New to SR, acquainted with sobriety, unfamiliar with AA
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2
New to SR, acquainted with sobriety, unfamiliar with AA
I've been lurking around this forum for a few days now, so I've finally got the guts to join. I'll be going by Interlude here. Hello everyone.
It took me years to admit to myself that I was drinking way too much. My excuse was that I was "too young" for alcoholism. I'm only 20 now, and I feel strong enough to quit drinking for good. Two years ago, I got sober in Las Vegas of all places, and managed to stay sober for eight months. I relapsed, fell back into the habit, and didn't try sobriety again until this past January. I was doing great until another relapse in March. For the past three weeks, I've been sober, until last night. I'm ready to be sober for good.
It seems there are many members here who are in AA. I've always been interested in attending a meeting, but my extreme anxiety holds me back. I think that's why I'm joining this forum - I really need a community to not only help me stay sober, but help me really recover as well.
I'm not much of a poster. I'm quiet and enjoy lurking, listening, and reading. I look forward to reading everyone's posts here, and hopefully I'll open up a little more.
A little bit about me: I'm a social work major that enjoys astronomy and lizards. I'm a child sexual abuse survivor who badly wants to help others. I enjoy cartoons, various Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and some anime series.
It took me years to admit to myself that I was drinking way too much. My excuse was that I was "too young" for alcoholism. I'm only 20 now, and I feel strong enough to quit drinking for good. Two years ago, I got sober in Las Vegas of all places, and managed to stay sober for eight months. I relapsed, fell back into the habit, and didn't try sobriety again until this past January. I was doing great until another relapse in March. For the past three weeks, I've been sober, until last night. I'm ready to be sober for good.
It seems there are many members here who are in AA. I've always been interested in attending a meeting, but my extreme anxiety holds me back. I think that's why I'm joining this forum - I really need a community to not only help me stay sober, but help me really recover as well.
I'm not much of a poster. I'm quiet and enjoy lurking, listening, and reading. I look forward to reading everyone's posts here, and hopefully I'll open up a little more.
A little bit about me: I'm a social work major that enjoys astronomy and lizards. I'm a child sexual abuse survivor who badly wants to help others. I enjoy cartoons, various Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and some anime series.
Sober Alcoholic
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,539
I suggest you look in this forum for posts like “my first AA meeting” and see what others have said. There is one in this forum that is recent. The meetings are not nearly as scary as your mind makes them out to be. SR is a great place to find support and learn what has worked for others (and what has not).. Welcome.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Between Meetings
Posts: 8,997
Welcome to SR Interlude ...AA worked for me...You put in the leg work...It works. This is a great site for support...A couple sites for you...Check it out...And let us know how you are doing. Glad to have you here.
A good site that tells you how meetings work.
Your First AA Meeting<
The Big Book online...
The text of Alcoholics Anonymous
Meetings in your area.
Central Service Office of San Antonio | Where you will find Alcoholics Anonymous
A good site that tells you how meetings work.
Your First AA Meeting<
The Big Book online...
The text of Alcoholics Anonymous
Meetings in your area.
Central Service Office of San Antonio | Where you will find Alcoholics Anonymous
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: FL
Posts: 35
Hi Interlude, welcome to SR. I went to my first meeting tonight. I was really scared. Until I got there. It wasn't a bunch of people sitting around complaining about how much they missed drinking, nobody pointed and laughed at me. It was really good. The people were really nice and more than willing to lend me their experience. A lot like SR. The way I see it, it doesn't cost me anything to try it. I didn't have to get up and say anything, I just sat and listened. Painless! The best part is I felt better than I have in a long time after I left that meeting tonight. I feel like if I keep doing what I am doing with SR, AA and reading things like Rational Recovery and finding out about the other programs I can really do this. AA and SR are my reinforcements so I am not doing it by myself.
SR Fan
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 7,910
Welcome Interlude!
It really does help to have support to keep us motivated..... Being here has made all the difference for me.
It sounds like you've had some past success, which is great! The sooner we deal with this, the more pain we save ourselves. Glad you're here!
