I have 5 years clean and haven't been to a meeting since my 2nd week. The 12-Steps are always included in treatment, and meeting attendance is essential, but I absolutely hated it. I have since met lots of other people, most of them with the same experience as I had. I was just curious as to what other people thought?
2007-04-19 09:04:48 · 9 answers · asked by AODAbuse 2 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
Thank you to everyone who has answered so far. I'm actually finishing up my degree in dug and alcohol counseling next week, and currently work with adolescents. I know a lot of people who are in recovery, and most of them have attended AA/NA. It wasn't until recently that I have met people with similar experiences to my own with the meetings - feeling really suffocated and pressured to believe that without the steps, you're doomed - and I was curious if others felt the same way. If you go and it works for you - DO IT! I'm not trying to badmouth anything. And for the woman with 4 months sobriety - CONGRATULATIONS!! That IS a long time!!!!!! Keep up the good work!
2007-04-19 14:16:19 · update #1
I was in AA several times for a few months over a 20 year period. I feel it hindered me from getting sober.
First off, I received NO support. Once I told people I wanted to know how to work the program as an atheist, I was shunned, ganged up on by those who thought they could convert me, yelled at, and told to go back to drinking until I was desperate enough to start hitting my knees.
Unfortunately, I picked up some of their dogma along the way, powerlessness, the disease theory, that I couldn't do it without them and I couldn't be one of them until I started believing in God.
It wasn't until I turned my back on AA and got therapy for depression that I was able to stay sober. It will be 6 years in July.
I've been working with people who have a dual diagnosis and run the "without_aa" yahoo group.
2007-04-19 14:02:02 · answer #1 · answered by raysny 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My experience has been quite positive. I'd been drinking for 25 years and nothing I ever did on my own to get sober did any good, at least not for more than a few weeks . . . but I started going to AA meetings in 1998 and have been sober ever since. I really do credit AA for my sobriety, and I don't find the program or the meetings negative or depressing at all. Drinking every day whether I wanted to or not . . . now THAT was depressing!
For the most part, the meetings I go to are extremely positive, and people talk about how they live a happy sober life, not how their drinking ruined them, or how terrible it is to muddle through the days without drinking. Most people, except for extreme newcomers, are very grateful for the program and to have their lives, health and relationships back.
Now, is it a perfect program? No. Is it the "only way" to get sober, as some people claim? No. Does everyone who tries it get sober? No. But for me, it worked, and I've seen it work for many others too; in fact I stood in the Skydome in Toronto a couple of years ago with 75,000 people from around the world who were sober because of AA. So I'll keep going!
2007-04-19 11:43:56 · answer #2 · answered by Helen W. 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
As with any addiction, people in AA tend to neglect their friends and families to attend meetings. I went a few times as a teen. I realized that these people may have conquered their addiction to alcohol and replaced it with group meetings and 12 steps. The same thing can be done with just about anything, but there are so many things that are more positive than AA, like the gym, or volunteer work, even knitting or reading.
2007-04-19 09:27:05 · answer #3 · answered by Anne 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I go with my boyfriend every now and then- it reminds me of church - only it's OK to cuss.
I'm not an addict - but my boyfriend is (sober for 3 years).
There have been a couple of times I just wanted to cry from hearing some of these peoples stories.
Addiction is a very deteriorating disease - I can understand why you wouldn't like the meetings but you just never know how your being there can affect someone else who needs that meeting more than you do - each life touches so many others - you have a chance to be helpfull to others who probably have it worse than you do -
2007-04-19 09:26:17 · answer #4 · answered by Kaybee 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I actually got a lot from listening to the other people there. I sat in the back and didn't say anything...just listened. Many of the people who had years of being sober told some awesome stories and I heard a lot of people there who were worse off than me. I thought it was well worth going and the 12 steps help in just everyday life. Congratulations on 5 years clean. That's quite an accomplishment and I wish you well in the future.
2007-04-19 09:23:23 · answer #5 · answered by vanhammer 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I absolutely agree with you. I felt every AA or similar program seemed to be a bunch of people sharing there misery instead of bringing strength and peace of mind.
There is a huge need for a program with better organization
that promotes strength, health and the positive
No one who is suffering will feel better after hearing other people talk about how low they got....
2007-04-19 09:18:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I've been with my dads girlfriend before. If you make friends within the club it seems alot better. Try a differnt club maybe.
2007-04-19 09:09:34 · answer #7 · answered by Meara 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I went with my x-husband several times and it was not what its cracked up to be. It was a bunch of people standing around with coffee cups and cigarrettes. I really couldn't wait to get out of there.
2007-04-19 09:13:32 · answer #8 · answered by carrie 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
hated it!
i had much more positive success with one-on-one couciling
and i have very supportive friends
2007-04-19 09:56:57 · answer #9 · answered by mrlucky 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