As someone who was a total and complete 
anti-AA addict to a total and complete AA convert, I’m curious to see just how many of us here went down the AA hole. There really is a solution and my sponsor says to me “Stick with the winners. Get to a meeting!”
So, whose going to a meeting? AA, CA, AA, SA or whatever form of meeting you go to.
It’s 11 Apr 2024. Im going to a meeting 
I don’t go to AA, but attending a CA meeting later today for sure 
Edited to reflect other groups
I keep meaning to go to my local AA meeting. It’s on Sunday night at 7:30pm, which is typically when I am trying to hit the bed, so haven’t made it work yet… I’m hopeful though. Seeing as I don’t speak to anyone face to face much lately.
Wait, does your AA group also meet on Wednesday 7:30pm EST? My CA sponsor Nathan took me to an AA meeting before that meets on Wednesdays at 7:30PM EST, just curious if we are in the same group
I haven’t been to that specific AA meeting I mentioned in a little while though, just been busy and whatnot
I am doubtful we are in the same corner of the world man.
Are there no others around you?
I am in a rural area. No others around
Thanks for the topic.
I’ve been wanting to get my story out just in case 1 of the 41157 users is like me.
It took me almost 4 years of sobriety to go to a meeting. I didn’t go because I wanted a drink. I went because I wanted a 4 year chip. I kept going back. It’s a speaker meeting every Friday night. I love speaker meetings.
My Al-Anon sponser. A double winner, 36 years sobriety, invited me to his Thursday night home group. And now I go regularly.
I was afraid to go to AA meetings. Afraid I was doing it wrong. Like I was doing it ass backwards. Got sober. Then went to meetings.
But tradition 3 says I meet the membership requirements. “My desire not to drink today.”
Now I’m learning how to live the sober way. I have a bunch of fears and resentments that constantly give me anxiety. I want to learn from others how they manage it.
Fucking step 4! 
That’s how they do it! And I’m almost done my step 4. I think my sponsor is more excited for me than I am. I am pretty excited though. It isn’t easy. I’m always afraid I’m doing it wrong. One lady shared. “Just do it!” “You can’t do it wrong!” “And don’t drink!” 
Nice bunch. And we have fun too.
Thanks for that Eric. I should drag myself off to one. If for anything to see what it’s about.
What have I got to lose?
No in person AA meeting for me today. I go on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. But I will jump on a virtual one tonight and listen to get my daily dose of sobriety medicine. I only like sharing at in person meetings where I know the majority of people.
Thanks for the share! 
I went to a big book study meeting tonight - there’s an awful lot to gain from a big book study meeting, particularly in that you’ll find a lot of people in them with extended lengths of sobriety and it’s a really effective way to get interactive with the ins and outs of recovery. My sponsor and I go to the Big Book meeting together and always have a good chinwag on the way home when he drops me off. Certainly the people in the group that I go to are the ones who have a great message and I like the look of their recovery. I first met my sponsor at this group and then again at a 12x12 meeting and after a few weeks of listening to his sharebacks and getting his advice on things, I plucked up the courage to ask him to take me through the steps to which he responded “It would be an honour”.
There’s an analogy that you may think you understand how your car works; there’s a steering wheel and a gear stick and a brake - when your car breaks down and you get under the bonnet you realise you don’t understand your car at all.
This is how I view the difference between a share meeting and a big book study - Shares to remember the problem, study’s to understand the solution.
Well shit. I failed to attend a CA meeting today 
I was just really busy today with work and seeing my addiction therapist, and gotta see my CA sponsor now. Unfortunately there isn’t any CA meetings right now that don’t conflict with other things I gotta do today.
Worst case I shall just join one tomorrow I at least saw my addiction therapist today and seeing my CA sponsor in a few minutes which is good.
I feel like I benefit more from the 1on1 conversations with people such as my addiction therapist and my CA sponsor, TalkingSober threads, than CA meetings and SMART Recovery meetings, but definitely I’ll attend a meeting tomorrow for sure
Just reporting back here because I gotta practice honesty. I could’ve joined one today at lunch time I suppose, but I was busy at work monitoring the database upgrade I was doing to make sure it was going smoothly D: Can’t have downtime for the database upgrade my senior software dev said 
Manz must prioritize sobriety though. It’s tricky sometimes with work and other things I gotta do though.
