New here
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, UK
Posts: 11
New here
Hello everyone!
I found this site today and am very pleased to see the secular and LGBT forums.
I went to my first ever AA meeting last week and I can see the value of face-to-face support but I don't have any religious beliefs, so I find that part of it difficult and didn't see how I'd ever be able to "work the steps". I was googling non-religious recovery today and found this site and the "atheist's 12 steps", which I can relate to much more!
Last year I was sober for almost nine months, then I drank one night before Christmas, but not since then, so now I'm a little over two months sober.
I'm hoping this site will help me stay that way!
I found this site today and am very pleased to see the secular and LGBT forums.
I went to my first ever AA meeting last week and I can see the value of face-to-face support but I don't have any religious beliefs, so I find that part of it difficult and didn't see how I'd ever be able to "work the steps". I was googling non-religious recovery today and found this site and the "atheist's 12 steps", which I can relate to much more!
Last year I was sober for almost nine months, then I drank one night before Christmas, but not since then, so now I'm a little over two months sober.
I'm hoping this site will help me stay that way!
Resident
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 4,150
Welcome slowchange.
That is the EXACT same way that I ended up here and the exact same wording.
Two great minds think alike.
I get my support from SR and although it may not be as personal as face to face if you come here and post here on a regular basis you will get to know the regulars.
You may want to check out the newcomers section also as it is busier and sorta religious neutral.
I forgot to say
and that we are glad to have you here. 
That is the EXACT same way that I ended up here and the exact same wording.
Two great minds think alike.
I get my support from SR and although it may not be as personal as face to face if you come here and post here on a regular basis you will get to know the regulars.
You may want to check out the newcomers section also as it is busier and sorta religious neutral.
I forgot to say
and that we are glad to have you here. Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 26,425
glad you are here Slow
yeah there alot of seculars here...some do AA and 12 steps some don't...but we all seem to manage along just fine most of the time.
I am a godless AAer have been that way a long time. We do have a section below this for secular 12 steppers...however it doesn't get a whole lot of use..people tend to hang out here mostly
If you are ever struggling with wanting to go to AA and needing to bounce some stuff off someone, please feel free to pm me if you want the perspective of someone who does this....And of course post here...and other threads as well.
You might want to check out some of the other threads as well as their are a lot of ideas out there that are helpful.
but always "come home to the mother ship" Its taken time for this forum to develop adn we love to have new faces and ideas to help us in our recovery
(hug)
yeah there alot of seculars here...some do AA and 12 steps some don't...but we all seem to manage along just fine most of the time.
I am a godless AAer have been that way a long time. We do have a section below this for secular 12 steppers...however it doesn't get a whole lot of use..people tend to hang out here mostly
If you are ever struggling with wanting to go to AA and needing to bounce some stuff off someone, please feel free to pm me if you want the perspective of someone who does this....And of course post here...and other threads as well.
You might want to check out some of the other threads as well as their are a lot of ideas out there that are helpful.
but always "come home to the mother ship" Its taken time for this forum to develop adn we love to have new faces and ideas to help us in our recovery
(hug)
Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 753
Welcome - ditto to the previous posters on trying the Newcomers section and also the balance here of AA and non-AA approaches to this journey. I am pretty new too (member since Nov but sober since early Jan).. I always get something from SR - most of the time more than I ever expected. Love the secular posts - need the secular posts!
You're in loving and supportive company here! :ghug
You're in loving and supportive company here! :ghug
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, UK
Posts: 11
Thanks all for the welcome! This seems like a very big site, it'll take a while for me to find my feet.
Allport - a fellow Brit! I'm from Cheshire originally, but became a southern softie years ago...
Fubarcdn - thankyou, I'll have a look in newbies. Been on here for HOURS already today! Spent about an hour trying unsuccessfully to load an avatar
Ananda, thanks for the offer of discussing AA. I'm going to check out another, different, meeting next week and see how that goes. I was on a different recovery site and mentioned my problems with the religious aspect of it (oh, and the "powerless" thing too) and was told by one poster that if I didn't follow it all to the letter, and give my life over to god etc, I'd end up drinking again. Not helpful! That's when I decided to try to find another site...
Allport - a fellow Brit! I'm from Cheshire originally, but became a southern softie years ago...
Fubarcdn - thankyou, I'll have a look in newbies. Been on here for HOURS already today! Spent about an hour trying unsuccessfully to load an avatar
Ananda, thanks for the offer of discussing AA. I'm going to check out another, different, meeting next week and see how that goes. I was on a different recovery site and mentioned my problems with the religious aspect of it (oh, and the "powerless" thing too) and was told by one poster that if I didn't follow it all to the letter, and give my life over to god etc, I'd end up drinking again. Not helpful! That's when I decided to try to find another site...
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, UK
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by allport 
what other meetings have you found?
Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 26,425
all meetings are different and difernt times too...the group i go to now is very ok with my heatheness
but i've been in meetings like you descirbed to at times...just remember that just cause one person feels they need to come across the room to tell you that doesn't mean that all the people are that way HUG
Aa is the only face to face around here, but mostly its just a place for me with other alchoholics sharing how they get and stay sober....and thats what i get here too...
sorry...not pushing or anything
just saying there's lots of different kinds of aa out there but this forum has really provided the support i need
but i've been in meetings like you descirbed to at times...just remember that just cause one person feels they need to come across the room to tell you that doesn't mean that all the people are that way HUG
Aa is the only face to face around here, but mostly its just a place for me with other alchoholics sharing how they get and stay sober....and thats what i get here too...
sorry...not pushing or anything
just saying there's lots of different kinds of aa out there but this forum has really provided the support i need
) and coffenut (yes, I'm very glad the Christmas blip didn't turn into something much more messy..)
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxnard (The Nard), CA, USA.
Posts: 13,867
to SR Slowchange, glad you found us...not to say we were lost...you know. I attend AA meetings about once a week to fellowship with other recovery peeps. I work the SMART Recovery program mostly and SR helps a whole lot too. I say develop a personalized treatment plan that meet your specific needs. That's what works best for me.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London, UK
Posts: 11
Thankyou zencat, doorknob and alera!
zencat - yup, I think a personalised plan definitely works best for me, rather than doing what someone else tells me to do (I have a bit of a problem with that!). It takes a while to figure out, though, doesn't it... Still working on it!
zencat - yup, I think a personalised plan definitely works best for me, rather than doing what someone else tells me to do (I have a bit of a problem with that!). It takes a while to figure out, though, doesn't it... Still working on it!
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