This is ****
 

Hi,

This is my first time on SR. I am feeling so low and washed out after my last binge drinking session. I also attended my first AA meeting 2 days ago.

I find it hard to identify with the AA members i have met so far because many of these drank every day. I don't dink every day or even every week but when i do i can't stop. This always leads to me having blackouts and doing a lot of dumb stuff.

I have lost friends and almost ruined my relationship like this but i don't know if AA is the answer for someonelike me.

I have tried to moderate my dinking myself but obvoiusly it hasn't worked.

Any advice would be appreciated.

If you hang around AA long enough, you'll find people that you can relate more closely with. Try several different meetings. Remember, it's not how much or how often we drink, it's what happens to us WHEN we drink. I myself was a daily drinker, but I've met plenty of binge drinkers as well. It took more than 1 or two meetings to begin to identify with the others. Give it an honest try before you decide it's not right for you. Many others have felt that way, also. You are certainly not alone.

OOOPs! Forgot! Welcome to SR! Glad you found us here.

Others will be along with their experiences shortly.

Best to you, verity29.

BHJ

Hi Verity,
I know the feeling. Believe me, there always seem to be people that drank more/used more etc. but trust me there are many people just like you, that drank infrequently but when they did, look out! Either way we all share a common goal and desire to be free from drinking/using. To be sober, to be clear, to take back control of our lives from the bottle (even if it was only once a month).
Keep going to meetings and keep trying different meetings until you find one that "clicks" with you, it may take a few meetings or more but just keep going. :)
All the best to you on your journey!

Hi

Ditto what John said..

I hear what you are saying, but keep going an listening. I haven't been in jail, detox, got a DWI etc., but even when I hear someone share who has, I don't focus on the differences, I focus more on the way they recovered from those things..know what I mean?

FYI..at one point I was ONLY a binge drinker..you can always wait until you are drinking every day ;-)

Karen

Ditto everyones responses!

Dont forget that it is progressive, you will end up drinking more frequently and in larger amounts and doing dumber things!

welcome to SR btw :)

Go to AA as often as possible. I go 5-6 times a week.

Get there early, stay late. If no one approcahes you, stick your hand out and introduce yourself.

Announce yourself as a new-comer up to 30 days in sobriety. Then take your 30 day chip.

By that time, you'll have friends, people will know your name, etc. And, you'll probably relate a lot better.

um, i drank exactly like you. i'm 22. when i got sober, most (if not all) of my friends were still partying like the little rockstars we thought we were and most of them thought i was crazy for quitting. i didn't drink every day, i binge drank on weekends and partied as much as i could. but, it's not HOW you drank, it's what happens when you drink. enough happened to convince me that i'm an alcoholic. no DUI, no car wrecks, no job loss... just enough burnt bridges with people i loved, and hurting a man i never thought i'd hurt. that's me, emily, and i'm in AA. 14 months of sobriety later, i've managed to make amends to people that i never thought i'd be able to. it's pretty amazing to see where i am now, vs. where i was when i first sobered up.

so, best of luck! and, don't shut the door totally on any options... sobriety is a fantastic voyage, that's for sure.

Ditto to Emily's story except I drank until I was 30 even though I knew way before that, that I had a problem.

Welcome, Verity. Keep coming.

Thanks
 

Hi,

Thanks everyone for your replies and advice. I have just been to my second meeting and intend to keep going.

Watch this space.........

Welcome...from another newcomer to SR. Keep coming back (to SR and meetings in your area) and you will find you are not alone out there. They will share their experience, strength and hope and you will learn to do the same and it will help you beyond your wildest dreams. We can only keep what we have by giving it away! Keep coming back and keep up the good work! God Bless!

glad you found us, verity - k