First AA meeting after IOP

Yesterday morning I went to my very first AA meeting. I was in IOP for 6 weeks and never went to anything even though my peers invited me. I just didn’t see how it would help to hear more people talk about their problems. I thought if I was going to do this I needed to start with myself and no one can do that for me so why go.

Anyway long story shorter, I relapsed a week before and went tot he meeting. On the way home I sobbed and kept crying for a while. I’m not sure why I got so emotional. Anyone have a similar experience?

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Hi! I’m so glad you went and felt it Too! I did this 64 days ago today. I ended up losing so much in life and I was so weak, what you felt was hope. As I did. We don’t have to live like that anymore. I call them bottles of emptiness because that’s all they do is empty my life. I consider myself very new in sobriety but we are all here for you and working together for a better future. If you ever need someone to talk to or just to talk to get your mind off it you can email me t1988dh at gmail com and I’ll give you my info. I wish you the best!

AA is much more than hearing other’s stories, although I personally get quite a bit from them. Not only am I reminded of my own madness and why I must stay sober, but I am encouraged by their successes.

You want to stay sober? Go to the meetings, ask how, and do what they say. The entire program is designed for and by people just like you. It’s worked for them, and I’m now at 267.12 days and it’s working for me too.

The AA book page 25 says it well:
Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of
shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really
worked in others, and we had come to believe in the
hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it.

Question is, are you really ready to do what it takes to stay sober?

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