AA Meetings

I remember what you were about to say, but only because I forgot to forget it. Okay, now I've forgotten to remember. Why do we even get out of bed?

Hey hey hey, what do you mean 'why do WE even get out of bed'? You cad, you you you scandal monger . Wait, what are we talking about?

GAWWWWD! We were talking about the exorbitant price of beds . . . I'm pretty sure. Either that or we were talking about why we wet the bed when we were kids.

Remember the good stuff, "It works if you work it", "Change faces and places" - especially on special days, "Keep coming back", and if things get funny/weird -"Find a meeting". One thing I use to do for bad dreams, meditate. A lot of time, I would meditate myself to sleep. I would also go to 3 or 4 meetings a day. A "Higher Power" makes things a lot better and easier. Finally, find a sponser.

Be patient. I suspect that it will be difficult in the beginning. I suspect that after more time have passed that it will become easier. Having a support system like AA can be very helpful. Be patient and give it time. Oh yeah, Happy Birthday. I hope you have many more.

Happy Belated Birthday Wishes Glitterbag!

I hope your Birthday was nice, I thought I responded to your comment on your birthday but looking back, I guess maybe not.

Hope you had a fine Birthday!

Mine was quiet, just the way I like it.

The 18th of this month will be my 3 month point.

Thanks for the support here people!

Every bit helps and, Happy Valentine's Day!

Good to know. The longer you stay dry, the easier it should get.

Great news, really great news.☘️

A cherry cobbler for Valentines Day

That looks yummy EhBeth!!!

Thanks again.

Still having drunk dreams, nearly every time I sleep I am drinking away.

It is such a relief to wake up knowing it was just my mind playing tricks on me.

Mine went on strong for 2 years and offand on for 5. I'll never forget the time about 3 years in that I had one so real that it took me a full week to get over it. I increased meetings that week for sure, still took a lot longer to get rid of the guilty feelings.....

Yes, guilt is associated with drunk dreams, it seems like the body's way of trying to force itself back into the inertia of bad habits.

Even within my dreams I will say to myself, "Oh gosh, I will have to start AA all over again!" While, waking up is a complete relief that it was all just an illusion.

I have some similar type of dream almost every night.

I am going on my fourth month in AA and only briefly have I considered what a nice tall refreshing drink might be like. Then I think of the possible consequences and reject any notion of partaking in the ritual.

Some of the people at AA are pressuring me to choose a sponsor but I am not always a likable person and I know I will bolt at the lightest bit of pressure from a sponsor.

It seems contradictory that on one hand they say not to engage in new romantic relationships but they sometimes pressure you to get a sponsor.

Though a sponsor is not romantic (in general) it is still a whole new set of circumstances to have to deal with on top of simply not drinking.

I am not going to get a sponsor for now, the rule book says the only requirement for attending AA is a desire to not drink.

I choose to keep things simple and not put myself into a pressure situation where I know myself too well, I will bolt and be gone and then I won't even have meetings to rely on.

I will take the constant chiding to get a sponsor in stride and consider it is people's way of trying to help...

But, drunk dreams are also a false guilt. I looked at it as a free trip at seeing how I would feel if I did twist off. The probability of making it the first time in AA is very low, now I have 27 years in a week and a day, on my first try. I did it with the help of those dreams, and of course, the program, meetings and all those other recovering alcoholics. As I've always said, one is only a recovered alcoholic when they are dead. Up until then it is a continuing effort of recovering.

I don't ever recommend not having a sponsor. They help, especially at those 2 am white knuckle periods. With that said, I didn't have a sponsor. Well, I did have one once for a very short period, maybe a couple of weeks at the most. I can't remember how/why it ended but I do know it wasn't for adverse reasons. I went to lots and lots of meetings for 5 years and I did lots of talking and listening. I considered meetings and all the people in them to be my sponsor. Once again, I don't recommend it; but, it did work for me. It works if you work it.

BTW, I saw people twist off because of sponsors too. So, it is a two way street. Sponsors create clicks that I have seen become bigger than the program. This always bothered me when I saw them. I suppose there are good ones, but I never saw one that was better than the program.

Five years of lots of meetings and then it seemed to get easier. I knew that at that point it was only easy until just one drink. If that happened it would have become harder than anything I can only imagine to obtain sobriety again. I have always felt I had only 1 chance!

I also found that meditation and exercise were very beneficial. I walked and walked and walked. Meditating as I walked, my mantra - "It works if you work it". And, I fell asleep at night meditating.

TheCobbler, I take one thing back, I never had a sponsor. I only sponsored one person. I remember now that I told him I would sponsor him on a temporary basis for a short period until he could find a permanent sponsor. I would always tell people that I would be available to them for emergency situations but would not be a long term sponsor. I did participate in many interventions, but that is a different story.

When it comes to sobriety, you find what works for you. If at some point down the road you want a sponsor, then that'll be when it happens. For many of us in recovery, the meetings are enough. Some need lots of literature, others have groups of friends they connect with and call when things are bad...or good, or even moving along on an even keel. There really isn't a wrong way to get and stay sober. If it works, then go with it.

Thank you both BillW and Sturgis for your sharing and inspiration.

Tonight is another meeting... another week and a day will make 4 months.

I love going to meetings, it is much better than a hangover, drinking alone and the fear of what could possibly go wrong...

I plan to remain without a sponsor but try to do it without hurting anyone's feelings. It is a tight rope act to continue to say no thanks but to also recognize the beautiful heart behind the requests.

If things change and I feel myself slipping I have a sheet of paper with a lot of phone numbers, I will make some calls 'til I get right again.

I can be a stubborn old mule but I also know myself well enough that I am better off not involving others too closely in my life.

I can admit my mistakes but not to a controlling individual, then it is merely a power play and I don't assume the fool role very well.

All I can do is be polite and try and be grateful that people care.

"Anger has a beginning, a middle and an end", I learned that tonight from a wise AA veteran.

I seem to get caught up a lot at the beginning stage, but life is about progressing and becoming a better person.

I am learning to recognize and ignore the beginning, give it time and change the energy, get in touch with less reactive emotions that can help me grow in more understanding and eventually, wisdom.

Good stuff!

Put a "d" before anger and you get danger. Anger's a bad thing to have for an alkie, leads to danger. (Got that from Harry B of Jersey a while back)