Aa
 

I hate it when I'm wrong. I went to an AA mtg today, I think this will probably be my home group. I met three really nice women, and we all exchanged numbers.

Anyway, 3 yrs back I was adamently against AA. I didn't like the higher power part and also decided that I couldn't possibly related to all of those drunks. :rolleyes2

Which is what I am, a drunk.

Last week I went and got my 30 day chip. Today I met some friends. I'm starting to like this. One invited me to an all women's group. I think I'm going to go!

So while I'm not working the steps so to speak, or have a sponsor, I am taking baby steps in admitting that AA has lots of value to me. Because while things are going well now, surely something tough will happen and at least I can have these girlfriends to talk to who understand.

Good to hear :)

Glad you like it now. :)

Hey Lost....thats good. Sounds like it is a positive experience for you. Glad to read that you are doing well.

Jim

Yeah, AA has totally grown on me as well. :c031:

I can relate. I didn't like it one bit at first. It only took me about 15 more years of drinking to get desperate enough.

Now I love it. The program of AA changed my life.

LOL - I've read others' stories and of course dismissed them all. Figured it wasn't for me, since I'm not a major God follower. I can tell that there are a lot of caring folks in this group. I finally figured out that I have to be more open to these things if I want to succeed.

For years now I've been sad about not having friends. I have a couple of close friends, but they all moved away and have families. I don't really have any friends here in my city. The "friends" I thought I had were major boozers. I dumped them a few months ago and haven't looked back.

Right on, Lost. I have made great friends in AA. My husband kind of thinks that these are my separate or "special AA" friends. Like they almost don't count or something. But to me they are going to be life long compadres.

Hey thanks Elisabeth! I guess I sort of think of them that way too, although since I really have no friends, these are going to be MY friends, not special AA friends.

I grabbed right on to AA , and love it . Started going every day back in June. Still do :)


And 95 % of my friends are from the rooms now, because all those great drinking friends never came by after I quite. Oh well , this friends care about me and my well being. :)

When do you give up working with a alcoholic ? "About 5 seconds before they take their last breath" Sister Ignatia. :)

there is a lot of info out there about other ways to look at the "higher power" particularly from a women's perspective.

Sander: I know. It was one of the things I dismissed. I'm still not there, but am much more open to at least attending, sharing, and exchanging numbers with others. Thanks!

lost, wondering.....would you be willing to read a sec of the BB see how you felt about the info?

I know it helped me as I too struggled my whole life with the God/Higher Power thing.

If you are willing to digest the info & reflect for your life, take a look on pg 44, Chap 4.

Be interested to know your thoughts.

Lost - I'm so happy you've found the help you needed. You sound positively enthusiastic. You have over 30 days - that's fantastic! :)

That's a start....Glad you were able to meet some of the incredible people of AA...People just like us. People I now call "friends."

Most definitely I'd be willing. I'm much more open this go around. This is my 2nd attempt at quitting drinking and my last. I"ll even go as far to see if I can get a copy on my Kindle. I'll write back regarding what I think about the section you pointed me to.

I am enthusiastic. I want this to be forever. I see people who have quit for 2, 10 and 20 yrs and I want that to be me.

:c031:

OK, sounds good.........it is available here:

http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_bigbook_chapt4.pdf

Alright, here are my initial thoughts. Granted, I have not thoroughly read the chapter but just did a brief read-through. While in the beginning of the chapter the author proclaims that AA is for atheists and agnostics, in the end chapter the message is clear. That faith is a requirement to leading a sober life, and that by seeking God one will eventually believe in that God. The very end of the chapter describes a man who found sobriety only by finally believing in God.

This I abhorrently object to and I doubt I will change my mind much. Of course, I have changed my mind somewhat regarding AA and so I will trudge on. Please do not take offense to my comments as you asked me for my thoughts, and this is what they are.

No issues, no offense taken. I know I had to read & re-read this many times myself. Still do after 9+ yrs. I sure did not read that then proclaim, I get it! I have found Him! LOL..no way...

I was forced to go to church as a child and was not really in anyway a big believer. A few things did happen along the way that allowed me to have an open mind. (love the definition as being: "a mind not occupied with self")

Mainly I had hit my bottom in life. I was done, finished and KNEW I not only needed, but wanted a new way of life.

Plain & simple. My way did not work. At all.

SO, what next.........that was my dilemma.

It certainly looks like interesting reading. I'll likely spend more time reading it thoroughly later. I'm at work now so just breezed through it.

I too was forced to go to church and I rejected the theories (Catholicism). Later in life, I watched my family follow the Catholic church while living a purely hypocritical lifestyle. I have severed ties with many of them as I feel they are not positive influences on my life.

I don't think I've hit bottom with my life. I think I had a sort of vision of what my life would be should I continue. I desperately do not want that. And so I am working hard at a plan to continue sobriety and form a new kind of life. Going to the AA mtgs is part of that plan of doing something different to make sure I'm successful at this.

I don't consider myself agnostic (anymore, and may be I am some days) but when I'm reading the BB or other AA literature. I substitute the words Higher Power where it says God and I use MY higher power that I have a very limited understanding of. It's been working for me for a while now.