Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
The truth is that I didn't wake up one day and think oh I have a drinking problem, I'm powerless, I must go to AA, head to a meeting and everything rosy from there. Might be like that for some people but not for me.
The journey that lead me to AA started years before and I tried many things to stop drinking before I ended up in AA. When I realised my drinking was a problem, these are some of the actions and thought processes I went through:-
Controlled drinking - didnt work
I am drinking because of problems, if I solve my problems I wont drink so much - didnt work
Will power - with and without help and a structured plan - didnt work
Alcoholism therapy - to identify my addictive voice, addictive personality etc so I could learn not to listen to it - didnt work
During all of this time I was 100% sure that I didnt want or need to go to AA.
All of these and more were really all about me finding out that I am powerless over alcohol.
You may be not be powerless over alcohol so one of these methods might work for you.
I was powerless so none of them did.
I ended up in AA and found out about powerlessness - I knew that was me - so the solution in AA is right for me. The solution is based on a spiritual awakening - connection to a higher power - because I don't have the power to stop drinking based on my own efforts.
If you do have the power then one of the other solutions will likely work.
Or you might be powerless but find another way to a spiritual awakening.
But if not and you are powerless and looking for a solution then AA might be the place for you.
If you are not sure then try some of the things I tried, and more that are available. If they work that is great but you will always know that if, like for me, all else fails there is a place where a well used solution is available.
The journey that lead me to AA started years before and I tried many things to stop drinking before I ended up in AA. When I realised my drinking was a problem, these are some of the actions and thought processes I went through:-
Controlled drinking - didnt work
I am drinking because of problems, if I solve my problems I wont drink so much - didnt work
Will power - with and without help and a structured plan - didnt work
Alcoholism therapy - to identify my addictive voice, addictive personality etc so I could learn not to listen to it - didnt work
During all of this time I was 100% sure that I didnt want or need to go to AA.
All of these and more were really all about me finding out that I am powerless over alcohol.
You may be not be powerless over alcohol so one of these methods might work for you.
I was powerless so none of them did.
I ended up in AA and found out about powerlessness - I knew that was me - so the solution in AA is right for me. The solution is based on a spiritual awakening - connection to a higher power - because I don't have the power to stop drinking based on my own efforts.
If you do have the power then one of the other solutions will likely work.
Or you might be powerless but find another way to a spiritual awakening.
But if not and you are powerless and looking for a solution then AA might be the place for you.
If you are not sure then try some of the things I tried, and more that are available. If they work that is great but you will always know that if, like for me, all else fails there is a place where a well used solution is available.
I overhead a couple of people talking about going to AA meetings. That's all I heard. Three weeks later I had one of the longest black-outs that I could remember...lol. to remember not remembering...lol
Guaranteed it wasn't funny at the time. I came to.....deathly ill, could only remember bits and pieces of the past two days. I managed to find a phone book......I didn't have a computer with internet back then. I called AA Central Office.
Extremely hung-over and still drunk from my binge, I walked through the doors to my very first meeting......
I agree whole-heartedly Nicky, there may be other solutions but for me the AA way was all I needed to set me on a path to freedom from the strong hold of alcohol.