My 1st Alanon meeting (& a question)
 

I went to my meeting--it was pretty small--5 people. But I am used to it--my ACOA meetings were anywhere from 2-5 of us max. I definitely broke down and cried a few times, and everyone was SO nice and SO supportive, and kept telling me how glad they were that I decided to come. 3 of them even stayed after to talk to me, and offered to let me borrow some literature.....I related a lot to some of what they said, and a little to others....just like ACoA. Oh, and I found out about a Alanon workshop (about the 4th step) this Saturday--i am thinking this might be a good thing for me to do too.
I know now--I am remembering again--how much meetings help me--ACoA or Alanon--it's just a matter of making myself go--and continue to go--even when I am feeling better. The problem I had with quitting ACoA meetings (or recovery efforts in general!) is that I start feeling okay....everything is good....and I skip a week....which turns into 2 weeks, etc, etc, etc......I let myself get busy and put recovery "on the back burner". Also, I got to a point in ACoA where I thought, why do I need to tell these people my feelings? What difference does it make.....I'm fine. (Well, obviously I wasn't).

*Question: How do you all keep yourself going to meetings? and keep yourself from slipping back into your old habits?

I feel like it is especially difficult for me because many times I don't even see myself "slipping"....and then I hit bottom again. It is just so hard to SEE yourself slip-up when you are addicted to "a person" or something intangible....Does that make sense??? (I don't mean this at all to undermine the difficulty of substance addiction! I hope no one takes it that way...)

Much love & support! and THANK YOU!!!
~Stephanie

here goes......i work where i live and i work 15 hours a day, 6 days a week. my time off is so precious to me, but i added an extra 4 hours off each week to attend the nearest al-anon which is about 50 miles roundtrip. ohhhhhh, how many nights i just wanted to curl up on the couch and snuggle in with a good book, the tv on, and my dog curled up by my legs and just snooze off and on.

after i got over the initial shock of it all and started to get better, i would have to practically beat myself with a stick to go the the meeting. but i made myself, because i always came away feeling so much better. and it ws the only way i knew i could survive.

after i got much better, i would start skipping meetings, just like you described and would become complacent. my attitude would change and i could feel it. i found myself feling very bitter again....hating all the people who walked in my office door, saying mean, sarcastic things about them,=after they left the office, but treating them like royality when they were in the office.

i hated that feeling.....and i would always know it was time for me to start going back to the meeting.

in a nutshell.....it was about discipline and making myself go. i made a vow to myself to attend every week, no matter how i felt. after all, that slippery slope was just there waiting for me.

I took on all the service positions I could. Since they last for 6 months usually, that kept me going for the last 2 years.

Glad to hear it went so well.

I went to meetings to give back what had been given to me.
I went to fill a chair sometimes. Meetings need people, just as I needed meetings.

I loved the old timers at both Al-Anon and AA.

Perhaps I mught share the right thing to keep someone interested in coming back, it takes all kinds.

Get yourself a good sponsor, they will keep you going.