I’m glad you opened this thread as well. AA was such a huge part of my initial recovery I can’t even begin to explain how much it’s helped me. I haven’t been to a meeting recently (last one I received my 11 month chip), but like @Dazercat , I’d like to share my AA story in the hopes it helps someone who may feel lost like I did.
The first time I actually wanted to get sober, I had no idea what to do. I didn’t know my options, or anything about recovery. After a week of white knuckling, I found this forum. I learned things from everyone here that helped me stay sober, but around 60 days I realized I was stuck. Ruminating my past all day long, feeling constant guilt and shame. I felt lost. I decided it was time to try a meeting, something that had been consistently suggested. It was the best decision I ever made. I started going every day. I learned exactly what I needed to in order to move forward with my life. I never finished my steps (covid got in the way), but I was able to complete the very freeing 4th and 5th, which changed my life.
Unfortunately I relapsed and lost touch with my sponsor (we didn’t have a real solid connection to begin with). Then, when in person meetings started back up, many of my favorites didn’t make it, including the one I planned on making my home group.
Since being sober this time, it’s been hard to make it to many meetings. I used to attend the morning meetings while my daughter was in school, but those are the ones that never returned. I work most evenings, or, now being a single mom, have my daughter. I do miss them and should make more of a point to make it when I can. I’d like to find a new sponsor one day and restart/finish the steps (I’ve got a few new resentments I should work thru).
In the end, the best part of all is the knowledge I’ve gained. To this day, I use what I’ve learned every single day. It changed my way of thinking for life, and I’m forever grateful 
You have to put in the work, but it’s worth it Keep coming back!
Came here mostly to compliment you on this phrase. 
I went to three meetings in my first year. When my therapist was on holiday and I was feeling off. They were good experiences. It’s not recommended to do psychoanalysis and AA steps/any other framework of self exploration at the same time so as to not start putting yourself in boxes again when you’re supposed to confront your own unknown and unaccepted parts. Otherwise I might have gone to more.
And I still might. If I felt my sobriety was at risk I would go asap.
This is such a great admission statement for addiction - “I didn’t know what to do”
I don’t know that my recovery would’ve been continuous had I not chosen the right sponsor. I’m sorry to hear you lost touch.
But agree - keep coming back, it works if you work it
I’m here all week 
I was actually referring to the K-hole but I seem to have accidentally made a dirty lol
There’s an awful lot of trust in that statement. Just goes to show there is always a solution
Thanks for the thread @DresdenLaPage
At my rock bottom i was obese from the drink, lost, depressed, without a job, and desperate.
I found a random friend of bill on the internet who encouraged me to go to virtual aa with him. I figured why not. I liked the hope and positivity i found in the rooms. I went to an in person aa meeting to collect my 30 day chip and met some lovely ladies who gave me their numbers and told me about ladies mtgs they frequent.
The freedom, personal, and spiritual growth i have experienced since getting a sponsor, and working the steps in order has been life changing. Its a fucking miracle im sober as i was so obsessed with drink and couldnt possibly fathom a weekend or a few days without booze.
P.s. this wasnt the first time i tried aa. I had challenged myself to go to 3 inperson aa mtgs a year before yo see if that would help. I wasnt ready. I balled in the meetings and then picked up booze after saying to myself that im not as bad as those people…
P.s.s. i originally heard the rumor aa was for bible thumpers. When done right aa focuses on one finding THEIR higher power, whatever it may be. Its not a religious program but a spiritual program.
I’d encourage anyone whos curious or needs a little boost in their sobriety journey to check out aa.
AA works if you work it best move i made in 1986 still sober still go to meetings still sponsor still work the program . Most of the old timers here go to AA , stick at your meetings wish you well
Well, it’s the truth. I kept trying to quit by just not drinking, and that obviously wasn’t working out. It was clear to me that there had to be more to it. I just didn’t know what it was 
The thing about my sponsor is that after a month of daily meetings, and 90 days sober, I decided I wanted to begin the steps. So I announced this at my women’s meeting and had a few approach me. My friend in the program gave me her sponsors number and said she was really great and I just went with it bc I was excited to start my steps. I never really got to know my other options, which most likely would have found me a better fit. It’s weird bc I just recently found out that my best friend at work also had her as a sponsor years ago and said the exact same thing. No real connection, and almost as if she couldn’t actually relate to a lot of what we’ve been thru. Idk. I’m very fortunate to have an abundance of support in my life. My family is sober and many of my coworkers are as well. I know this is a huge reason I’ve gotten so far, and I’m very grateful to have all these people