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.
Hi. I wonder if I can be of some help on this site. I have a lot of experience with addiction/alcoholism and recovery. My latest clean date is Oct. 28th, 2002. I was also clean from 6-88 to 12-94, and from 4-98 to 9-02. It has been a hell of a long haul and I am lucky to be alive as well as not having injured anyone else too badly. Alcoholism sucks and it is hard to beat. I read rational recovery and it reminded me of the "just say no" approach to keep kids from using drugs. It's not enough for me. I am a hard core addict who went so far as to stick needles in my arms. I am a black out drunk and my last drinking spree was so scary it only lasted 48 days. Alcohol got a hold of me and I was it's slave until I dragged myself back to AA and threw myself into their program even though it's a brainwashing technique I abhor.
You see, for whatever reason I drank, I drank and it put me to sleep. AA gives people an awakening. I needed that. The support cannot be matched. It is all over the world. But I am an atheist and not much into deluding my thinking more than I already do. AA is clearly not my cup of tea. Unfortunately man can fly to the moon, but the 12 steps are the best option if someone as bad as me wants to recover and stay alive. There are many like me and most go back to drinking or insanity or both.
The good thing about AA is after my brain was washed I got to hang dry it. In the meantime it kept me sober. AA doesn't prove there's a God but it does suggest a little bit about how the brain operates. I will keep going to meetings to help the next alcoholic, especially the next atheist alcoholic. They are experts on staying sober. In any situation there is a room full of people who have gone through every kind of shit you can imagine and stay sober.
I guess it's a question only myself can answer as to whether I believe in the medical model of addiction and I do for me. Once I drink I am off and running and I cannot quit till alcohol is done with me. Something goes on physically for me, I believe. If all we had to do was say no, then so many people would not die, kill others, or go insane from this "disease". I tend to think rational recovery takes a back seat to the direness of the situation.
Anyhow, I'm doing great. I have no urge to be an alcoholic again at this time. A person needs to have a chance. If you can awaken from the slumbering alcoholic state for long enough, you have a good chance to go on and get inspired to live awake again. So don't be afraid to go to AA where there are rooms full of every type of alcoholic you can think of, and give yourself a chance. I know I need the help. I probably always will. As an atheist, I have found a valuable roll in AA too.
Anything I can do for you, helps me too, and I truly admire people who have trouble with AA. "God" knows I do! lol.
You see, for whatever reason I drank, I drank and it put me to sleep. AA gives people an awakening. I needed that. The support cannot be matched. It is all over the world. But I am an atheist and not much into deluding my thinking more than I already do. AA is clearly not my cup of tea. Unfortunately man can fly to the moon, but the 12 steps are the best option if someone as bad as me wants to recover and stay alive. There are many like me and most go back to drinking or insanity or both.
The good thing about AA is after my brain was washed I got to hang dry it. In the meantime it kept me sober. AA doesn't prove there's a God but it does suggest a little bit about how the brain operates. I will keep going to meetings to help the next alcoholic, especially the next atheist alcoholic. They are experts on staying sober. In any situation there is a room full of people who have gone through every kind of shit you can imagine and stay sober.
I guess it's a question only myself can answer as to whether I believe in the medical model of addiction and I do for me. Once I drink I am off and running and I cannot quit till alcohol is done with me. Something goes on physically for me, I believe. If all we had to do was say no, then so many people would not die, kill others, or go insane from this "disease". I tend to think rational recovery takes a back seat to the direness of the situation.
Anyhow, I'm doing great. I have no urge to be an alcoholic again at this time. A person needs to have a chance. If you can awaken from the slumbering alcoholic state for long enough, you have a good chance to go on and get inspired to live awake again. So don't be afraid to go to AA where there are rooms full of every type of alcoholic you can think of, and give yourself a chance. I know I need the help. I probably always will. As an atheist, I have found a valuable roll in AA too.
Anything I can do for you, helps me too, and I truly admire people who have trouble with AA. "God" knows I do! lol.
