Coolmummy

hey all

I was at a meeting on Tuesday - my womens group which is my favourite - but I digress! Anyway, the speaker said she went to 90 meetings in 90 days, which obviously I know about, but she insisted it was in the big book as a recommendation - I thought it was just an idea that had sprung up and had never been suggested in the bb. CAn anyone enlighten me? thanks

laurie6781

Time for you to read the first 164 pages again to see if it is or if it isn't.

I won't say.

I do remember, being the Secretary of the San Fernando Valley Convention, when my sponsor's Hubby was the Chairman that year. Our them was "Happy, Joyous, and Free." I had 2+ years of recovery. Hugh said to me, I am not sure that is in the BB. Well .......................................... I spent 3/4 of the night staying up and reading it again, and called him at 5AM to tell him exactly what page it was on and what it said, Top of page 133, "We are sure God Wants us to be happy, joyous and free." Have never forgotten it. He roared with laughter at 5 am, lol

So, get out your BB and see if you can find it in there or not.

It will work wonders for your recovery!!!!

Love and hugs,

Coolmummy

hmm! I will do - I am going through my bb study at the moment so will have a good read. Thanks!

JohnBarleycorn

Although you should read "the big book" yourself (why let others falsely quote at you?), this nonsense is not in the book. The first one hundred members did not do this, as there was only one meeting per week.

They tell you to do 90 in 90 because they know that you will be assimilated into AA faster, and that you'll be saying those slogans in your sleep.

If that is what you want, then by all means do the 90 in 90. :-)

Coolmummy

Oh I don't want to, and in fact, can't, do 90 in 90, three to four a week is working well for me - just wasn't sure if it was quoted in the bb or not!

Thanks

Anna

Good luck with your recovery.

Coolmummy

Thanks I have 48 days now!

OklaBH

Ive wondered about the 90/90. I wasnt sure if it was in the BB or not. I goto Friday, Saturday and Sunday meetings. Occasionally I hit a Thursday night. I entertained doing the 90/90 but Im a lazy ass. But..they say we need to do whatever it takes...go to any lengths. Geez

CarolD

I found a group that met daily before I had to be at work..
and they also met on weekends....
That was my 1st. home group.

over the years...the ammount of meetings I do weeekly has changed
many times....now it's 3 weekly but I think balance is necessary
I have no plans to ever stop growing ..and giving back ..thus
meetings are a vital part of my recovery.

The slogons? Months before I could retain the core of the
AA program. some gave me hope. For instantce my favorite
was above the podium ..

"keep Coming back...it works"

I did and it has....

Pinkcuda

Direct quote from the BB 1st edition:
If you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it, then you are ready to take certain steps


90/90 is treatment center jargon. After you fork over all of your hard earned cash.

joedris

I was reading an article in Time magazine some time back, and the topic was a study by Psychologists that when you undergo certain forms of behavior modification, the brain seems to "reset" itself after a period of 90 days. So there may be some validity to the 90/90 thing. Whether or not this study was ever peer reviewed or not, I can't say.

As to the source of this tradition, I have no idea. As Cuda said, it probably started as treatment center jargon. My recommendation is to go to as many meetings as you need to.

omegasupreme

If you learned one thing from this experience I hope is to not ever let anyone read your Big Book for you, your life depends on it.

GettingStronger2

Yep, Carol, that is exactly what I did! When i first heard the idea of 90 in 90, I thought, "ok, well, that is a nice idea, but i don't really need to go that often."
What i found was that I really wanted to go everyday for those first three months. Is it necessary? Maybe not. Is it helpful in early sobriety and early in AA? Definitely.

Latte

I do what I'm told. If a sponsor says, "I would like you to attend x amount of meetings per week, I do it. It's what works for me.

Zebra1275

When I did an exit interview after a medical detox, I asked about doing 90 in 90. The counselor said that they don't recommend 90 in 90 because it is difficult if you work and have family responsibilities, and it sets people with busy schedules up for failure. If you live in a smaller community you may not have a broad selection of meetings to choose from, adding to the challenge. And meetings alone won't keep you sober, you need to get a sponser and work the steps. You might also get involved in other treatment options like an intensive out-patient program (IOP) or seeing a therapist. Obviously these activities take away from the time you could spend in AA meetings.

Myself, I try to make 3 meetings a week, but I work on my recovery every day. I supplement meetings with other things like reading AA literature, spending time on SR, talking with other AA members on the phone, etc. I think spending an hour reading the Big Book is often as valuable as spending an hour in an AA meeting.

Latte

I never thought of it that way Zebra.

You do whatever it takes not to take a drink, in the beginning, for me, that meant a meeting every day. I'm okay with a few times a week now. Sometimes I spend a few weeks going daily. Usually that correlates with the end of the fiscal year when things are stressful around my house.

omegasupreme

Even if it can't be reconciled in the Big Book?

LexieCat

The 90/90 was great for me. It isn't magic, and it isn't in the BB, and it isn't a substitute for working the program as it's laid out in the BB.

BUT. For me, it got me focused, every day, on what I was working on. It gave me a place to go and a place to be around people who are living in the solution, during the time I would otherwise be drinking. It got me familiar with a lot of different kinds of meetings, and I kept running into a lot of the same people, who got to know me as I got to know them.

I now go to two meetings almost without fail, and often I make more. Depends on my schedule and my needs. I have two home groups and a service job in each.

For me, it was a little like the immersion technique when a person is trying to learn a foreign language.

For me, it was a big help in getting started.

LexieCat

What do you mean, it "can't be reconciled with the Big Book"?

The Big Book doesn't tell me to eat healthy food, either, but it's a pretty good idea when you're trying to heal a body damaged by alcohol.

Not everything that isn't explicitly spelled out in the BB is "irreconcilable" with it.

Latte

I don't think everything a sponsor says has to be reconciled with the Big Book. I figure that if instead of my sponsor asking me to go to a meeting once a week, they are telling me that I need to attend more frequently, they are doing so for good reason otherwise I wouldn't have chosen them to be my sponsor.

If you are concerned that the advice from your sponsor is not appropriate for you, talk to others, talk to their sponsor and last but not least, find a new sponsor.