Grex Recovery Conference

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Grex Recovery Item 4: the AA/DIY split
Entered by void on Mon Oct 14 07:31:06 UTC 1996:

   there was an interesting question posed in item 1, and i think it merits
its own discussion. hokshila asked me why i'm not in aa/na, and i've noticed
that there seems to be a real split among people who are recovering via
12-step programs and those of us who are do-it-yourselfers.

5 responses total.

#1 of 5 by void on Mon Oct 14 07:48:04 1996:

   way back when, when i first started my recovery, i went to a few 12-step
program meetings and found that i really didn't get a whole lot out of them.
it seemed to me that a lot of people there had substituted an addiction to
meetings for the addiction to their substance of choice. i'm not knocking
twelve-step programs...if that's what keeps people sane and clean and sober
and gets them through the night, then more power to them. the meetings just
weren't for me. i was ready to stop hanging around with substance abusers and
focus on ways to keep my mind off getting blasted/stoned/whatever, and i found
that when i left meetings all i wanted to do was go off and find a nice quiet
place to relapse. rather than keep me from focusing on other ways to deal with
my life, i found that meetings got me back to focusing on what
drinking/tripping/whatever felt like, and how much i missed that feeling. so,
it seemed to me that i'd be better off not going to meetings and finding my
own ways of coping.

#2 of 5 by bluedog on Mon Apr 14 22:45:04 1997:

What about support from other recovering addicts?  I've found that if I
associate with people who continue to re-live their active addictive 
lifestyle, then when I get home I experience the pangs of wanting to 
use.

Meetings are what you make of them.  So is your life.

-mb

#3 of 5 by void on Tue Apr 15 19:54:48 1997:

   good question. i've found other recovering addicts and a host of
sympathetic but non-addicted friends who give me all the support they can when
i need it. on occasion, they've even let me tag along with them for days when
i felt i might relapse and needed someone to help keep me on an even keel.

#4 of 5 by moonowl on Wed Apr 16 17:11:07 1997:

And for me, I came to a time when I no longer experienced the euphoric recall
of using. When I go to meetings and here about other people using, I hear it
for what it is: a world of pain and lonliness. I no longer think of using,
but am grateful that I am clean and sober today.

#5 of 5 by jaklumen on Wed May 22 09:25:35 2002:

resp:3 see also item:12

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