I have never tried AA, but have thought about it over the years. I have always been the stubborn type that says to myself I can do this, I don’t need it. Obviously 15 years later, that was just a lie I was telling myself, or I still would not be battling addiction. I live in a small town where everybody knows everybody & I think that played a major role in not attempting it too, because I know there would be people I know there & opening up fully would probably not happen. Plus I feel embarrassment, shame, & guilt. Who has used the program and what were the benefits and what did you possibly not like about the program? I’m reconsidering giving it a try, but I’m still very undecided. Thanks for any advice.
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Don’t you think those people thought the same?
Hi Candy.
Everyone’s experience is different. My suggestion would be go. You don’t have to do anything else, just sit down and listen. You can go everyday for a year and just sit and listen.
I have been to meetings, I have shared at meetings, I read the big book regularly.
But that is the extent of my involvement in AA.
The question would be " how do you know if you will like it unless you give it a go!"
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i tried it it worked
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Pros: I stopped drinking and stayed stopped. I went from homeless and ready to die to a life beyond my wildest dreams.
Cons: The coffee isn’t great sometimes.
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Err. Yeah the coffee!
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Pro: The support
Con: Truly looking in the mirror (it’s hard, but worth it)
When it comes to seeing people from the program around town, there is a reason the program is called “Alcoholics Anonymous”, everyone is Anonymous unless you decide to speek out. You see people in the program around town, but no one talks about you. Its more of a commradory. It’s a safe place.
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I’ve been sober for almost 10 months. I went around a month sober, went just once and was like ahhhh this is a cult fuck that. Then around 5 months I was really irritable discontent, so I went again. I felt something in that meeting my life was changing, so I stayed for a couple weeks thought I was healed and stopped going. I would hit a meeting everyonce in a while and the magic that happened Everytime was amazing but because magic happened I would think I didn’t need them anymore. So I’d become irritable, grouchy didn’t know how to handle sobriety. Long story short, I’m not leaving the rooms again, I hit up meetings every night now. Listen, pray, do the steps. It works.
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I was forced to go towards the end of my intensive outpatient program and I would just sit in the back and listen. I didn’t think I would benefit from it. Boy was I wrong. It’s been a year now and I’m still going twice a week. I’ve made some great friends that I talk to daily and meet up with outside of the meetings.
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No cons and only one pro, it keeps me sober and happy.
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I truly appreciate y’all input! Thank you very much!