D122y

This one creeped me out.

It was a newcomers meeting. About 20 folks.

3 or 4 folks under one months sober. All were relapsed.

Big book, steps, miracles.

It was really cultish. If I was a newcomer, I would be scared.

I love AA, I need the f2f.

I spoke and told the group that, and that I don't have a sponser.

I told them I haven't been drunk in 26 months and that I am healing still.

I still crave and that I use online methods to stay clean. I spoke of dopamine, adrenaline, and endorphins. The science of sobriety.

I did it w the intent of giving folks that cronicly relapse some idea of what is going on in their head. To strengthen their chances of staying clean.

Helping them helps me.

Thanks.

herculana

Ive been to these AA meetings. They scared the bejeesus outta me.

I am not exaggerating when I say that they made me feel terrified.

I will go to AA again soon, anyway... (A really great DEAD HEAD meeting is every thursday just down the street from me).
I went to a couple of them this past month. A really great group. Very down to earth.

But I just want to say THANK YOU. Its so important that newbies understand their actual chemical addiction better. I dont know WHY its taken so very long for most recovery programs to catch up.

Astonishing really.

Knowledge really is power.

tomsteve

can you explain how it was cultish?
if they talked about the BB,steps, and miracles, it sounds like what an AA meeting is supposed to be.

D122y

I love AA. They are a gift for so many, including me. The cultishness i felt last night was brought on by one guy who had been homelss for a while and another gent whose poor brother committed suicide after a relapse. Emotional BB, step, and miracle testomony. Felt scary.

Not sure how else to explain it. Booze alters our brains. It takes a long long long time to normalize. Some folks regret relapse after a decade or more of sobriety.

Miracles happen for sure. I offered my basic understanding of the chemical imbalance booze causes or enhances.

I have a desire to quit drinking, AA helps. Working the steps faithfully and relapsing might lead folks to dire circumstances. I offered the chemical consideration as part of the AA recovery discussion for those folks who might feel like they are lost in the process.

Thanks.