To all the friends that attend AA meetings,
We understand that what you are going through isn’t the easiest thing in the world.
Alcohol addiction does have its many difficulties and it can impact your life in so many ways. It can affect your personal and professional life and also leave lasting impact and damage if it is not dealt with as soon as possible.
In terms of your personal life, this can affect your habits and your lifestyle. Alcohol is a depressant and, though drinking can give temporary happiness, there is a sudden crash after a lot of alcohol intake. You start feeling the blues and it makes you eventually spiral into depression. Alcohol, by nature, also takes away all of our inhibitions so it can cause you to be rougher, rowdier, ruder, more frank. All of the self-control that I see from your day-to-day starts to disappear and it’s causing a strain on your relationships.
I have also seen you try to quit on your own and it has caused you many troubles.
You have been dealing with a lot of the withdrawal symptoms that can come from stopping your alcohol use or trying to quit from substance abuse. Suddenly not using the substances that you used to rely on so much has caused you to become irritable. You start to blow-up at even the smallest of things. This can even manifest itself in cold sweats, nausea, vomiting, and your hands may start to shake a lot accompanied with a lot of anxiety. On their own, these withdrawal symptoms are bad enough but they don’t always come on their own. Multiple symptoms can occur at a given time and make things so much more difficult to deal with. It is a good thing, then, that you have recently taken to attending AA meetings to help you fully recover.
We acknowledge that attending AA meetings is a constant effort.
Once you start attending AA meetings, we understand that it can take a lot of effort to keep going. No step is easy and each one you take is a milestone that allows you to go even farther. The first step that you have to take is to reach out and find any AA meeting near you. Once you have started, you will be introduced to the 12 Traditions of AA or the 12 Steps of AA. These tenets or concepts will be crucial to your full recovery and continued participation with the group.
Your first time can definitely be a daunting one. You might not know anyone in the group and it certainly is a big step to admit to yourself that you are an alcoholic that needs help. It is one of the few requirements of being a member of the Alcoholics Anonymous organization. You have to be an alcoholic who wants to stay sober. There are no hidden membership fees or payments that you need to make. The only thing that you will need is a willingness to learn and to listen.
Soon, things can definitely get easier for you as you keep attending AA meetings. You could find a sponsor – somebody who is knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with sobering up. They will be able to impart a lot of knowledge to you about their own personal journey. Having a sponsor also has the added benefit of having someone check-up on you when needed and they are available to you to talk to and receive advice from, especially in the really difficult moments where a bottle of alcohol can be very tempting.
So you should do your best for now because your best is enough.
We understand that you started going to AA meetings because you needed the strength to stand and get through the difficulties of your alcoholism. You can always find a safe space with AA meetings which is why there is always an AA meeting near you. You can browse our sight and look through our directory of AA meetings to get yourself started.
Being in the comfort of a kind and understanding AA group is definitely a good way to receive the proper amount of support that you need. The good news is that there is always a location around the states for you to be able to attend any open AA meetings. Eventually, once you have made some progress, it is also a good idea to look through the photos or memories. If you would like to know how far you have come, you can always check out our sobriety calculator to see how far along you’ve come.