And I mean that recovery-wise as far as putting yourself through the paces working the program, and just bring it down to the Third Step prayer. Or read pg 85-88 a few times. And I mean doing things that soothe you today - I feel the need to do my basics (what my sponsor has told me to do every day, including what I suggested to you), go to a meeting (check and check to those two), and after my drs appts (both I am looking forward to so no stress there), having a short run and an easy night at home with a funny movie and dinner.

AdelineRose

Meetings work for some people, but remember, just because they work for others doesn't mean that it is the route for you.

I have found Rational Recovery to be the perfect fit for me. There are also other alternatives that you can look into such as Smart recovery, LifeRing, and many many more. You could also combine different aspects from all of the different recovery programs.

Sometimes it takes a little bit for us to find what works for us. Keep working on yourself and fighting for a strong solid recovery. YOU CAN DO IT!

Berrybean

I find the AA speaker recordings really helpful as well. Might be worth a try to top up on that spirituality. Might also be worth trying different meetings, and making sure that you're going on to ones that are solution focussed and have people there with healthy sobriety.

5500+ AA Speakers & Tapes - Organized & Mobile-Friendly!

tomsteve

working the program of aa as outlined in the big book( I hope ya have th ebig book. its much simpler and easier than the 12/12) removed all triggers from me


And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone - even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality - safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is our experience. That is how we reactso long as we keep in fit spiritual condition

aNewEternity

not uncommon that sitting around discussing alcohol for an hour can trigger a craving for alcohol.

tomsteve

ive been to a LOT of meetings and haven't ever experienced discussion about alcohol for an hour.

Anna

Just a Reminder:

Debates over Recovery Methods are not allowed on the Newcomer's Forum. Posts that violate this rule will be removed without notice. (Support and experience only please.)

Berrybean

That's what I meant about the meeting being one that discusses the solution not just the problem. A good AA meeting doesn't talk about alcohol itself much at all as such. Ever noticed how even the 12-steps only mentions it once, and that is on Step 1.