It really does help to have support to keep us motivated..... Being here has made all the difference for me.
It sounds like you've had some past success, which is great! The sooner we deal with this, the more pain we save ourselves. Glad you're here!
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxnard (The Nard), CA, USA.
Posts: 13,935
Hi Interlude, 
to SR.
Being involved here at SR is a great way to practice new recovery behaviors as with getting past some of your anxiety. If your having a lot of anxiety about going to an AA meeting, see if you can get a friend to go with you.
There is the systematic desensitization technique that I have used to get past my anxiety/panic disorder. In the case of going to an AA meeting, maybe just drive to the location to see where it is at and then you can choose to drive home.
Next time drive to the meeting location about 15 minutes before the meeting starts and sit in your car in the parking lot until the meeting starts. Then you can leave if you wish. You can repeat this and see if the anxiety lessens each time.
Finally do all the above and go to the meeting a little early and sit next to the door inside the meeting. If the anxiety is too much as the meeting starts, you can leave. See where this is getting at? A little exposure to the anxiety provoking situation each time wile pushing yourself to do a bit more the next time.
to SR.Being involved here at SR is a great way to practice new recovery behaviors as with getting past some of your anxiety. If your having a lot of anxiety about going to an AA meeting, see if you can get a friend to go with you.
There is the systematic desensitization technique that I have used to get past my anxiety/panic disorder. In the case of going to an AA meeting, maybe just drive to the location to see where it is at and then you can choose to drive home.
Next time drive to the meeting location about 15 minutes before the meeting starts and sit in your car in the parking lot until the meeting starts. Then you can leave if you wish. You can repeat this and see if the anxiety lessens each time.
Finally do all the above and go to the meeting a little early and sit next to the door inside the meeting. If the anxiety is too much as the meeting starts, you can leave. See where this is getting at? A little exposure to the anxiety provoking situation each time wile pushing yourself to do a bit more the next time.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Between Meetings
Posts: 8,997
Originally Posted by GottaBounce 
The best part is I felt better than I have in a long time after I left that meeting tonight.
~sb
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,964
Welcome to SR!
Try listening to Kerri (or Kerry) on xa-speakers.org. I believe she was young when she became sober.....
I know many women in AA who have been sober since they were 15-25 years of age. It's amazing how beautiful, glowing, and young they still look so many years later. There are miracles among us! You can stay stopped, too, and have an amazingly wonderful and wackulous life! Wackulous is a great thing!! I love that word!
Glad you are here!
Try listening to Kerri (or Kerry) on xa-speakers.org. I believe she was young when she became sober.....
I know many women in AA who have been sober since they were 15-25 years of age. It's amazing how beautiful, glowing, and young they still look so many years later. There are miracles among us! You can stay stopped, too, and have an amazingly wonderful and wackulous life! Wackulous is a great thing!! I love that word!
Glad you are here!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2
Thank you for your warm welcomes, all of y'all. This site is already helping me. I do feel weird because I am so young, but it feels good to be here. I've already been drinking for almost a decade now, and I need to put an end to it. I'm ready to be happy and healthy.
Thank you all!
Thank you all!
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Oregon
Posts: 328
Welcome Interlude. Young or old, all are welcome. You're showing strength and wisdom I didn't find until after decades of swimming in the drink. Good for you! You'll find tremendous support in SR, and lots of avenues to stay sober.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: South East England
Posts: 8,009
Welcome to SR Interlude. This is a wonderfully supportive place and I wish you well in your journey.
I was petrified of AA. Sat in my car literally shaking before my first time. But as soon as I walked in, they took me under their wing and I felt at home. Everyone feels the same. Being in AA and a part of this forum is changing my life. I'm still very early in recovery, but I love to listen to those who are further along the path to me. They have such wisdom.
Keep reading and posting xx
I was petrified of AA. Sat in my car literally shaking before my first time. But as soon as I walked in, they took me under their wing and I felt at home. Everyone feels the same. Being in AA and a part of this forum is changing my life. I'm still very early in recovery, but I love to listen to those who are further along the path to me. They have such wisdom.
