Meetings

[Craig A.]

I have a question to ask you. If you were not able to make your meetings as you normally would, how would you react and how would you manage until your schedule returns to normal?

[yukonm]

Hi Craig,
There was a period when I suffered from depression and wouldn't leave my home. I supplemented my program with online meetings and forums. Actually that's how I found CRF and a few other sites where I am still active. I had ton's of phone numbers and made sure that I stayed connected with my AA family. I called it 'telephone therapy'. By the grace of God, the depression lifted and I began attending my meetings again but I still attend online meetings occasionally and have remained active with my online circle of support. Online recovery and the telephone was my lifeline when I wasn't attending meetings.

[sioux]

Great post!

I got sober, got married, got kids, graduated college, got part time work...I got busy doing life all of a sudden, and I ended going to different meetings that revolved around a very busy schedule. Having a home group was not possible at that time.

There were only a few meetings that offered child care, and those were the ones that I went to.

I also supplemented online recovery for the real live deal until my schedule at home was more accommodating. I also manned a shift for our local hotline.

It was tough going for a few years I have to admit. I had a good sponsor, but she dropped me because I could not make meetings a priority in her opinion. Of course she didn't have children and her husband worked normal hours. I was sponsorless for a few years, and really had no friends in recovery. No parents to help with babysitting. It was a long, lonely time. Looking back, I don't know how I made it other than to say I had developed a working relationship with my Creator that saw me through.

I took a really hard road, but as I remember it I didn't get sober to not have a life. I went when I could, and attending different meetings strengthened me in ways that are hard to explain. But G-d willing if I don't pick up between now an the 14th, I'll celebrate 18 years of continuous sobriety, so I will call my path a fair exchange for sucessful, somewhat reasonably happy life.

[Jay Bee]

I will be forever grateful to my sponsor and predecessors, Early in my recovery they taught me to stay connected. Connacted to the spiritrul principles of the program. They say meeting makers make it, then life shows up, life on life terms, NOW what am I to do, I WILL USE THE PHONE!!!:15:

[DavidNOLA]

I go when I can. I would like to go everyday but that is not always possible. I don't beat myself up over it. When I have, it usually turned into me playing director with loved ones and the show did not go over so well. My family needs me at times and I have to practice my principles in those affairs as well. I believe Bill. W said that we need to become citizens again. Accepting the world that we rejected and the one that we thought had rejected us. There is a great big world out there for us to enjoy too.
Our daily reprieve is contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. I believe as long as I remember that and remember to do what started all this,one alcoholic talking to another alcoholic, on a daily basis then I am gonna be in a good place.
And chances are I will make quite a few meetings. Or work with a sponsee or meet my sponsor for coffee.
Or reach out with kindness elsewhere in my life in order to make up for those amends I can't make.
I also believe plugging into the literature is very important. Lots of great books for us to read and remind us of what we are and what we need to do to stay sober.
Love reading Grapevione too. It's a meeting in print!

[sioux]

YES the Grapevine!!!

[zoomie]

When I was going to school, working and taking care of the kids, I could not always go to a meeting. Right now too it seems that too much is going on in my life to make more meetings. I come here or on other sites to help keep me sain and sober. There will always be people in the meetings who say your not working your program if you do not make it to meetings,but I think it's bull crap. I get a lot more out of talking about my day or what the program means to me on line than I do at meetings. I'm not meeting bashing,but at my meetings you have to talk a certain way in order for people not to flame you,so i don't talk at all most times. I'n my book it does not matter how you stay sober, it's if you do stay sober even if it's only on line forums such as this. I say live life and do what you need to do even if you do have to miss a few meetings to get things done.

[Leadfoot]

I choose to believe what the book says. The book says that we need a "Spiritual Awakening" to recover from alcoholism. We are given specific instructions pertaining to how this "Spiritual Awakening" comes about. None of the instructions say anything about meetings.
Therefore, we take 12 steps and focus on 10-11-12 on a daily basis. Not that I don't go to meetings but I sure aren't relying on them to stay sober. God help me if I do.

[BIG AL]

Leadfoot is right we dont rely on meeting to stay sober.BUT If I do get out on my own and dont make meetings I can get left to my own devices and start forgetting what I am and drink.Like a deer being picked off by a tiger that has staryed from the heard.We do what we can I work shift work and make meeting here and there I still have home group but I make meeeitngs all over town.I can stay connected right here from home and work.Make calls let someone know how I am feeling and reading the big book.I can sit in a meeting and look across at the newcomer and remember that But for the grace of god there go I.I have stopped the meetings at time and I can get pretty crazy start thinking I am not like yall and I am in trouble.Good Topic.

[Craig A.]

Good comments, my sponsor told me the same thing The book says that we need a "Spiritual Awakening" to recover from alcoholism & meetings but I sure aren't relying on them to stay sober.--Leadfoot. My sponsor would tell me in the early years all you had was maybe a meeting once a week and you might have to drive to get there, he said people stayed sober not get sober, it is all about working the program in our daily lives! In the beginning I did go to 5-7 meetings a week if not more but I was in a half-way house and they told me be a dry sponge and soak it up, I did. Today I realize meetings are there for help mine and yours but use them wisely!My ex-girlfriend would always say the meeting begins when the meeting ends! Take what we learn and pratice it. Thank you all for your comments and letting me share!!! God bless!!!