Do meetings really help!
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,427
I'm sure you'll hear from a lot of people for whom meetings did help - here's an NA link
Canadian Assembly of Narcotics Anonymous
There are also non 12 step programmes like SMART Home
and Rational Recovery (AVRT) which has no meetings at all.
Visit our Secular forum for more details there
whatever you decide I think some kind of support is important
D
Canadian Assembly of Narcotics Anonymous
There are also non 12 step programmes like SMART Home
and Rational Recovery (AVRT) which has no meetings at all.
Visit our Secular forum for more details there
whatever you decide I think some kind of support is important
D
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Present Moment
Posts: 646
YES! My motto was to not exclude anything in helping my recovery.
Give it a go. Go, sit back and listen. You've got support here Szavo but i think adding some meetings to your plan would be a great thing for you. Being around people that "get you" is a huge help.
Give it a go. Go, sit back and listen. You've got support here Szavo but i think adding some meetings to your plan would be a great thing for you. Being around people that "get you" is a huge help.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada. About as far south as you can get
Posts: 4,768
Originally Posted by szavo 
Do meetings really help! How do I pick a place to go to. Have used opiates for 15 yrs and am almost 30 days clean.
All the best.
Bob R (down near Windsor)
~sb
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,964
AA and NA meetings helped me to reconnect with humans since I isolated myself while drinking/getting high. The step work I've done has had amazing success within me.
At over 4000 posts, SR has been in my hand (phone) and has been a lifesaver, along with another site I can access on my phone for it's chat room.
Never alone---via forums, chat, and real people in my life; all have been helpful, but mostly incorporating the steps into my life (I have patience, tolerance, acceptance more than ever and always growing, I've lost my social phobias, anxiety and irrational fears and I am no longer depressed).
At over 4000 posts, SR has been in my hand (phone) and has been a lifesaver, along with another site I can access on my phone for it's chat room.
Never alone---via forums, chat, and real people in my life; all have been helpful, but mostly incorporating the steps into my life (I have patience, tolerance, acceptance more than ever and always growing, I've lost my social phobias, anxiety and irrational fears and I am no longer depressed).
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: in the shadow of the rockies
Posts: 338
It was so important for me to get out of my own head- to do that , I had to learn few new behaviors . To learn new behaviors I had to find ppl who were like me and had the experience and compassion to show me what they had done.. For me, those ppl were in the rooms of NA.
16 clean years later - its still what I do.
16 clean years later - its still what I do.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LA - Lower Alabama
Posts: 5,068
AA meetings have helped me. The best part is meeting people that I can give a call at any time night or day for support.
I would give SMART a try as well but they have nothing local. SR certainly has helped as well.
I would give SMART a try as well but they have nothing local. SR certainly has helped as well.
Guest
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 609
If you're thinking about it, I would definitely give meetings a try. To me, my first meeting was quite a revelation - here were people who were like me, spilling their thoughts, I'd spent so long trying to hide/bury this problem, and being in an atmosphere of openness, where there was no judgement, was quite emotional for me. I also had my first real hope that change was possible. I heard remarkable stories of transformation, and it wasn't just in their words, it was obvious in their demeanour that these people had undergone some profound change.
I don't attend meetings anymore, they're a long distance, but they were a real help in the beginning and I still see a counsellor. I tried to quit all on my own, it didn't work too well. Some of it is up to you but it does help to have some guidance during the process.
I don't attend meetings anymore, they're a long distance, but they were a real help in the beginning and I still see a counsellor. I tried to quit all on my own, it didn't work too well. Some of it is up to you but it does help to have some guidance during the process.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota FL
Posts: 281
Yes - meetings helped me and in fact saved my life. I was able to replace the void as well as people, places, and things that were a constant trigger. I made a whole new world of awesome friends and got support for staying clean/sober. The deep, dark lonliness was gone at last.
27 years later and its still workin'.
I wish you the best.
27 years later and its still workin'.
I wish you the best.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Near Scranton PA
Posts: 424
IF nothing else, you'll meet new, sober people at meetings. You'll widen your horizons and avoid that "Woe is me. I'm all alone" syndrome. There's a bunch of us around and we're all on a similar journey.
I was an isolated drinker. Me, my vodka and You Tube. I make a meeting in the early evening, when I'd typically start drinking, and that helps avoid two of my major triggers; boredom and loneliness.
