Sunflowerlife

Hi everyone.
With the help of SR I am proud to be 19 months sober. I did not go to any meetings for my recovery but used this site as well as therapy and energy healing and so far it has helped me a lot.
However I still feel like something is missing, like I need more.

I wanted to know if anyone here started going to AA meetings months or even years into their sobriety and if so, did it help you in ways you didn't expect?

Or what about seeing an addiction specialist? I have been in therapy for years, working on myself for years- so it's not like I don't have the outside support. I also learned Reiki in March and that has been a huge part of "peeling the onion" of who I am and slowly growing spiritually and embarking on my path to "awakening." In addition I took an 8 week class on spiritual development in the spring/summer.

My connection with my higher power is very strong, I just feel like I need more inner work. I still have a lot of shame and regrets about the past and who I was when I was using. Does anyone have any advice on how to move forward with this? My latest therapist is really good but I've only seen her 3 times so we haven't gotten into much of my past yet. I am considering going to AA to work the steps or finding phones meetings.

Thanks for listening and for any input.

AAPJ

HI SFL;
I hope you are doing well. :-)

Regarding your question:

I wanted to know if anyone here started going to AA meetings months or even years into their sobriety and if so, did it help you in ways you didn't expect?

At least for my wife the answer is "Yes". She ran into some severe family problems and while she sees a therapist she has also started to go to AA meetings gain after a multi year pause. It sure helped her. I think your experience is a bit different since you did not do AA meetings in the past. But I think your pre- AA sobriety will gain you instant respect if you choose to walk into an AA meeting and introduce yourself.

Sunflowerlife

Hi friend,
I have been in the past, when I first tried getting sober many years ago. So it wouln't be my first time- I just never stuck with it.

Thank you for the input- I am thinking it would be a nice way to also meet other sober moms in the area. Where I live the wine culture is huge and I have yet to meet a Mom who doesn't drink. Hope you are doing well!

AAPJ

SFL
So nice to trade posts with you again. One more thought to add regarding
"like I need more"
My friend Jack said something at an AA meeting that I will never forget.
He simply said that we have the disease of MORE. For me it's really an attitude of gratitude. We both have so much. The cure for MORE is GRATITUDE

August252015

Glad you are here! Yes, I have seen plenty of people "come into AA" or "use" it at different points in their recovery. For me, it was the start and it is the lynchpin; for my husband, he came into AA and started working a program about 6 mo sober. It and church are his two mainstays; we also see a pastoral counselor since we married early in sobriety and have a new step family and the like.

I fully believe that my program needs to stay robust and keep having growth - that sometimes means things like adding yoga (a year ago), and I am planning to add Al Anon next year (I will be 3 yr sober 2/21/19).

It's great that you are looking for the "other mom" stuff- my friends with young kids - whether alcoholic or not- know the very real-ness of the mommy wine culture.

Hope to see you here!

Sunflowerlife

Oh, I mean I need more support/help- I feel like I need to dig deeper to heal the part of me that addiction broke- does that make sense?

Sunflowerlife

Thank you so much for the reply - I like the idea of keeping the program "robust."

least

I say, go for it, if you feel you need more in your recovery program. The more support you have, the better it can be for you.

Anna

Sunflower, I have found many books that have have helped me on my journey. "The Seat of the Soul" by Gary Zukav was the first book that helped me to believe that I could move past the shame and guilt.

If you haven't seen our SR Book List, here it is:

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ependence.html (Books on Recovery, Spirituality & Codependence)

Sunflowerlife

This is very helpful, thanks Anna! I will request that book from the library today

SoberCAH

"I just feel like I need more inner work."

My experiences have been a little different that some of the posters on this thread.

I went to treatment, which integrated me into AA.

I have been working the program ever since.

Since getting sober, I have never been to a therapist or psychologist.

I suspect that I have some issues (childhood ones come to mind) for which that kind of help would give me some additional peace.

I plan to explore that option next year (I have already discussed it with my very understanding wife).

But I have done a lot of outer work by helping others who are, or who aspire to be, in recovery, and I tend to help a fair amount of others who have no need for substance abuse or mental health assistance.

As you may expect, I seem to be the person who profits from these effort, likely more than the others I am trying to help.

I have long since gotten over the guilt and shame feelings which were a part of my daily life for decades, but, I think, largely because I try to do a fair amount of good things on a daily basis.

There is a whole world of people who need help, so it's not hard to find someone we can try to assist.

Just my thoughts - I'm glad you're here and I'm happy you have brought up this topic.