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.
I was just reading a thread someone posted that's struggling and asking for help and advice with her alcoholism that's new here.
She received a lot of good feedback until someone had the nerve to private message her that this is a support group for people who are in AA and she should consider another group, this is totally false.
To think someone that's in recovery and suppose to be reaching out and help the suffering alcoholic say something like that is unreal. I have a good idea who its is always telling people that there way and AA is the only way, and if its not in the Big Book its a outside issue. This is the type of shit that kills people when reaching out seeking help. You should be ashamed of yourself. I found my way though AA and have to tell ya its things like this that gives AA a bad name.
I see it all the time on here people asking for advise and the same people tell them to go to AA even when its mention they want to seek something besides AA.
Rants over but please remember this tell people what your experience is instead of telling them what they need to do because that's the way you did it..
She received a lot of good feedback until someone had the nerve to private message her that this is a support group for people who are in AA and she should consider another group, this is totally false.
To think someone that's in recovery and suppose to be reaching out and help the suffering alcoholic say something like that is unreal. I have a good idea who its is always telling people that there way and AA is the only way, and if its not in the Big Book its a outside issue. This is the type of shit that kills people when reaching out seeking help. You should be ashamed of yourself. I found my way though AA and have to tell ya its things like this that gives AA a bad name.
I see it all the time on here people asking for advise and the same people tell them to go to AA even when its mention they want to seek something besides AA.
Rants over but please remember this tell people what your experience is instead of telling them what they need to do because that's the way you did it..
I'm hoping that the person who sent that pm will use the AA spiritual tools and do the next right thing - make direct amends to the OP by admitting they are wrong in what they said. There is such a thing as spiritual discipline, not just reading and thinking about it.
There is also DS "rules of the road" that can be accessed through the help tab at the top of the page for members and CLs who are volunteer members appointed by DS to be helpful to the general membership.
AA is not for everyone but we should all keep pulling in the same direction.
The group is very unbalanced with AA members apparently outweighing those who got sober in a different way. So come on people let's hear from you, let's make sure that the road is wider not narrower!!
As for the people who got sober in AA, they cannot really share anything other than their experience of getting sober in AA. I tried many things and finally found that AA was the only place for me. I'm not one of those people who thinks that you have to be chained to AA but AA is not the programme of recovery it is a fellowship and therefore this is where most of my friends (but not all) are.
The reality is that if tomorrow, I was suddenly not able to go to any meetings for ever, it would not necessarily mean that I would drink because recovery is about being in fit spiritual condition, so long as I stay that way and continue to grow, I will never drink again.
If I thought that I would need to go to meetings every day for the rest of my life I think I would check out of life. It is often hard on here to separate the fellowship from the programme of recovery.
Just because AA has worked for some people and they share that experience with others who are looking for help does not mean that those people are afraid or that without AA they have nothing. Only my own experience here but I believe that I could be happily sober without AA but I certainly could not get sober in the first place without AA. I go to meetings these days because I find it enjoyable and because I want to give something back to AA. My identity is certainly not tied into any group or programme but I am certainly glad that I do have a programme of recovery. Arrogance is something I am still working on and I would hope that I am not any worse than most in that respect.
I have been reading a thread elsewhere that started out with a good question but that has now descended into a horrible AA/ anti AA mud-slinging match and I pity anyone with a drinking problem who stumbles on to that confusion. Lets not have that happen here so that those with a drinking problem can calmly look at what has worked for others and make up their own minds about what they should do in their own case.
But by God's Grace Go I ...
I see that stopping drinking works for others (like both my parents who have never attended AA) and they seem happen enough too.
For me, I couldn't do it alone and I am glad it is a 'we' program. That said, as Serenity says, I don't need meetings today, I did to get the message first off, today I do need a power greater than myself and to stay in fit spiritual condition.
I am a grateful recovered alcoholic due to walking through the doors of AA and being willing to follow a few suggestions and steps....
God Bless
I think many that came here from time to time and found sobriety without AA found other ways to connect about there alcoholism . I have 5 different friends that I still stay connected with from here that never went to AA so yes like one of the founders mention "AA does not have a corner on recovery. Like I mentioned AA is how I found a better way of life but always have had a issue with some people promoting the program instead of attracting people to it. Big Difference.
There was a issue sometime ago with this very issue and that's why there was a sub-group formed called "aa spoken here" back in 2008 http://www.dailystrength.org/groups but for some reason doesn't get much activity not sure why maybe someone else can answer that?
I hope everyone has a great day and stays sober which ever way they choose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK3TIYG9mqM
I have read Reply #18 again and maybe Im missing something but I personally think that the poster has made good and valid points that relate to the subject covered in the thread. My own Reply #19 was in response to opinions that were expressed about people in AA of whom I am one and again in the interests of fairness, surely I have as much right to reply as the original poster had to express those opinions.
Anyone who claims that AA is the only path to sobriety is seriously deluded and I would think that with very few exceptions AA people would endorse any methods that work. People come on here to look for help and many will be confused and afraid. If telling such people that going to an AA meeting may help them is somehow wrong then I think that the purpose of the forum would be very limited indeed.
You wrote: There was a issue sometime ago with this very issue and that's why there was a sub-group formed called "aa spoken here" back in 2008 http://www.dailystrength.org/groups but for some reason doesn't get much activity not sure why maybe someone else can answer that? Well, maybe you need to look again at the sub-group in order to find the answer to that.
Without distracting in any way from the seriousness of what has happened, I do believe that more could be achieved if peoples language, including your own, was more temperate. With apologies for quoting those AA people, we should always remember that the primary purpose is to stay sober and to help others achieve sobriety by whatever methods.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0bNDvAG10o