If you've ever been in AA, please answer this....?!
Question: I was in AA for 14 months with a sponsor, I chaired meetings, worked the steps, tried to understand the concept of "A Higher Power." After 14 months, I started drinking 1 or 2 beers every 2 weeks or so....this has been going on for 3 months. I have stopped going to meetings, etc., I feel like I am "fine". The reason I went in the first time is because I binged once a month and made stupid choices. I think I can now stick to 1 or 2 and stop.
Answers: I was in AA for 14 months with a sponsor, I chaired meetings, worked the steps, tried to understand the concept of "A Higher Power." After 14 months, I started drinking 1 or 2 beers every 2 weeks or so....this has been going on for 3 months. I have stopped going to meetings, etc., I feel like I am "fine". The reason I went in the first time is because I binged once a month and made stupid choices. I think I can now stick to 1 or 2 and stop.
If you stopped going to the meetings that should give you your answer....why did you stop...b/c you didnt want to say you have been drinking?...b/c you know its wrong?....EXACTLY!....if you had a problem once it could easily come back and you shouldnt do anything to help that...especially if you recognize you had that problem and did so well with coping and handling it for so long....you should know better...think about all the stuff that came outta that problem....do you want that to come back...ask yourself this and figure out whether or not you should have a few b/c you feel "fine"....Oh and this is coming from experience bro my mother was an abusive alcoholic...she went to AA for years...thought she was ok to have a few...then she reverted back to her old ways and drank herself to death...Alcohol is the devil!....it makes good people do horrible things and not so good people do even worse things...just dont do it!...if its just a few and your not addicted again then this shouldnt be a problem...im prayin for ya mate!...-Sloan
Sometimes we need to do more research to figure out whether we're an alcoholic or not. Just know that when you're done researching AA will still be there, and there are millions of people who don't need a beer, ever, to feel like they are "fine".
Either you are in denial about your problem or you haven't really hit bottom yet.
If you can truly drink 1/2 beers a week than bully for you. Come back in a few months and let us know that you are still only drinking 1/2 beers a week.
If you find the amount has increased and you start making "stupid choices" again than maybe you might want to rethink that "I can control it this time" Bull.
AA replaces one crutch with another. If it works for some people, that's great, better a joiner then a drunk. But in most cases, if you can quit with AA, you can quit on your own.
You've touched on a growing topic of debate amongst people who treat substance abuse/dependency. Most programs advocate total abstinence. AA fits into this category. I would say, for the majority of people with alcoholism, this is the best bet because it can become a slippery slope, starting with one or two beers and quickly resulting in a case. Others advocate more of a mindful moderation approach, which is sort of what you are doing. There are people that are very militant on both sides. I suppose its possible that you could be one of those people who can return to a position of being able to be mindful of the amount you consume but without knowing you personally or your history, I am reluctant to say thats the way to go.
I would say, that whatever you decide to do its worth considering why it is you started drinking again. What was the attraction? What are the pros and cons of drinking again? I would actually write your answers down and think about them for a while. And then I would take them to a family member or friend without a susbtance problem and show them, get their opinion and be honest about the things that happened, the "stupid decisions" when you were drunk. If you decide continuing with this moderate approach is what you want, I advise getting on board with a group with that approach so that you have someone else with a history of problematic drinking to look out for you and raise the flag if you start getting into trouble. There are multiple groups out there...put moderate alcohol programs into google and they will pull a number of options up.
For my part though, I usually advocate the AA route.
Well the 1st step as you know is "when your life becomes unmanagable" & honestly that's different for every person....so when & if the pain get's great enough then you'll need or do something to address it......but the whole "higher power" thing is just a positive coping mechanism to look to something greater than yourself to help you in the tough times when you can't help yourself.....good luck & take care........
I suggest you talk to the person who was sponsoring you or someone else from the group. They know you better than we do. I have heard on the grapevine that sometimes a few people who are alcoholics or addicts may tend to manipulate the truth and the facts--just the slightest bit, you know--to make things seem the way they want them to be.
been in aa for about 2months then they said i was good. when you have trouble being with out alcohol or inteferes with your normal routine then thats when its a factor, but occasional drinks here and there for dinner, attenting events, etc you should be fine, enjoy.
You didn't mention HOW you came to be at an AA meeting. Without that information, any answer is pure guess-work.