Sapling

If you look at the three sides of the triangle....The three legacies of AA....

Unity...The meetings and fellowship
Recovery....The 12 steps
Service...Working with other alcoholics, Sponsorship, 12th step work, etc.

You need all three to make it work....It's a three legged stool that won't stand if one leg is missing. If you got sober just going to meetings...I'm fine with that....It wouldn't have cut it for this alcoholic....I needed a complete psychic change that the book talks about. I needed to work the program of recovery....You read the book...It doesn't mention having a spritual awakening by osmosis.

IndaMiricale

You can quote the BB to me Sapling. The day that I am to familar with it , is the day I pick back up.. For everytime I read it looking for a answer that little guy that keeps sneaking in my house and editting it for me knows what I need.

As for going over it with someone else, always always I learn just another perspective on the same things I read.

nobshere

I certainly agree with you Rob, there is no doubt that you "get out of it what you put into it". I too put all I had into turning my life around, I just used a different method than you. It would be a dis-service to say that the fellowship was "all" I needed..that is simply not the case, but it was all I needed from aa. Funny that "don't drink isn't a rule in aa, seems to me that should be the first and only rule! lol

nobshere

LOL Sapling..a spiritual awakening by osmosis!! As I mentioned to Rob my sobriety didn't happen just by going to meetings but they did help me get a very strong foothold to continue my journey. I appreciate your opinion and wish you much success!

Sapling

We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.

nobshere

I like that quote Sapling! The first step to any problem is identifying it.

DNVR

Thanks for all of the responses! I've continued going to meetings and am still sober. Although it hasn't been easy, it's the only way for me to start managing my life again.

dSober

Are you going to just one meeting DNVR or others as well? There are certainly tons around you. I didn't read through all the posts here but I read your opener and a few others. My experience is that some meetings are better than others. If you try several, you'll meet more people and have a choice of going to the meetings you like best.

I've been to a lot of meetings and I've never spoken or heard others speak ill of others, especially newcomers. I don't doubt that it happens, I've just never experienced it. Not typical AA behaviour from my experience.

As somebody pointed out, newcomers are not only welcome but they're important to recovery as we can only help ourselves by helping others. Anyone actively working the program knows this and will feel and behave that way because they want to.

dSober

Just reread your last post. No, recovery's not easy but it's doable.

MycoolFitz

Actually I keep thinking on that I do have a big ego but low self-esteem. Probably why I got in fights i lost in school play grounds. When I started drinking everything seemed to come into balance. What a butt.