Keep reading and posting xx
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: De
Posts: 1,333
Welcome, I went to my first AA meeting when I was 17 in rehab. When I got out I thought I could sober on my terms, which really ment drink on my terms. I proved myself wrong and went back to AA. I suggest you contact AA at the link provided by Sapling.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada. About as far south as you can get
Posts: 4,768
Originally Posted by Interlude
I've been lurking around this forum for a few days now, so I've finally got the guts to join. I'll be going by Interlude here. Hello everyone.
It took me years to admit to myself that I was drinking way too much. My excuse was that I was "too young" for alcoholism. I'm only 20 now, and I feel strong enough to quit drinking for good. Two years ago, I got sober in Las Vegas of all places, and managed to stay sober for eight months. I relapsed, fell back into the habit, and didn't try sobriety again until this past January. I was doing great until another relapse in March. For the past three weeks, I've been sober, until last night. I'm ready to be sober for good.
It seems there are many members here who are in AA. I've always been interested in attending a meeting, but my extreme anxiety holds me back. I think that's why I'm joining this forum - I really need a community to not only help me stay sober, but help me really recover as well.
I'm not much of a poster. I'm quiet and enjoy lurking, listening, and reading. I look forward to reading everyone's posts here, and hopefully I'll open up a little more.
A little bit about me: I'm a social work major that enjoys astronomy and lizards. I'm a child sexual abuse survivor who badly wants to help others. I enjoy cartoons, various Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and some anime series.
It took me years to admit to myself that I was drinking way too much. My excuse was that I was "too young" for alcoholism. I'm only 20 now, and I feel strong enough to quit drinking for good. Two years ago, I got sober in Las Vegas of all places, and managed to stay sober for eight months. I relapsed, fell back into the habit, and didn't try sobriety again until this past January. I was doing great until another relapse in March. For the past three weeks, I've been sober, until last night. I'm ready to be sober for good.
It seems there are many members here who are in AA. I've always been interested in attending a meeting, but my extreme anxiety holds me back. I think that's why I'm joining this forum - I really need a community to not only help me stay sober, but help me really recover as well.
I'm not much of a poster. I'm quiet and enjoy lurking, listening, and reading. I look forward to reading everyone's posts here, and hopefully I'll open up a little more.
A little bit about me: I'm a social work major that enjoys astronomy and lizards. I'm a child sexual abuse survivor who badly wants to help others. I enjoy cartoons, various Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and some anime series.
With me it wasn't "anxiety" that held me back, it was the unacceptable truth that AA was going to take away my alcohol and I had no idea how I would live without it... it was FEAR.
On the bright side, most of the AA's that I know went through the same feelings walking into AA for the first time. That overwhelming emotion of fear/helplessness/defeat was soon replaced by a feeling of finally being at home and there was hope and strength to recover.
You are blessed to be so young, I stayed out in a suicidal alcohol Valium stupor until I was 45 yrs old. A lot of damage was done to me and my family. Grab the brass ring NOW !!
All the best.
Bob R
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 164
Interlude,
Alcoholism doesn't discriminate against age. I also knew I was an alcoholic at age 20, however I waited over 10 years to take serious action. In the process I hurt a lot of people, lost a lot of friends, almost ruined my marriage, and was arrested 3 times for drinking and using drugs. I can guarantee you that if you do not get help now you will also experience at least some of these problems or worse - death. I commend you for taking action now. Don't worry about past relapses. All that matters is that you aren't drinking in the present moment.
Good Luck!
Alcoholism doesn't discriminate against age. I also knew I was an alcoholic at age 20, however I waited over 10 years to take serious action. In the process I hurt a lot of people, lost a lot of friends, almost ruined my marriage, and was arrested 3 times for drinking and using drugs. I can guarantee you that if you do not get help now you will also experience at least some of these problems or worse - death. I commend you for taking action now. Don't worry about past relapses. All that matters is that you aren't drinking in the present moment.
Good Luck!
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