Addiction & Recovery

I tried everything, doctor, counseling, medication, detox, but AA was my last stop. I met the wonderful woman who became my AA sponsor at my second meeting and she listened to me and told me what to do. I started going to meetings with her and to those she recommended - and I started making friends. I started giving rides to meetings and made some friends that way.

But it didn't happen for me overnight like it does for some, I went to my first meeting in late November 2008 and my sobriety date is April 30, 2009. And I did get discouraged, wish I could access a post I made on DU.2 where I said I wasn't doing well. But what worked for me were the friends I met and learning from others who talked about what worked for them. I particularly liked literature meetings, they taught me a lot, still do.

In the beginning I questioned AA since all they did was talk about alcohol, which I was trying to avoid. But I had gone through a long sober period in the past, but I forgot, and I don't want to forget again. And I still go to meetings, though some I liked a lot have closed due to the pandemic. But I've now been going long enough that I can run into supportive friends at pretty much any local meeting.

And I can empathize, I couldn't do it my myself, either. That's how AA works, those who get sober pay it forward and that's what I try to do today. What I say to anyone starting out is that if I can do it, anyone can. It's a group effort and you just have to hang in there, that's what I did. I sure know what you're going through, I've been there, too.