justinJustQuit

DO a lot of people go to AA after they are sober? I personally have been and I have found it useful, but just a general question.


I had a recent slip back into old habits not too long ago, and found this site to be very helpful, sometimes even more so than AA. (AA is great though!)

Grungehead

I would say yes. I would also say that a lot of people don't go to AA after they get sober. There are lots of ways to get and stay sober but AA is probably the most widely known way because of how long it has been around.

Having said that, yes I went to AA after getting sober and still go today. I also found SR after getting sober and I still come here every day. I find both AA and SR very important parts of my recovery program.

Aellyce

I've been sober nearly 7 months and did experiment a bit with AA earlier but less than ~10 meetings in total and never got really into the program, even though my own methods have similarities to it. SR has been my major support system from beginning, and then got into therapy and other new experiences, which were enough for me for a while. I would like to go back to AA now and explore a bit further especially because I just met some people in a completely different context, who turn out to be in recovery and have been going to AA for years. They might help guide me a bit because in NYC there is an overwhelming number of meetings and I don't have that much free time to try all over the map; I imagine maybe one meeting a week for me. I did find value in it earlier. I don't feel I need it to maintain my sobriety at this point, but am definitely always open to try new ideas and approaches.

Altoids

I go to AA a couple of times a week even though I don't totally agree with the program. It is helpful for me to be around like minded people. It took me awhile before I found a group that I was comfortable with, but I enjoy the meetings, the discussion and the people. I also like that they don't freak out bc I don't follow typical AA things. . . like taking coins and calling myself an alcoholic. They accept me as I am and I accept them where they are. I find face to face time important. SR daily, though, has been a godsend.

I kinda see it like this: if I needed dialysis I would not miss an appointment with my Dr. I look at AA as Dr appointments. I go to remind myself of where I was, to have accountability, and to make my sobriety, using all means necessary, a priority in my life.

To be honest, I could be drinking right now and folks on SR wouldn't know. But the folks in my meeting can see my face, my eyes, my demeanor. . . and those never lie. Accountability. AA is my accountability.

justinJustQuit

Those are all really good points.I have had a lot of issues finding groups as well. For some reason, people in my age group are EXTREMELY rare to find. Plus I just moved a couple of months ago so I have to scout the buildings out and use gps and all that.

Altoids

One of the things I really enjoy is visiting meetings when I travel and I travel quite a lot. It is fun to see how others approach it all and meet others like me. Enjoy scouting out the new meetings.

rachelle77

Hi. I attend AA meetings; in fact, just came back from one before signing on. Right now I'm finding it helpful because I need something to get me out of the house and to meet people who are going through or have gone through a similar struggle. Right now it's not just all about me staying sober, it's also about finding and learning new ways to live life. So far AA is helping with that, helping me to add more tools to my "how to manage life sober" toolbox. There may come a day when I no longer find that AA meets my needs, but I'm okay right now with what it has to offer.