Real recovery involves always risk as the addiction involves risk. You will not escape of risks but you can find great support and real frienship in AA. And someone who really understands you. Try AA!
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I’m not sure what’s going on with this thread @Shwesh. You have contradicted yourself quite a few times while trying to drive home the point, which I believe is that AA doesn’t really work.
And yet you’re on a forum where many of the regulars attend AA and say it’s beneficial for them.
To me, this seems to be antagonism.
Have you had a bad experience with AA, NA, SMART, etc.?
Maybe it’d be a better approach to discuss your actual experience?
I haven’t been to a meeting in my life but if @Steve92, @Chad_R or @Gabe.G say these organisations help them, and I start having real problems again, I’ll happily go to a meeting, with an open mind.
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My home group just had chip night. Al had 44 years, Ronnie and Diane had 42 years, Marty 40 years and Beth 29 years.
Using statistics to track AA success is damn near impossible. It completely relies on self reporting. It’s hard to track people over long times and they don’t ask if people actually work the program rather than just loitering with the intent to recover. This is a big reason why it’s an anonymous program, so our members don’t get tracked and studied by the media. Salon would have better chance of taking an accurate census of North Korea than to judge the success rate of AA
Or you can blow, thousands of dollars going to a shrink for the rest of your life. And when you get that urge to drink in the middle of the night see if that shrink picks up the phone.
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Well Said:) we standing tall and proud .But yes anonymous I do love AA. without that i would not be alive .im gratefull for AA and its program and members around the World
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I live in a small town outside of nyc and there aren’t very many meetings, one thing that really got me out of the rooms was the fact that my vice which was H not alcohol and when I said I was an addict not alcoholic these old timers who preach the big book told me I can’t say addict in the room I either say alcoholic or nothing at all…so I tried na meetings and what I noticed is people connecting in order to get high and exchange war stories more of glorifying their use instead of seeing how it effected their lives. NA also made me feel like I wanted to use because of this. I have been to some late meetings outside my area and have met some really nice people who I still stay in touch with since I don’t associate with anyone from my past but it either works for you or it doesn’t but you won’t know until you try
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You seem to be basing your opinion of AA on things you have made up. I’m not a fan of AA, but I will NEVER talk down or condescendingly to other people who are going through this terrible disease. It’s incredibly rude and immature to speak about negatively about recovery program that is helping someone, especially when they are so vulnerable this early in sobriety. It’s like my old man says, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.”
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That sucks they weren’t tolerate of your addiction. There are definitely those meetings out there. In Syracuse they embrace my crackhead/junkie/drunk ass haha. I also go to NA for the drug stuff.
I can just speak from my experience… to answer your question, for me there are pros and cons to everything in life, so some for aa are…
Pros:
sponsorship , 12 steps, support, i could relate to what people were saying, getting closer to a higher power, its spiritual not religious (not a fan of religion but i can get into spirituality) there is a difference, its anonymous and the people that are there are there for the exact reason you are, i met some amazing new sober people, made sober friends, aa events, the wisdom people speak of, free coffee lol, service work to get me involved in the program i needed to get involved in order to get some sobriety but thats just me.
Cons:
When you get close to someone and they go back out and leave the program, can really only talk about alcohol but they have NA i guess if you want to talk about drugs bc im an addict too, you wont like everyone and thats ok, there may only be 1 or 2 meetings a day but some places have them 24/7.
Pros and cons:
Finding a higher power and prayer… when i first started i wasnt into the whole higher power thing or praying. But the longer i had went back, the more i learned. And i learned that a higher power can be anything of your choosing. As long as its loving, caring, and greater than you. Example: God, nature, the universe, the aa group. And today im able to pray bc i want to not bc im supposed to ya know… it just took time for me is all…
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I think ultimately you have to try it and see what YOU think of it. I have not gone yet but I always leave it there as an option if I’m struggling. But what works for Johnny won’t necessarily work for David…
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It’s true not all are like that but it seems around me that’s how it is but I never knock the program and if I would go I wouldn’t mind now after the clean time I have saying I’m an alcoholic since we all ended up at rock bottom. It just wasn’t helpful for someone starting their sobriety over after a handful of relapses. Good to hear around you it’s more focused on just taking the first step regardless of doc
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Those grumpy old timers man! I’ve talked to people like you that just say alcoholic to appease the grumpy old timer. I also know a grumpy old timer that says " my name is Ray and I’m an alcoholic/addict".
So It’s like anatomy I guess, there always has to be an asshole😜 Lol. I’m glad you’re comfortable enough to just say alcoholic. We are ALL THE SAME!! No matter the DOC. Drugs, booze, porn, sex, lust, even things like food and video games can all destroy lives. The all can destroy marriages or careers. So at my meetings ALL are welcome. And I mean all. If you think you addicted to something and are asking for help, I will give it:)
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I really enjoyed your part about anatomy and it is true not only for meetings but in general. I appreciate your positivity and outlook on addiction as a whole not factored into different groups where one has dominance over another
I always say alcoholic/addict, not to appease anyone, but because it’s true. If they don’t like it that’s what they have the 4th step for. Tradition 3 tells us the only requirement for membership is the desire to stop drinking, which is me. I don’t even have to say I’m an alcoholic. Those old timers need to look at their side of the street first.
That being said I do confine my sharing to alcohol and alcoholism.
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Thank you. It seems like our small towns are similar. This insight really helped. I’m realizing it’s just my own insecurities and I need to just try a meeting out.
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Thank you. I just needed to hear what people’s experiences have been or currently are. I respect all religions. I should have stated that I meditate and I am currently reading about Buddhism. So I can try to apply that.
What it really is, is I have anxiety so I tend to over think every. Your response is appreciated and I need to just go and give AA atry.
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Lol. Just go back anyway.
Throw up some ‘air quotes’ with your fingers every time you say alcohol or alcoholic.
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My home group talks alot about meditation. To bad you don’t live by me, we would love to have you in our group.
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I’m the chip chick at a group called Lawyers. I am not a lawyer but it is my home group. There is a TON of time in that room so I know those people have what I want.
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Here is a question for you…if AA is based on anonymity, then how can the “polls” be correct if not everyone who is participating is giving their feedback on if they succeeded or failed. The data is incomplete.
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I agree, totally incomplete , I would not enter a survey and feel I am a success until today at least and hopefully tomorrow and every other day I am lucky enough to waken from my sleep and remain sober.
I’m sure my sponsor, 19 years sober and many other attendees at my group - many are 5, 10, 20, 30, 40+ years sober have never entered a survey.
I never understand the AA bashing by people, perhaps they need to take a look at themselves before shitting over others recovery route. Their AA bashing on a RECOVERY forum might deter a suffering alcoholic who is contemplating AA and it MIGHT just save their life.
Grow up people, however someone gets sober is their own journey, if you get sober on your own that’s fantastic, I hope you are happy, but if you are shitting over other people’s recovery route it suggests to me you still have some shit of your own to deal with, so go deal with it.
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