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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ithaca, NY
Posts: 8
New to this discussion board
Hello all. I am new to this discussion board. I have 111 days sober today and feel that posting in these rooms and reading other peoples posts will be helpful in my recovery. I attend AA meetings and am working with a sponsor. I call my sponsor every day and meet with her once a week. She says that I am working the program right and that I am doing great, however I do not feel that way. This is the second time I have attempted to quit drinking. The first time I did not go to AA meetings, I only went to an outpatient clinic four times per week. However, the people that were in my group did not want to be there. They were forced there by the courts. Needless to say, I was sober for over a month, quit attending meetings, and was drinking again in no time. I thought I could control it but within a month I was drinking like I had before. This time I have been very diligent about attending meetings and am attempting to do everything right so that I do not drink again.
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: PA
Posts: 130
Originally Posted by Angelus1775 
Hello all. I am new to this discussion board. I have 111 days sober today and feel that posting in these rooms and reading other peoples posts will be helpful in my recovery. I attend AA meetings and am working with a sponsor. I call my sponsor every day and meet with her once a week. She says that I am working the program right and that I am doing great, however I do not feel that way. This is the second time I have attempted to quit drinking. The first time I did not go to AA meetings, I only went to an outpatient clinic four times per week. However, the people that were in my group did not want to be there. They were forced there by the courts. Needless to say, I was sober for over a month, quit attending meetings, and was drinking again in no time. I thought I could control it but within a month I was drinking like I had before. This time I have been very diligent about attending meetings and am attempting to do everything right so that I do not drink again.
Life the gift of recovery!
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Home is where the heart is
Posts: 7,061
So glad you are here. I work the program of AA and it has been successful for me for over 10 years now. There are ups and downs of course and sometimes I have wondered if I am doing it right but they best indicator for me has been asking myself if the 'obsession' to drink is gone. I still occasionally get the 'compulsion' to drink but that is of course fleeting. The best definition I have heard of the difference between obsession and compulsion is. With compulsion one see a can laying in the street and has the compulsion or desire to kick it. So they do but they go on about their way. With obsession one feels the desire to kick the can but then instead of going along their way they feel the need to go all over town looking for more cans to kick.
These forums have had a great influence on my sobriety and one of the best things I have done for my sobriety is join here.
Take care, keep up the good work on your sobriety, and stick around here. Hopefully you find the experience, strength and hope I have found here.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 31,179
Welcome to SR, and congratulations on 111 days!
SR has been a big part of my recovery...people here, 24/7, who "get" me. I've found it doesn't really matter what our addiction is to, there are many similarities in what we go through.
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
SR has been a big part of my recovery...people here, 24/7, who "get" me. I've found it doesn't really matter what our addiction is to, there are many similarities in what we go through.
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
Sober 6/5/2008
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Point Vermin, Peedro, CA
Posts: 150
Welcome, Angelus1775! Congratulations on your 111 days! Good job!
I think you've already worked out one of the keys to recovery: as with anything else, one gets out of it what one puts into it.
For me AA is a valuable tool because it provides a simple structure for me to invest myself in my recovery. Taking the steps, going to meetings, and talking to my sponsor and other alcoholics all help keep me focused on recovery.
By now, day 1045, I have established a habit and deep association between AA and serenity. When I am feeling stressed, I know I can go to a meeting and will feel better afterward. Sometimes much better!
I am so grateful that I no longer have to crawl into a bottle to feel better.
In meetings I also get to hear the message that sobriety can get better with practice and that I can completely change my life one day at a time.
Good luck and God bless!
I think you've already worked out one of the keys to recovery: as with anything else, one gets out of it what one puts into it.
For me AA is a valuable tool because it provides a simple structure for me to invest myself in my recovery. Taking the steps, going to meetings, and talking to my sponsor and other alcoholics all help keep me focused on recovery.
By now, day 1045, I have established a habit and deep association between AA and serenity. When I am feeling stressed, I know I can go to a meeting and will feel better afterward. Sometimes much better!
I am so grateful that I no longer have to crawl into a bottle to feel better.
In meetings I also get to hear the message that sobriety can get better with practice and that I can completely change my life one day at a time.
Good luck and God bless!
SR Fan
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 7,910
Welcome Angelus - congrats on your days sober! You must be doing some things right to be sober this long...... Do you feel like you're in a slump right now or has it been a struggle all along?
I think you'll find the extra support here really helpful. Keep posting and reading!
I think you'll find the extra support here really helpful. Keep posting and reading!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 581
Welcome.
I learned the last time I came back to AA that what I thought was "the program"-- meetings, fellowship, coffee, etc., was not "the program."
The program is the 12 steps.
I can't stay sober by just hanging out in meetings and calling my sponsor. And it wasn't until someone pointed out to me that I had it backwards-- I thought meetings were mandatory and steps were optional, when the reverse is actually true-- that I started to get better.
The founder of AA, Bill Wilson, said that the purpose of an AA meeting is the teaching and practice of the steps. Finding meetings that adhere to this is hard, but worthwhile.
I learned the last time I came back to AA that what I thought was "the program"-- meetings, fellowship, coffee, etc., was not "the program."
The program is the 12 steps.
I can't stay sober by just hanging out in meetings and calling my sponsor. And it wasn't until someone pointed out to me that I had it backwards-- I thought meetings were mandatory and steps were optional, when the reverse is actually true-- that I started to get better.
The founder of AA, Bill Wilson, said that the purpose of an AA meeting is the teaching and practice of the steps. Finding meetings that adhere to this is hard, but worthwhile.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ithaca, NY
Posts: 8
Thanks Everyone
Thank you all for your kind words. It has not been this much of a struggle, especially the first two months of my sobriety. The last three weeks have been an emotional roller coaster. I am not one to wear my emotions on my sleeve. When it comes to my feelings, I am very reserved. However, lately that has not been the case. My sponsor feels that I am making progress and she is happy that I am putting words to my emotions. Some days are better than others. The hardest part of this all is that I am in school right now. The semester is winding down and research papers are coming due. I cannot seem to focus or concentrate on the assignments which makes everything else worse. I am trying to take it one day at a time.
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