Aa
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 66
Aa
Went to AA tonight, it seems the more I go the less I can relate to it. Tonight they are all talking about how if they don't go and constantly follow the steps most days they feel their lives will go off the rails. It is like they are replacing one crutch with another rather than getting on with life. I want drink to be irrelevant to me and be thankful being free of it. The more time passes the more comfortable I am AF and the knowledge I am not destroying myself.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,966
There's a few at my normal meeting like that. It's like they replaced one for the other,to me..However..that's not my problem. I go when I feel the need to go. I help out with rides for newcomers,cleanup,ect..when I can. 'Take what you want and leave the rest'.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
there are members that are living a fear based program. i used to be one of them that thought if i didnt go to meetings, id drink or if i was "off" if was because i missed a meeting.
then old joe showed up at a meeting and helped me learn a wee bit of THE program
None of us makes a sole vocation of this work, nor do we think its effectiveness would be increased if we did. We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning. A much more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our respective homes, occupations and affairs. All of us spend much of our spare time in the sort of effort which we are going to describe.
It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee - Thy will (not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.
then old joe showed up at a meeting and helped me learn a wee bit of THE program
None of us makes a sole vocation of this work, nor do we think its effectiveness would be increased if we did. We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning. A much more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our respective homes, occupations and affairs. All of us spend much of our spare time in the sort of effort which we are going to describe.
It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee - Thy will (not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
I think that is a common experience for people who have been around aa a while yet not taken the steps. What is there to relate to? There are a bunch of experiences that come out of the steps that I find I have in common with other recovered members. We have made discoveries together, we understand each other.
When I was on the wrong side of the steps, I had little in common with the others , apart from a disease and some of the drama that goes with that. Endlessly rehashing the drama gets tedious after a while, and listening to people talk about the steps, something I had no experience of, is boring too. It starts get lonely in that spot.
Members may share their experience, and the experience tells us that for our type alcoholic working the steps as a way of life will bring permanent recovery, and half measures got us nowhere.
What is recovery? To me it has been complete freedom from alcohol enabling me to pursue a full and rewarding life out in the mainstream of life. I get to meetings when I can because part of the deal is to help others, and also because I enjoy it, but I also sail the world which takes me to places where there are no meetings.
Neither meetings nor the presence of alcohol determines what I can do or where I can go. That is freedom from alcohol. That’s what the aa way of life has delivered.
When I was on the wrong side of the steps, I had little in common with the others , apart from a disease and some of the drama that goes with that. Endlessly rehashing the drama gets tedious after a while, and listening to people talk about the steps, something I had no experience of, is boring too. It starts get lonely in that spot.
Members may share their experience, and the experience tells us that for our type alcoholic working the steps as a way of life will bring permanent recovery, and half measures got us nowhere.
What is recovery? To me it has been complete freedom from alcohol enabling me to pursue a full and rewarding life out in the mainstream of life. I get to meetings when I can because part of the deal is to help others, and also because I enjoy it, but I also sail the world which takes me to places where there are no meetings.
Neither meetings nor the presence of alcohol determines what I can do or where I can go. That is freedom from alcohol. That’s what the aa way of life has delivered.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,518
I attended AA in the beginning of a 2 year period of sobriety about 7 years ago .
To be honest I attended ,even made the tea at the interval and helped people with lifts but I highlighted the above word attended because my heart wasn't really in it and I didn't do the steps . Eventually I stopped going but still managed a while sober . Unfortunately I was to pick once more .
It's what works for you that matters . AA is a life saver AND a way of life for many and there's nothing wrong with that . Some of us however try another way . Which ever way we chose one thing is clear, we don't pick up the first drink .
To be honest I attended ,even made the tea at the interval and helped people with lifts but I highlighted the above word attended because my heart wasn't really in it and I didn't do the steps . Eventually I stopped going but still managed a while sober . Unfortunately I was to pick once more .
It's what works for you that matters . AA is a life saver AND a way of life for many and there's nothing wrong with that . Some of us however try another way . Which ever way we chose one thing is clear, we don't pick up the first drink .
Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 14,911
Try some other meetings, the membership varies.
When I was first trying to get sober I attended AA pretty frequently.
Now that I've got several sober years under my belt, I attend less often. I try to hit at least one meeting a week, but if life gets busy, it might be a couple of weeks between meetings for me.
But AA in in my tool kit. If I felt like I was going to drink today, I would be at a meeting within 90 minutes.
When I was first trying to get sober I attended AA pretty frequently.
Now that I've got several sober years under my belt, I attend less often. I try to hit at least one meeting a week, but if life gets busy, it might be a couple of weeks between meetings for me.
But AA in in my tool kit. If I felt like I was going to drink today, I would be at a meeting within 90 minutes.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
