no wrong way to stay sober..
 

my sponsor has been around A.A. a long time.. he said this to me my first year sober.. "there is no wrong way to stay sober" he caught me off guard with that.. but, i was glad to see after 30 years sober in A.A. he still had an open mind! i know some will most likely disagree.. not me though!

While in AA myself I definitely have to agree. There is absolutely no wrong way to stay sober at all. As long as you are sober and it's working for you keep it up. Sobriety is the goal and common destination, no matter what road you take to get and stay there is a great thing.
Wes

I feel like the longer I am sober the more open I am becoming, both with my judgments and emotions. Sounds like your sponsor is a good guy.

sfgirl: yep.. a real good guy. old timer with an open mind!

I agree with you, staying sober is the point, no matter how you do it. And, recovery is a blessing that we can all share with each other.

I agree 100% with your sponsor.

My grandsponsor said one time that there is no right way or wrong way to stay sober in AA. There may be a best way for some of us, which is the way laid out in the book called Alcoholics Anonymous.

I only have experience with that way. But I'm for anything that will help an alcoholic to recover.

jimhere: me too man.. me too..

Wow what an enlightened guy!

Well, I ditto all of the sentiments expressed in this thread!

I agree entirely. I hope a lot of people read this thread. Far too often I witness people get discouraged and overwhelmed thinking they can only curb their drinking by completing a 12 step or completing a series of rehab requirements. They are great ways and do help many many people, but everybody is different.

Each individual is complex and can figure out what works for them over time. If something unique or different helps you curb your drinking and nobody else thats perfectly ok.

Sonofamess: thank you for that.. i agree!:You_Rock_

That's always a refreshing POV to hear from an AAer. Gives me hope that, if I ever think my sobriety is in jeopardy, I could confidently go back to the program without worrying about being thought of as "less-than."

Recently, I had a bit of a "revelation" about this. We are all starting out with unique experiences, beliefs, and thoughts. We are all different. Even within the AA program, our experiences with the steps are going to be different.

The common goals seem to be sobriety and a fulfilling life. There are so many ways to get there and while the experiences of others are definitely valuable, in the end it is their experience - not mine. I can learn from it but really I have to find and live my own unique path. The search for this path can be frustrating (lots of trial and error) but it is there for each and every one of us.

gravity: yes.. everybody is a bit different. no two are exactly alike.. A.A. may have been inspired by god.. but A.A. will never be perfect!

While I recognize there are many ways to stay sober
I can only share on how I have recovered.

I don't know if x or y or z would have clicked for me.
I do absolutely know AA has.
:funjump:


I do hope everyone finds the peace of recovery