This question is for AAers...
 

How many meetings do you hit per week? How long have you been sober? I'm just trying to find some balance in my life. I have been sober around 20 months, the first 13 months were done without going to meetings. Since coming to AA I am definitely learning a lot but they make it seem like if you don't make enough meetings of stop coming to meetings you will relapse. Of course everyone could be different but how many meetings do you all go to? How many do you think you need? I'll end it there.

Thanks

Nick

For the first year I went 6 times per week. As time has gone on I go to 3-4 meetings per week and I am 5 years sober. I had an old timer to keep cutting back on meetings until I drank and then I would know how many meetings I needed.

For me I doubt I will ever do less than 3-4 if for no other reason than to help others

Trust your intuition. It Is different for everybody. How many do you feel comfortable making right now?

I've been sober going on 16 years.

I attend at least one meeting a week. Sometimes, I'll attend two a week.

Am I an "AAer"?

Well, the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking... so I guess I am.

:)

I have gone every day of the week at times... I have not gone for weeks at a time...

What I've found is a balance that works for me is to keep AA as one of a collection of tools that I use. AA is always there for me when I feel I need it, and I'm fortunate to have a home group and sponsor who don't push me or judge me or treat me any differently when I'm there every day than when I'm there every few weeks.

Balance is something I'm continuing to work on, so becoming too consumed with AA didn't work for me. I found that I needed to use AA's in-person community when I was feeling a calling for it... use the step work at my pace and with a sponsor I can trust.... use the Big Book when I felt I needed to quietly remind myself of certain aspects of recovery.

But I augment those tools with meditation, counseling, exercise, SR, time with family, exploring and growing my sober lifestyle with new pursuits, work and home responsibilities.... it's a whole web of things that keep me sober. It is a process of gradually and consistently building a new, deeper, richer sober life.

oh, and I've been sober for over a year.... and feeling better about it all the time.

:)

My first few years (maybe even first 10 years) I averaged 4-5 meetings a week. I also went to mostly step and bigbook meetings. Got heavily involved in the steps from day 1, and I believe that has been more important than the meetings. My attendance has waxed and waned over time, but at almost 31 years sober I now go to a few a month. I like to keep my connection with the program, and enjoy when I go. When my time frees up a bit I go to more. I still learn from meetings, it feels good to be there for others, and I like the constant inflow of new great friends. I prefer it to sitting in front of a computer screen or TV. My alcoholic self could get very comfortable isolating... getting out there, well... gets me out there :).

The only one who is responsible for our sobriety is ourselves! Please don't let other members in our rooms determine what's right for you@

AA helps us stay stopped by taking the action of working the steps. Meetings underlie those efforts and for me a great help. Frankly, they are enjoyable - I like to be around other drunks - they get me. The only other place I know where there are that many drunks is at my old bar...........

Do you have a sponsor, are you doing step work?
Follow your program. Sometimes for me letting off the AA gas petal is necessary. There's an ebb and flow - again, for me.

I go to 4-5 meetings a week still at 11 months. But there are weeks I go 1-2 times when I just need a break. No one has ever suggested, told me or implied I should go to x number of meetings.

Thanks for the helpful post - I got a lot out of it!!!

I go 3 times a week and have 5 months sober. My sponsor has said "meeting makers don't always make it" meaning that it's living your life the right way and staying connected spiritually is what keeps you sober. The meetings alone won't keep you sober if you're not applying it when you leave. Some weeks I need or want more than 3 to lift me up and get some encouragement for whatever I'm going through.

Many people in AA tell you to do 90 meetings in 90 days but NO WHERE in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous does it say to do 90 in 90. I agree with others. Just do what works for you and don't let others tell you what to do.

my sponsor asked me to make a commitment to a specific number of meetings per week which also includes meeting with sponsor one night a week for about an hour or two.

I've met that commitment for almost 4 years now. If I attend more meetings, I need to know my motive for attending those meetings.

It's about working the steps and living a spiritual life for me, not for making the most number of meetings per week or by hiding out in a meeting and not living a well rounded life.....

and this requires more of an explanation, meant to be shared in person with direct face to face communication.... :)

I have been in AA since 1993. Picked up once seven years ago. My son had died...excruciating pain. Sober seven years, now. I attend anywhere from 2-5 meetings a week, with the average being four meetings weekly.

I'm newly sober and I go to 4-5 meetings a week. There are a lot of meetings where I live so I like to try different ones to find my favourites that I like to go to on a regular basis. There is one meeting that I go to every week without fail and have been doing so for a good few months. The other meetings tend to vary depending on where I am and my schedule.

Sometimes I have been to a meeting every day of the week, other times just one. For me a lot works on the triggers too. So if I start getting complacent about my sobriety or start playing the issue down in my head, that's a sign I should go to a meeting.