Let us resist the proud assumption that since God has enabled us to do well in one area we are destined to be a channel of saving grace for everybody. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 232
A.A. groups exist to help alcoholics achieve sobriety. Large or small, firmly established or brand-new, speaker, discussion or study group has but one reason for being: to carry the message to the still-suffering alcoholic. The group exists so that the alcoholic can find a new way of life, a life abundant in happiness, joy, and freedom. To recover, most alcoholics need the support of a group of other alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope. Thus my sobriety, and our program’s survival, depend on my determination to put first things first.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Attempting to bring order out of chaos the local medical staff had relieved me of my privileges to carry on my trade. Words like this gets around rapidly in a small community and a reporter from one of the local newspapers came to interview me for some comments. By that time I had experienced enough of starting recovery that I’m sure I was on “cloud nine”. We had discussed this rather common experience in meetings and I was assured that this would pass in its own due time and the Fellowship would enable me to make a soft landing instead of a crash.
I was still experiencing this transcendent bliss state when she came and I made a few superficial but not in any way revealing comment’s and closed the interview by saying, “someday I’ll tell you an amazing story”.
I didn’t have any further interviews with her but after a relatively short period of time and now a long period of time an amazing story has been told through local channels of the amazing grace that worked in God’s mysterious ways to bring about a change from frequently being in jail, and wrecks, various courts of law including Criminal Court.
A successful career was rehabilitated. A wrecked marriage was reconstructed and my wife and I have celebrated 33 years of marriage and 23 years of happy recovery together.
Members of my family are in various stages of their own faith journeys.
We have lots of sober friends and we enjoy working with others.
Harry S.
Sometimes I don’t like that my primary purpose is to carry the message to other alcholics; I want my primary purpose to be to win the lottery or drive a big car or live in a clean house lol.
AA is not a panacea for all the world’s ills, but it sure looks like they want to use the 12-steps to address every addictive, compulsive, and/or self-destructive behavior out there. There is a step group for everything, and anyone can reach out for help from any of those groups that can help them.
I live in a small midwestern town where the only option for most individuals with addiction was AA for a lot of years. In the last decade, another 12-step fellowship has grown in numbers in the community and a territorialism seems to have emerged although both groups meet on different days in the same clubhouse. It’s like sibling rivalry. It breaks my heart whenever I hear someone say, “You have to choose. You can’t go to closed meetings for both fellowships. If you are going to work a ‘good’ XX program, you can’t also work a ‘good’ YY program.” That’s what the old-timers used to call “BB” — “I don’t know what the heck it is but it sure ain’t AA”. They would have also called it BS.
The traditions have taught me that when I’m in an AA meeting, “My name is Lyby and I’m an alcoholic”. When I choose to attend an NA meeting, “My name is Lyby and I’m an addict”. When I go to Alanon, “My name is Lyby and I’m a co-alcoholic”. And when I login to my Messies Anonymous group online, “My name is Lyby and I’m a clutterer”. There is nothing in the 12 Traditions of AA that says I have to belong to only one group or fellowship. Perhaps one day I will say, “My name is Lyby and I’m addicted to 12-step groups”.
In the meantime, I’m looking for a “Talkers Anonymous” group.
Lyby
I appreciated your comments, Lyby, and the humor. Let us all appreciate the power of God through other people, other groups.If you discover what “BB” means let us know.
Blessings in your sobriety.
Page 15 in the 12 and 12 “Many people, nonalcoholics, report that as a result of a practice of the A.A.’s Twelve Steps, have been able to meet other difficulties of life. They think that the 12 steps can mean more than sobriety for the problem drinkers. They see in them a way to happy and effective living for many, alcoholic or not.”
I haven’t had a drink of alcohol or put any other chemicals in my body for 231 days, and I’m very grateful to God for that. I have been focused on my self for almost 8 months now, because I don’t want to go back to the bottle. I still attend A.A. meetings as often as possible. We have 2 meetings a week in the small community I live in. Usually we have 4 or more attend. Last weekend, there was a terrible tragedy in the small community I live in, a 10 year old girl witnessed the murder of her mother, the result of a domestic argument.
I want to do more than stay sober! I want God to help me carry the message of A.A. to alcoholics and nonalcoholics alike. I’ll start with prayer and pray that God will lead me to do His work in my community where we do have a small group of people who have found a happy and effective way of living through the A.A. program. I needed to share that thought thats been so heavy on my heart, thanks to all. I’m Shawn B. and I’m a very grateful recovering alcoholic.
I’m going on only 3 years and of course I focus more on myself and my sobriety, but we cannot be blind or uncaring/unfeeling about the tragedies that in fact hurt us either directly or indirectly.
We should open our eyes a little to see other who suffer in other ways. For those who witness violence and tragedy that may or may not be related to alcohol (but often is). Alcoholism leaves many victims.
It is great to hear the positive stories like Harry, but there are other stories out there that are evolving. We know eventually the stories will be told. We pray for positive endings that indeed God would wish, to have happen.
My prayers are with each of you. My prayers are also for the young girl who will grow up in pain and be vulnerable to all those things that are cunning, baffling and powerful.
I pray for peace.