Alcoholics Anonymous

[HP Lovecraft]

Does anyone who posts here have any thoughts/experiences with AA? I've had some issues with abusing alcohol over the years  and have recently (about 2 weeks ago) started attending AA meetings again after not attending for about 2 years.  In general I feel better but it's a process that creates a lot of inner conflict for me, and I'm reminded of why I left 2 years ago.  The atmosphere and culture of AA is  very unusual, there is a definite reason why many say it is 'cult-like" I also am conflicted about the commitment of not drinking ever again as I do enjoy it a great deal, it just seems like I am a textbook spree drinker that has great difficulty stopping once he starts.

Love to hear anyone's thoughts on AA.

[Forestluv]

@HP Lovecraft AA is definitely about abstinence, not moderation. If you are more interested in moderation, you may want to look into SMART, Lifering, SOS, moderation management and/or CBT. . . AA has by far the most extensive network of face to face meetings and there all a lot of good, healthy people in AA, as well as a lot of unhealthy people. Meetings can have very different vibes to them as well. In my area, there are meetings that have strong religious undertones as well as meetings that have deleted out all god references to make it more secular. You may be able to find a liberal meeting that isn’t so hardcore about abstinence, yet the foundation of AA is abstinence and it would be hard to fit in while trying to drink moderately. 

[DIDego]

 @Forestluv Agree.

 

Puke during a day and go on the drinking again 5 sec directly afterwards can many think are insane, i thought it was a waste of alcohol 

 

It can be a hint if you feel this way, its time to check if there are an underlying problem, and learn about boundaries and healthy habits for the one and only body and mind in this life.

Suggestion, start to talk or write about your consuming and story's as normal habit in life, then you maybe will loose some party friends or they join you. However will you see patterns and make clear if it unhealthy or easier to get a grip of the level of consuming.

If you choose to pause or stop, do it somehow gently and not as an fight towards yourself.

Dont bother share to people who are asholes that judges or that gives a f**ck, the person who wants talk about their habits and are concerned, should be respected and have nothing to be ashamed for.

 

AA

For a while there can be a way to come down from a heavy abuse, then my experience was that it can be almost a way of living and get fed of story's and get almost the story as a refill on the negative tone. I might was sensitive or something, i heard a lot of story's and shared, comforting that was not only me that struggle in life and doing harm to myself and then i got in a different direction and took it as a reminder and comfort during 10 more years doing the addiction lifestyle.

So conclusion are that i think it is good to get help up from the more deep level of suffering together, then a person got stability i personally think it depends what kind of people you meet at AA. Because there are a a lot of different AA you can try out until you got a match for your phase and probably better to test rather then wake up gray and old one morning on a park bench with a empty bottle of Jack Daniels.  

Edited August 6, 2020 by DIDego

[Farnaby]

I have no personal experience with AA but what you said is what I've heard a lot from AA and similar organizations (the cult like aspect and also treating people like they have an illness that will stay with them for life instead of viewing the addiction as a coping mechanism). 

Personally, I don't agree with that idea of addiction. I think addiction is an attempt to cope with suffering. If you heal the traumas and suffering that's hidden beneath the addiction, I personally think you can completely overcome the addiction. Sure, some people are more impulsive and will tend to have more trouble with this, but I don't think it's impossible.

However, I've also seen many people (myself included, just not with alcohol) lying to themselves through thoughts like: "maybe I can learn to consume X in moderation". While it's true that you may be able to do it, you've got to be careful, because this can easily be the addicted part of yourself that's talking. 

IMO you need a long period of abstinence before being able to drink in moderation. And you need to discover what you're trying to avoid through the drinking, start facing it and creating healthier habits in your daily life. 

As I said, I don't know too much about AA but I think they do a good job in helping you stay sober long enough so you can incorporate these helathier habits. 

 

[Arcangelo]

Hi my name is Arcangelo and I am an alcoholic. On December I will be 9 years sober.

I never went to AA. I knew about the higher power BS, fuck that!

I am my own higher power.

22 hours ago, Forestluv said:

meetings that have deleted out all god references to make it more secular

Yeah find those meetings.

[DIDego]

@Arcangelo 9 Years