SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

How did I do it? How am I doing it? One day at a time, like a good AA!!

No really, I went to a meeting one Monday noon, hungover and completely demoralized. I shared my desperation to be relieved of this addiction and painful cycle. After the meeting the ladies gave me their numbers, and one particularly pushy lady (now a good friend) told me I needed to go to a meeting everyday right now. I told her I don't have time for that! She asked me how much time I was spending drinking, and told me I needed to put as much effort into getting sober as I have put into obtaining, hiding, lying about and drinking alcohol.

Very reluctantly I started going to a meeting every day. It couldn't be any worse than the pain I was in that day. When I was five days sober, my teenage son was involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric unit. I was headed to the bar, when I decided to try to call some of the ladies numbers I have programmed into my cell phone. The first person I called didn't answer, but the second one did. She talked to me about 40 minutes, and by then the urge to drink had left on that day. I'm so thankful that she answered the phone.

I waited a couple weeks till I got to know people better at the meetings before I selected a sponsor. The first one I selected didn't work out so well, our schedules didn't jive and she wasn't as available as much as I needed in the beginning. Also I started to think about whether or not she had what I wanted. So after a couple weeks, I politely told her asked her if she would mind if I worked with somebody else. She admitted she had a lot going on in her life right now and thought that that would be fine.

The second lady I selected has been a perfect sponsor for me. She never tells me what I have to do she teaches me by telling me stories. She's a lot like me, very driven and goal oriented, and has had to learn to calm down and allow God to take control. She truly has what I want.

I have been working the steps with absolute honesty. I am working on step eight with my sponsor, and getting ready to begin making amends in step nine. I still go to a meeting almost every day, at least 4 a week. I do some service work, like updating the phone list, occasionally chairing a meeting, and I just got approved to chair meetings in the local women's prison.

It is true what they say, it's a simple program, but it's not easy. Some days are better than others, and I still have a lot of emotional and family issues that I'm working on. But there's none of it that a drink would make better today. I've gone on a ski vacation, attended family gatherings, and formal balls without drinking. What wonderful experiences those things have been sober!! So thankful I found the fellowship that is AA!!