But how do you know if someone is actually secure in their own skin? By how they share in a meeting?

My experience has been those most comfortable with their program share how they actual feel be it good or bad.

I had a powerful experience my first meeting (spiritual awakening anyone?)when a member walked in who had just come off a three-day bender. I completely identified with his pain and no-******** share. Haven't had a drink since that meeting.

Personally, I never found the parroting of AA platitudes and/or the BB particularly helpful esp. to those new.


Yeah, you got to stop beating yourself up.

Find a few meetings you feel comfortable and go. Take what you need and leave the rest.

If you don't want to chat with members after a meeting don't. Just check things.

However, don't look for reasons to dislike AA right away either.

If you don't like a particular meeting try another.

I had my last relapse four and a half years ago. :)

After my last relapse, I realized I had to own up to it in my group which I hadn't seen in a long time. I quit working my program (I was out of the country for a while and didn't click back into it as soon as I got home) and was just gonna slip back in like nothing had happened. But, I knew accountability mattered. So I fessed up to them, and on here. And I see my meetings as my Dr's appointment. IF I needed dialysis, would I ever miss my appointment for treatment? NO!!! My meetings are my treatment. I go 3 times a week come hell or high water.

And, like someone else mentioned earlier, I use a few of the methods and combine them to make a program that works for me. I use AA, SR and AVRT. The 3 blend perfectly for this pickle.

It helps to check in on the 24 hr thread everyday. It sets your intention for the day.

You can do this. It takes all of us working it together. Thanks for being here for me <3

maybe be best that we not snap back too fast

I have found that being humble is of most importance

said by a man that had many relapses

today -- still very humble -- 6 years sober -- it is working

by the Grace of God there go I

MM

I think you sound like you are wroking your program. You are examining the relapse and thinking about it, feel regret and are thinking about how to prevent another, or anymore in the future. Sounds good to me. You are reaching out for help and talking in your meetings, with your counselor and here.

For me, relapse can bring me down and then I give up for awhile. You do not sound like you are doing anything like that. Good for you to get right back to your sobreity.

Hi Mac, I don't know all the details of your situation, but it doesn't sound like you're in "total free fall". You drank once after 4.5 months of sobriety, and I don't find that to be particularly earth shattering, and you certainly don't appear to have fallen into an alcoholic abyss from which you can never emerge--indeed you seem far from that scenario.

Of course, you want to take the relapse seriously and work hard to avoid another one, but I suggest putting this behind you and moving forward. And always remember that you have more strength than you realize. After you get a few days of sober time under your belt, your confidence and self-respect will return.

And post here when you need a little extra support.

Mac1: Good luck and every good wish. It takes more than luck.It takes commitment,courage and patience and it sounds like you've got that. Even though you have four months of sobriety (and congratulations on that) you're still very vulnerable to relapse, so watch your back, as the saying goes. Remember that there is a part of your brain which wants you to drink, because your body changed so as to get used to alcohol. It takes time and patience to get things changed back again so that the risk of relapse becomes less. If you feel comfortable with AA I think that's best for you , particularly because the fellowship of others lessens the risk of relapse- people to call, sober folks to interact with and relieve the loneliness. And finally try to think very hard about what triggered this relapse. I've heard it said that the brain begins planning a relapse long before you take that first drink.

W.