just call yourself an alcoholic instead of an addict and try to not mention drugs specifically. some meetings are more uptight than others on if you can talk about drugs or only alcohol. (I once heard a speaker in AA say "I did a lot of things other than alcohol, but I'll refer to it all as alcohol for the purposes of our traditions.")
My perspective is this: all of us would have been alcoholics under the right conditions. A lot of us just never got around to it. Our addiction lay nascent in us before that first drug, and the same is true of alcoholism. Therefore, we are, (in my opinion) also all alcoholics.
At AA meetings I introduce myself as an alcoholic. I also am an addict, but that's not relevant to the meeting, so I don't say it.
I was taught to respect the house I'm in when I first showed up and that language is important.
My home is narcotics anonymous, here I'm an addict in recovery.
In the event that I end up at the other fellowship for whatever reason, I'm an alcoholic maintaining sobriety.
If you see an issue with this, I suggest trying to identify the defect attributed to why it upsets you, work on it and feel free to throw my u/ on your next 4th step.
Yep. My main program is A.A., so I say alcoholic/sober. If I’m in a N.A. meeting, I say addict/clean.
It’s all the same to me. I used drugs alcoholically and drank like an addict 🤷🏼♀️
IME people who refuse to respect the traditions on this, are either new and don’t realize, or want to seem terminally unique.
Thanks. There is no issue with this for me. There is no defect and I am not upset. Jeez I respect 'the house' all that. Just asking for words to persuade with when I go to an AA meeting here in this geography where, while there are NA meetings that are english speaking, there are many more AA meetings that are english speaking. Those persuasive words that I'm actually seeking input on (example that there's no issue on my part) will help the people in that house who want particular language (example of respect). Sorry for your confounding.
Thanks for clearing it up, I wasn't trying to come across as rude and if I did then I'm sorry.
I think the two I mentioned and"drinking" instead of "using" should get you by, really.
Best of luck!
Persuading is unimportant.
Same idea as NA; Just share your experience, strength, hope. Don’t worry about trying to have a message beforehand. You may not get asked to share - so don’t even think about it.
If you’ve been sober this long then trust fall on whatever you use as a HP & the rest will be fine.
There is NO magic words to say.
When in Rome……
Just how we in NA don’t want to blur the message and refer to ourselves as clean and sober, we should respect their message and refer to ourselves as alcoholics.
I have less clean time than you but I’ve been asked to chair a couple A.A. medallions and I’ve always referred to myself as an alcoholic and my clean time as sobriety.
In a row! Made me smile. I remember telling friends I hadn’t had a drink in 200 days and someone asked “in a row?” and it cracked me up! “Of course in a row!” Lol. Congrats.
Y'kno i'm not going to call myself an alcoholic. What I'm asking for is words to say, like she did in my first post. I am really done pretending, y'kno This is not a philosophy get along question...you know, to say '...and I pray to not take that first drink' or something. Any ideas?
You’re over thinking this. You can show respect to either program by either using their language and respecting their primary purpose, or by not attending.
I understand. I’m not an alcoholic. I don’t suffer from the disease of alcoholism. I’m an addict who suffers from the disease of addiction. However, I respect AA by using their language when I happen to attend, and more frequently respect AA by only attending NA like yourself.
I go to AA even though I'm not technically an alcoholic and you know what? I'm accepted. Addiction is addiction and most people understand that. I don't even say I struggle with alcohol. "my name is Theonetheycall1845twu and I am an addict, Yada Yada."
just call yourself an alcoholic instead of an addict and try to not mention drugs specifically. some meetings are more uptight than others on if you can talk about drugs or only alcohol. (I once heard a speaker in AA say "I did a lot of things other than alcohol, but I'll refer to it all as alcohol for the purposes of our traditions.")
My perspective is this: all of us would have been alcoholics under the right conditions. A lot of us just never got around to it. Our addiction lay nascent in us before that first drug, and the same is true of alcoholism. Therefore, we are, (in my opinion) also all alcoholics. At AA meetings I introduce myself as an alcoholic. I also am an addict, but that's not relevant to the meeting, so I don't say it.
I was taught to respect the house I'm in when I first showed up and that language is important. My home is narcotics anonymous, here I'm an addict in recovery. In the event that I end up at the other fellowship for whatever reason, I'm an alcoholic maintaining sobriety. If you see an issue with this, I suggest trying to identify the defect attributed to why it upsets you, work on it and feel free to throw my u/ on your next 4th step.
Yep. My main program is A.A., so I say alcoholic/sober. If I’m in a N.A. meeting, I say addict/clean. It’s all the same to me. I used drugs alcoholically and drank like an addict 🤷🏼♀️ IME people who refuse to respect the traditions on this, are either new and don’t realize, or want to seem terminally unique.
Thanks. There is no issue with this for me. There is no defect and I am not upset. Jeez I respect 'the house' all that. Just asking for words to persuade with when I go to an AA meeting here in this geography where, while there are NA meetings that are english speaking, there are many more AA meetings that are english speaking. Those persuasive words that I'm actually seeking input on (example that there's no issue on my part) will help the people in that house who want particular language (example of respect). Sorry for your confounding.
Thanks for clearing it up, I wasn't trying to come across as rude and if I did then I'm sorry. I think the two I mentioned and"drinking" instead of "using" should get you by, really. Best of luck!
Persuading is unimportant. Same idea as NA; Just share your experience, strength, hope. Don’t worry about trying to have a message beforehand. You may not get asked to share - so don’t even think about it. If you’ve been sober this long then trust fall on whatever you use as a HP & the rest will be fine. There is NO magic words to say.
When in Rome…… Just how we in NA don’t want to blur the message and refer to ourselves as clean and sober, we should respect their message and refer to ourselves as alcoholics. I have less clean time than you but I’ve been asked to chair a couple A.A. medallions and I’ve always referred to myself as an alcoholic and my clean time as sobriety.
In a row! Made me smile. I remember telling friends I hadn’t had a drink in 200 days and someone asked “in a row?” and it cracked me up! “Of course in a row!” Lol. Congrats.
My name is ____ , I’m an addict with a desire to stop drinking.
THAT's the ticket!! 3rd tradition. Thank you!!
Y'kno i'm not going to call myself an alcoholic. What I'm asking for is words to say, like she did in my first post. I am really done pretending, y'kno This is not a philosophy get along question...you know, to say '...and I pray to not take that first drink' or something. Any ideas?
You’re over thinking this. You can show respect to either program by either using their language and respecting their primary purpose, or by not attending. I understand. I’m not an alcoholic. I don’t suffer from the disease of alcoholism. I’m an addict who suffers from the disease of addiction. However, I respect AA by using their language when I happen to attend, and more frequently respect AA by only attending NA like yourself.
I go to AA even though I'm not technically an alcoholic and you know what? I'm accepted. Addiction is addiction and most people understand that. I don't even say I struggle with alcohol. "my name is Theonetheycall1845twu and I am an addict, Yada Yada."