jason2

Well, I found that I was just better off without AA. Over three years without heavy drinking now.

gvrecovery

Went to AA for too long, stay sober and much happier without it.

DefconOne

Yup. It sounds stupid and trite but the cure for Alcoholism is to not drink. The only protection against alcohol for a true alcoholic is to not have the first drink. After that first one, its over and nothing will stop you from not drinking more. Its easier to stop if you have a support group like AA or something similar.

LadyinBC

Exactly! this site has lots to offer. By just posting your story and responding to threads you are helping yourself and others. Every post is important.

There are also chat meetings here too and I find them very useful as well.

DoubleBarrel

What the debate about motivation shows is that whatever method you choose, you need to commit to it and cling to it like your life depends on it. Because it does.

huntingtontx

If you have a drink in your hand, and you come to this board to read, you would still see all the people who put the drink down for a better life. I come here and read, try to help, and if I have a problem, I post and people try to help me. It is an amazing concept. When I first got sober I lived in the chat room. Any time I wanted a drink, I went to chat. I love this place. I also learned lots of cool things, like HALT....hungry, angry, lonely, tired. Triggers for a lot of people. Just lots of great advice.

nigey1

Just this place for me. Helped me out of a long dark tunnel.

readerbaby71

I don't do AA, but have gone to Alanon a few times to cope with my codependency in my relationship with my alcoholic BF. I don't work the steps or agree with everything, but having others who know what I'm going through and just listening to their stories has really affected me.

When I quit drinking I used the WFS program, including F2F meetings. It helps to have people to talk to who understand. SR is amazing. I would not have progressed in my recovery as far as I have if I hadn't come to these boards. All of these things, including meditation, yoga, therapy, and reading books about self-help/spiritual growth have helped me a lot.

I've been at this for years and it is a lifelong process that sometimes gets overwhelming. It's worth it though. Basically it's a matter of keep fighting, or give up and die.

LBrain

Come to think of it, SR has been my main source of support. The knowledge I gain from the experience of others is invaluable.

ultradad

My experience was I tried EVERYTHING, even AA and never could stop until I was ready! I had to truly hit rock bottom to find a solution. I think there are many ways to STOP drinking, but I think AA is a proven method of recovery. I think the two are separate issues all together. I may stay sober without AA, but with AA I am able to work on the real issues that caused me to drink in the first place. It took humility and honesty for me to humble myself and simple say, "I'll do whatever it takes to NEVER drink again" AA was suggested for me and I haven't looked back!

Unless a person is truly ready to stop drinking it doesn't matter what method they chose, it won't work! On the same hand, when a person is truly ready I think most any program would probably work.

Nuudawn

I think that's the magic bullet right there.

Grungehead

Yep I had to really want to be sober more than I wanted to drink just to make a start. Too many times I wanted the bad s**t to stop happening but I didn't want to put the drink down in order to achieve that. What I have learned through my experiences and through reading other people's experiences here is that it takes a willingness to do whatever it takes to stay sober regardless of the methods that people choose to use to accomplish that.

IMO motivation is important to get sober, but it takes action to remain sober. I think it's safe to say that pretty much all of us had some type of motivation that steered us to SR, but I think it's safe to say not all of us stay sober. Motivation will only get you so far if action doesn't follow.

AddictedDowner

I too agree it has alot to do with self will and motivation to wanna sty clean. My wife is always talking about a program. Aa, Na, and so on. It is very hard to become involved in these programs because I don't wanna hear about the glory stories of all the other full blown alcoholics. I have enough of my own. I think if a person has had enough they will know inside its time to quit. This mind set and a good support system God, family, true friends and SR will help you excell to the postive life of sobriety. The main ingredients are around u and deep within. Good luck to you.

MythOfSisyphus

I've never seen an AA meeting and have never tried it. Just AVRT for me, sober for 22 months now. I started out as a binge drinker 25 years ago and over time it escalated to the point I was a daily drinker. When I decided to stop I was just getting to the point where I'd occasionally have a couple drinks when I woke up. I didn't want to go any further down that road.