Give it a try, you might like it.
I was an isolated drinker. Me, my vodka and You Tube. I make a meeting in the early evening, when I'd typically start drinking, and that helps avoid two of my major triggers; boredom and loneliness.
Give it a try, you might like it.
...not falling down them
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,200
Meetings definitely help. Meetings get me out of my own head. I get to be around people who totally "get it". The human contact with others in the same boat is priceless for me and I find myself nodding a lot listening to others talk about their experience, strength and hope, because it could be me talking, I totally relate to what they are saying.
Give it a try. You can always leave if you don't like it.
Give it a try. You can always leave if you don't like it.
12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
I concur...... meetings almost definitely help.
There are ppl though, who'll tell you they had bad experiences and can't stand 'em, so there's no absolutes. A big part of whether they'll be helpful to you rests on your own shoulders. NA/AA recovery asks us to consider a lot of stuff......stuff that's hard to swallow. When I was in denial.......and hating meetings.......but going because I felt I HAD to -- they weren't all that helpful. It wasn't that the meetings weren't good......I was too busy building walls around me to really get involved and take part in the meeting.
Some meetings too.......well, some aren't so "healthy." Kinda like saying "how are women/men in Detroit." Well, some are awesome.......some.......not so awesome. There are meetings frickin everywhere so finding one that fits shouldn't be too big of a task.
And finally........while meetings can be very helpful.......they're not AA/NA in and of themselves. Meetings were never meant to keep one sober. That's what the 12-setps are for - they're the actual program. Practicing and incorporating the steps into your life, that's "working AA/NA." Meetings (the good ones anyway) are just where we go to talk about how we're working/incorporating those steps.
A good couple meetings really can help (they did for me anyway) keep ya sober but don't fall into the trap that hitting a couple meetings is all you need to do. Maybe it IS all you need to do and that's ok. If you're like me though, after a while.......things start to feel "off" again. For me, it was untreated alcoholism regaining power again.....and just hitting some meetings wasn't knocking it down. That was a good indication to me that I better get active in the actual recovery PROGRAM because just hitting the meetings wasn't sufficient.
--best of luck to you.
There are ppl though, who'll tell you they had bad experiences and can't stand 'em, so there's no absolutes. A big part of whether they'll be helpful to you rests on your own shoulders. NA/AA recovery asks us to consider a lot of stuff......stuff that's hard to swallow. When I was in denial.......and hating meetings.......but going because I felt I HAD to -- they weren't all that helpful. It wasn't that the meetings weren't good......I was too busy building walls around me to really get involved and take part in the meeting.
Some meetings too.......well, some aren't so "healthy." Kinda like saying "how are women/men in Detroit." Well, some are awesome.......some.......not so awesome. There are meetings frickin everywhere so finding one that fits shouldn't be too big of a task.
And finally........while meetings can be very helpful.......they're not AA/NA in and of themselves. Meetings were never meant to keep one sober. That's what the 12-setps are for - they're the actual program. Practicing and incorporating the steps into your life, that's "working AA/NA." Meetings (the good ones anyway) are just where we go to talk about how we're working/incorporating those steps.
A good couple meetings really can help (they did for me anyway) keep ya sober but don't fall into the trap that hitting a couple meetings is all you need to do. Maybe it IS all you need to do and that's ok. If you're like me though, after a while.......things start to feel "off" again. For me, it was untreated alcoholism regaining power again.....and just hitting some meetings wasn't knocking it down. That was a good indication to me that I better get active in the actual recovery PROGRAM because just hitting the meetings wasn't sufficient.
--best of luck to you.
...not falling down them
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,200
Daytrader, I detested meetings for the longest time. I did have some confusing experiences and like you built walls and didn't participate. You are right, there are no absolutes.
The group I attend most which has been 4x so far, they meet every day, seems a good fit. I enjoy it. One of the ladies is picking me up today because I don't have a car T/Th right now. The whole thing just clicks for me. Which has never happened before.
I have a different take on it now and I really want to work the program.
Thanks!
And best to you szavo, I hope you find a meeting that fits.
The group I attend most which has been 4x so far, they meet every day, seems a good fit. I enjoy it. One of the ladies is picking me up today because I don't have a car T/Th right now. The whole thing just clicks for me. Which has never happened before.
I have a different take on it now and I really want to work the program.
Thanks!
And best to you szavo, I hope you find a meeting that fits.
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