Aysha

Theresa..I gave you a list a long time ago where the meetings are. Use it. They are all close to you.
Never think you are going to be able to control just a few. Because just a few turns into a few too many.
Stand your ground! I am sure you dont want to hear the disrespectful words that come from your family when you do drink.
You are doing so good. Just hang in there. It does get easier.

bymyself

I thank GOD for everyone here for me tonight on this board. I didn't drink tonight. I'm going to have a bowl of ice cream and read a book instead. I missed the meeting this evening but I am Definately going tomorrow night and the weekend. The weekend will be the hardest. It will only be my second weekend without drinking. I think what's bothering me so much is that I realize deep down that I have to stop drinking and it's been part of my life for almost 25 years that I can't see myself without it. My whole family drinks. What am I going to do? I can't stay away from my family. I don't know what to do. I'm actually scared of what's going to become of me.

God Bless,
Theresa

IO Storm

I missed my best friend..(Alcohol)..so much in the early months of sobriety.

The mental obsession takes time to go away..even after the physical cravings

leave.

It is a part of recovery. The best thing you can do right now is go to a

meeting. You seee, the ons there with a lot of of "sober time" need

you just as much as you need their company! Thier purpose..what helps

to keep THEM sober, is helping and loving newcomers!

If you can't get to a meeting right away, call someone from your program.

What you are going through is nothing new to us..we've all been there.

In AA you will find so much love.

All my love,

:

IO

BaldHeadedJohn

This is where some of that "fabricated truth" might come in handy. When I was drinking constantly, and someone would need a favor (my mom comes to mind), I would always have to do it first thing in the day. Because if you needed a favor in the evening, I knew damn well I'd be drunk by then (I'd be drunk by noon). I even missed some family birthdays because of that. I would drop by on my way home from work to give by nieces/nephews their presents. I would always make excuses so I could spend MY time doing what I what I did best, drink! NOBODY COULD EVER INTERFERE WITH MY DRINKING. And if someone did, BOY WAS I A MISERABLE B@STARD.

Maybe you could make an excuse for a week or two to stay away. Or maybe even come right out and say your not comfortable around alcohol right now. Or just don't stay too long.

I don't know. Just a suggestion. Do what you're comfortable doing, but keep sobriety at the front of the list.

All my best to you.

BHJ

Grateful Heart

Hi Theresa, you've recieved lots of great advice here. I can relate to what you're going thru because I'm in the early days of my sobriety also. Sending prayers your way! GH

Rowan

I'm glad you didn't drink, Theresa.

Try not to miss any meetings - they are one of your best defenses against the first drink right now. Go to one every day if you can.

xoxo Rowan

parentrecovers

i say the same thing rowan just said! hugs, k

slash

http://www.ny-aa.org/saratoga/
The above address is a list of AA meetings in Saratoga County. I hope this helps. I am in Oneida County (Utica area) if you would like my phone number, pm me.

aasharon90

Hi Theresa...Sharon here....I like ur name...i chose
St. Theresa for my Confirmation name yrs ago,,,,
Sharon Ann Theresa...

Well here it a new day,,,,,How about that meeting?

I remember early on in recovery hearing countless
times that if you found time to drink...in which
I did....i went to every kind of lengths to make
sure i wasnt out of booze for holidays, afternoons,
anytime, everytime....

So i should go to any lengths to stay sober.

And I did....

When i was down, low, things not going my
way, people not understanding me, restless,
irritable, discontent....id call my sponsor
and whin to her ....

She was a good person who worked a
good recovery program and thus NEVER
told me what to do....however she would
suggest that maybe i need a meeting...or
why not go to page 449 in my Big Book....

Id go to my meting and sure enough i
began to feel relief...I opened my ears
and listened to what others would share...

Take what u want and leave the rest....
There was always something i needed
to hear at that particular meeting....

Sure i spent lots of time going to meetings,
but i also spent lots of time drinking and
pacticing bad behavior....

So my family understood why it was important
for me to go to meetings....

They never told me not to go....and i did find
a balance with my meeting and raising my family....

Get up early....get kids settled..off to school
or maybe someone to watch them while id make
a noon meeting...or feed them and bring
books, colors puzzles to occupy them while
they r with u in a meeting....i did that alot
and mine never desturbed anyone....

In fact people appreciated me with my chidren or
child.

Maybe get some shopping done, house work
done , meals cooked during the day and have
the kids bathed fed and content for u to make
a night meeting....

You will not be able to change any of ur
family members....i learned that....they
are the ones maybe without the disease
of alcoholism....my husband was not an
alcoholic...drinking was not that important
in his life....so removing it from the house
wasnt a problem....

I was not able to stop everyone around me
from drinking just cause i wasnt drinking...they
were not sick..i was....and so i had to take care
of me....and that meant to distance myself from
those that did....esp in early recovery....

Yes they all knew i was in recovery and if i chose
not to attend a function where alcohol would be
there they either accepted my discision or not....

That wasnt my problem....

My problem is alcohol and my solution was and is to go to
any lengths to stay sober one day at a time....

Sure it will take time to go thru the changes in ur
life, but i promise u it will get eventually get easier....

Just like a baby..they have to crawl before they
can walk....well so it is with us....we crawl in
recovery and slowly we begin to walk by ourselves...

But never alone.

Hope this helps some....

And dont worry about learning everything about recovery
right now,,,,today i still remain teachable....as
soon as i think i know all there is to know about
recovery, then i will get the "big head" and soon think
its ok for me to take a drink....

To drink for me is to die....and i almost did that....

Today i am happier, joyous and free from that first
drink.

Share what u heard from ur meeting with us and ask
questions anytime....we r all here for u.