I don't have a well defined spirituality and I believe that is partly why I have struggled, but I don't think I need a God - I just something outside myself because I don't believe "myself" can keep me sober, at least not now. I do believe some other people can keep themselves sober.
Here's an interesting book that many of my AA friends are reading. I am waiting for my own copy to check it out.
http://www.amazon.com/The-12-Step-Buddhist-Recovery-Addiction/dp/1582702233/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356974678&sr=8-1&keywords=buddhist+12+steps
If the link doesn't work, it is just called "The 12-step Buddhist". If you do a search on Amazon, there are many other books listed. This is just one example of a non-religious approach to recovery.
I have recently been reading Waiting: A Nonbelievers Higher Power by Marya Hornbacher and have found it very helpful. Would recommend to anyone whatever their beliefs as for me it really expands the spirituality within the steps.
Certainly in the north and I think all of UK we dont say "the Lords Prayer" Dont know if we ever did in the UK but i'm glad we dont
I have been at the ocasional meeting were someone share's in what sounds to me like religion To be honest it makes me feel a little uncomfortable Not saying it's right to feel that way but its only very rarely. so i'm comfortable in meetings but maybe I would not be so comfortable in the American meetings for that reason no offence intended I love USA and so many good friends on here
The Lords Prayer was said at some of the meetings too. Up in the north near Canada now. They all use the Lords Prayer and God is touted in every single meeting. Makes me so uncomfortable. It is like the elephant in the living room all over again.
Now here's the thing - in the 12 and 12 it says that every time I am disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with me.
I used to "hate"/fear that statement because it took me some time to understand it. I often read Step 10 in the 12 and 12 because I've had a lot of trouble fitting myself to "what is" rather than I would have it be.
A couple of things going on - my parents used to punish me if they caught me swearing as a kid (fear) and I love God (now) and my conditioning said the two just did not go.
Maybe they don't but that is not the point. It's none of my business, truly. Today I can just accept that is how some people express themselves. The way they express themselves when they share like that may carry the message more powerfully to another alcoholic of a similar mindset.
I don't have to swear and I don't, I have that choice. I don't have a choice over other people's spirituality. I need to live and let live and work on not being judgemental in the process.
Problem solved.
Or...
Of course you could always do what I was taught very early on take what you need and leave the rest.
Oh, I have figured out what is wrong with me and why I'm disturbed. It is because I don't speak out enough!
Also, I am not in fear. Kinda lonely, but not fearful.
It is hard-and I think that I appreciated AA so much at the beginning for the people involved-not neccesarily the program.
I respect it now so much because I want everyone who is sick to get well. I have no real need to prove anything, and if I see this helps a lot of folks I am so happy for that. But many years ago I decided to go my seperate way from the program.
I think you need to ask yourself, can you comprimise your differences and go along with the key points of the program? Will this be the best thing for you? And will it help others around you?
I also left because I found myself asking pressing questions and seemed to frustrate some folks. I did not want that and it was another reason why the AA program was not for me.I had no interest in having philosophical discussions on points that in others minds were not to be questioned. I felt this idea of the program being perfect was too much of a religious bend in that respect, so again...not for me.
THink about if you can put some things aside or not. I always ask this question: Is it good for my sobriety and inner peace? The answer guides me.
What if the elements are gods? That is even easier for me to believe. Everyone is thanking god for the end of the drought when the rain drops themselves deserve the communication. All is over looked when we decide to believe we know how it works. We don't. We might someday IF we always kept in mind that we don't right now. The religious battles sicken me. I want no part.
But like you, I will never tell an alcoholic not to go. I IS still the best game in town. But there is a part of me that always feels like it is my duty because of my own experience to keep the dialoge going. How I wish someone was there, open, and brave enough to be having that dialoge in the rooms before the first time I became un-enchanted with "how it works" and went at it alone until I drank again for 4 more years, and deserted my children, and killed off more brain cells.