New. Glad I found you all.

[MadameM]

5 days sober, lifetime to go.

I hope I can find some support here, and offer some as well. I do not like going to meetings, I am somewhat of a social recluse. Atleast while sober, haha.

Thank you for having me!

[Susan53]

Good to have you here.

Stay around

[Mike O]

Hi Madame,

Welcome to the group. Great to have you with us.
Have you been reading your Big Book? Begun working the 12 Steps?

-Mike

[Lali]

I am somewhat of a social recluse. Atleast while sober

I was too but it gets alot easier. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to stay sober. And, by the way, you don't have a lifetime to go - just today. One day at a time. If you want access to the Big Book online, here is the link: http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_tableofcnt.cfm And good for you for 5 days sober!

[Frankie]

Welcome MadameM !

[MadameM]

Day 6.

Thank you for the Big Book link. Going to start reading tonight. I've read it before, but I stumbled years ago thinking I had this under control. Back to the basics.

[Tosh]

I've read it before, but I stumbled years ago thinking I had this under control.

Given that history, you should be easily able to get a deep understanding of the word 'Powerless' in Step 1.

Although I did drink again after my first A.A. meeting, it always surprises me when I meet someone who tells me something like "It was 16 years from my first A.A. meeting till my last drink!".

I'm always like, "Talk about powerlessness! Sheeeeesh!"

[Frankie]

Day 6.

Thank you for the Big Book link. Going to start reading tonight. I've read it before, but I stumbled years ago thinking I had this under control. Back to the basics.

I am so grateful when members share things like this. Thank you!! There are days when I think I have "control" of a lot of things, but I am shortly notified I don't. Back to the statement, I don't want to have to get sober again, if I have another one in me, so I'm trying to live The Program. The Big Book and 12 & 12, for me, has to be a part of me, daily. I can, maybe, count the number of days I have not touch our literature.

I am grateful for the gift of desperation.

Glad you back!!

[RustyS]

Welcome MadameM. Congratulations on your sobriety. Meetings are tough on people like me too. I'm really shy in real life. In the Big Book it says that you have to be willing to go to any length for sobriety. It's hard for me to go to the meetings. When they go around the room for each person to talk I start sweating and my pulse races. Most of the time I just say my name, say I'm an alcoholic, and say, "I think I'll pass this time." I'm better talking one-on-one with people. At the meetings is where I met my sponsor though. I highly recommend getting a sponsor and working the 12 steps. It really works.

--Rusty

[catkins73]

Before reading this post I want you to consider the following: If you read any attempts from myself at humor while describing my condition and how I deal with it, please know that I don't take alcoholism lightly. I don't think it's funny and I don't think what alcoholics and their family suffer with is funny. It is not. I deal with tough situations through humor. It's a defense mechanism, that's all. So with that...





Hello Rusty!, I'm joe & I'm an alcoholic.

I have been an alcoholic for 18 years. I drank a case of beer every night and I can't stop on my own. I had finally admited this to myself several years ago but because of my fear of the unknown sober life, I had always struggled with going to a meeting. Over the course of several years I have lost my apartment, my job, my car and now but for the grace of god have my familly who has taken me in to live with them for the past 2 years. The past 4 months I had really started to consider going to aa but always found an excuse not to go. My excuse usually was as follows: "hey self, want to go deal with your problems......or, you could just go sit out on the back patio and punish a case of milwaukee's best light? Ok then, beer it is!"

After several months of research on this forum as well as through the aa's web site, I came to the conclusion that I can't keep doing this to myself first, but also my family second. I was going to attend a meeting. But first, I wanted to do some research regarding how detox was going to affect my health. This is where I discovered Post Alcohol Withdrawl Syndrom (PAWS) and all of the good times it can bring into your life. Well, still determined to go to a meeting I knew I must first see my local physician due to already being on meds for anxiety and high blood preasure. On top of that I owed the doc some money from previous lab work and couldn't make an apointment for 1 1/2 weeks. This actually worked out pretty good because I had some vacation time from work set aside around then and could detox from home (hopefully) this week.

So yesterday after seeing the doc I went to a 6pm meeting. Wow! What an eyeopener. During my first step, one of the guys handed me my copy of the big book and said "you'll read this and think someone has been following you around for the past 18 years and also has the ability to read your mind and that this person wrote a book all about you." I'm on chapter 3 and he was spot on. Unbelievable.

I've got a long ways to go and haven't even began to feel the bouts with the detox yet, but am commited to succeed no matter what. For those of you reading these boards and are wondering if AA is woth a shot, it is.

Go to a meeting. Good times.

Peace.

[MadameM]

Hi Joe, welcome.

I still haven't gone to a meeting. I've been sober a week. A whole week. Had some cravings tonight. Thank goddess for Halloween candy, lol.

I know its only a matter of time, I need to go to a meeting and find a sponsor.

I can't be a social recluse forever.

[ann2]

After several months of research on this forum

Fantastic to hear from you. Thanks so much for this amazing share. Bless you! and belated welcome

Ann

[Frankie]

Thanks joe and Welcome!

[RustyS]

Hi Joe, and welcome!

[LadyByrd]

Welcome to you both

LB