IOAA2

I’m obviously an advocate of AA but with constant motivation I believe most “programs” will work.

The program of just don’t pick up the first drink will work. Period. Not many can do that but there are some who do. Many of them are said to be worse to be around than when they were drinking by their families. A lot who do stop often forget the pains of drinking and fall back never to be heard of afterwards.

Drinking or not drinking requires a lot of work, I chose not to drink and learned how not to by the old time masters, many who at one time lived in the gutter. I didn’t want to end up there so followed directions to get and STAY sober as many have done over the years.

The programs work, it’s the people that don’t that fail. The big things are being honest with our self about our drinking and accepting that we cannot drink in safety any more. Every day!
For me it’s easier being among people who understand, face to face, me/us than alone or isolating and working on my ism.

BE WELL

Keeping it in the day

More than one way to skin a cat comes to mind. I tried AA. Some groups were much better than others. The one where I live in a relatively small town was quite intense and someone latched into me, possibly with the best of intentions but I felt pressured to attend every available meeting which I couldn't do with my work commitments. Keep an open mind. The more avenues you explore the more tools you will gain.

GreenEggsAndHam

See, this is me and why I relapse.

(Love the avatar, btw!)

I think acceptance and motivation really is key. Thanks for all of the responses. Gives me some things to think about.

Notmyrealname

I don't go to AA.

Not opposed to the idea, and I could probably use the face time with other humans, to be honest, but I quit drinking in part to simplify my life and can't see adding another appointment to the schedule.

Not drinking at all, ever (a.k.a. "always saying no to booze" and "keeping alcohol away from my piehole" -- which is mechanically a pretty straightforward formula, right? don't ever put drink, A, to lips, B, and you're probably going to remain sober) and channeling the time and effort I put into drinking into other things (running, maintaining my house and yard, being at least a halfway decent father, spending time with my parents, learning chord solos of classic jazz standards on electric guitar, weight training) has worked out pretty well -- for fourteen months, anyway.

Also, I think this all gets easier as I get older. Over time I've come to accept some of the more unpleasant realities of life (imminent death for us all both individually and as a species, occasional boredom, improbability of coming into great wealth anytime soon, and the fact that my fate is in part dictated by the whims of "the masses" -- and they aren't collectively very smart). I got my head around all those, and I can deal with minor day-to-day annoyances without running off the rails, and those two together cover a lot of ground.

I leave you with the immortal words of that great sage of our times, Mr. Alfred E. Neuman:

"What, Me Worry?"

Fandy

I don't go to AA, I don't follow a formal program. I do come here everyday and participate. I loosely believe in AVRT, cannot fathom myself using AA, but I am glad it helps others.

I was motivated to quit because I was making myself SICK physically and mentally. I was depressed and drinking makes it way worse. I don't want liver disase, I don't want to have all the associated illnesses that are preventable, booze is an addiction, like smoking which I quit many years ago (JMHO, I do not buy into the whole disease concept).

I replaced booze with healthy thoughts and activities, life is far from perfect but is much easier if I don't drink this method has worked for me for 3 years.

My Xhusband died at age 54 of cardiac related issues complicated by drinking a liter of vodka daily. He wasted his life and left a huge mess for our daughter.

soberlicious

7.5 years without alcohol. Happy, joyous, and free without a formal program. I did about 4 years of therapy with a great therapist. I believe time with the wrong therapist would have set me back.

Was I a "real alcoholic"? I don't use that label. I drank daily, to blackout several times a week. I also took benzos with the booze, which resulted in crippling depression, a psychotic break, a suicide attempt, an involuntary psych placement, and a 30 day treatment. I was a horrible mother, I ruined my marriage, alienated my family and friends. I faked my way through life, until I couldn't anymore.

That was real enough for me.