re: Do any of y'all go to AA/NA/CR meetings or worked the steps?

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This is where a ton of people fall off, sit down this weekend and finish it all. It’s imperative to get through it quick

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Agreed. The longer you frick around on 4 the more negative thoughts will be in your head. Get all that shite out and on paper so you can proceed with 5. A lot of people relapse because they don’t do 4 in a timely manner. It doesn’t have to perfect because you’ll start taking daily inventory soon enough but that also doesn’t mean it’s a loophole to skip parts.

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I never went to one AA meeting after I left Palmetto. I just didn't feel like I needed it. I'm an atheist so the whole "higher power" thing was something I just couldn't do.

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I use the room itself as my higher power. The community is a greater power than just myself

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Most AA meetings don't mind if you bring up drugs now a days. Some old school ones will chime in if someone goes on war storying about drugs and all the details about it. They will make a comment like "please keep your share related to alcohol" so the drug addicts will just use the word "alcohol" in their verbiage to avoid this if they're in an AA meeting


I've been attending meetings for nearly 4 years now and I've never understood what the issue with them being intermingled is. Thankfully at my home group we are extremely relaxed about this kind of thing. Hell at that group they have 4 AA meetings a week and there's more people there with drug issues than drink issues regardless

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I used to do some volunteer work with the EAP at work, a common theme among the people in the group was that AA meetings were boring and depressing and he NA meetings were a lot more fun and funny to go to, even if booze was their drug of choice

And they really like hugging lol

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Incorrect. Closed meetings are only for those with a desire to stop drinking. Open meetings are for those with a desire to stop drinking, family, guests or those unsure. I know you’re new to recovery so I won’t be a hard arse about it but you need to grab a 12 and 12 and read the traditions. Especially as it pertains to singleness of purpose.

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Huh that's not how they explained it to me. I looked up on aa and looks like that's true though. I've never seen anybody (kids etc) kicked out of a meeting and when they shut the person down for talking about drugs they said bc it was a closed meeting. Weird

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I never went to one AA meeting after I left Palmetto. I just didn't feel like I needed it. I'm an atheist so the whole "higher power" thing was something I just couldn't do. I completely changed my life though and haven't had a drink in almost 8 years. I know AA helps a lot of people but it just wasn't for me and I don't think everyone needs it to quit drinking or drugs.

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Plenty of atheist in AA who have found away around the whole "higher power" issue. There's even a chapter in the big book addressed to the atheist/agnostic to help them work through the program without contradicting their beliefs. My thoughts on it is it's not so important to pick a higher power as it is to admit we are powerless over alcohol. By definition at that point you are admitting that something is a higher power than you due to being powerless. It's all about reducing ego and accepting that there are many things in life we flat can't control

I think it's important for me to note that very few people, if any, ever completely reduce ego and fully accept the things they cannot control. As "how it works" says, it's about progress not perfection

Regardless of any of that, happy for you that you seem to have found some peace and serenity

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Our meeting really only does 2 prayers. The serenity prayer at the beginning and the Lord's Prayer at the end

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That’s what most around here do, although I’ve seen a few with different ending ones,

So how do you get a sponsor? Do you just ask anybody? What does a sponsor do? Sorry if it’s a dumb question but I plan on going to AA soon and would like to know how it works before I go.

When you go to your first meeting identify yourself as a newcomer to the people running the meeting. Tell them that you'd like to get a sponsor and ask who has a good deal of time in the program (at least 5 years). Sometimes an old timer will take on a new comer on a temporary basis.

Your sponsor is there to answer questions; make suggestions; and guide you through the steps.

Good luck to you!

When I started in AA for the first time in 1985 I used to go to the lawyers meeting. It was very strange seeing colleagues and judges in them.

I heard of the pilots meeting, but no one (other than pilots) were ever allowed.

In 1994 I thought I had it beat and went back to drinking. That didn't end well. I am one of the lucky/fortunate/blessed who got a second chance in 1995 and have been sober since.

The sponsors that I had over the years were not lawyers or white collar folks - I had down to earth, no-bullshite blue collar guys who would call me out and teach me in a very down to earth manner. It was a humbling experience for me. I always thought that I was the one who could solve anyone's problems, but I gave myself over to folks who were able to put me in my place. Those guys saved my life.