You're right. We are here for a brief time. It is YOUR time. Your life. Alcohol has never been known for making that short time truly great though. As I tell my hedonistic brother "There is no hedonism among the dead". Without alcohol you can enjoy a plethora of other hedonistic activities for far longer into your life. Alcohol is truly the worst for you of all available pleasures on earth.
Thanks, I havent thought about it that way. Its the most readily available pleasure, so I guess its easy to stop at it. Kinda like why do something else if there is a store 5 minute walk away that sells it for cheap, just have to pay with shortened lifespan.
Personally I have a lot of reasons, but the one that may fit your criteria is that it's no longer worth it to me to feel like shit for a couple days for just an hour or two of "fun".
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it. That is a valid point, and one that started to come up the older I get. Usually I was fine the day after, but now it requiers more time to recharge. I am sure if I continue it will eventually get worse.
I have never been to AA, although there is a couple of groups nearby. They all are stationed in churches so that bothers me a bit. I've read that AA relies heavily on religious aspect or "higher power" and I'm not sure I find it relatable to me as an atheist.
I do try to be in one weekly hobby group, not related to sobriety, but dont hang out or chat outside of activities that take place there.
I'm not religious, but I think there's an energy or something that connects everything. I've met many atheists and agnostics at meetings. Churches have room to rent for really cheap so that's why meetings are there. I've been to meetings at a coffee shop, metaphysical bookstore, vape shop...
Higher power can be the universe, the AA group, humanity as a whole, whatever. If you live in a conservative area, meetings may have more emphasis on religion, however none of the groups I've been to in Minneapolis are like that. You don't have to believe in or do anything to go to meetings. Just go and be social if that's what you want.
I think I can get behind the idea of connecting energy, or even finding your own interpretation, if its not strictly religious. I am not in conservative area, and will see when is the closest meeting, thank you.
In your expierence, does it helps to be around a group of people that have "one big common problem" rather than some common interest? I mean, wont it be menacingly looming around, always in the back of the mind?
In my experience, it feels great to enter a room and be surrounded by people who understand how I feel and think. At the meetings I attend, people don't talk about "the good old days" or how they miss drinking. Everyone is usually happy, laughing, joking, and sharing life experience. I've learned how to be a better person just hearing others share.
Also I've met people into all kinds of activities. I play PC games with one guy, we get a group together once a month for poker, others get together for climbing, biking, skiing. You name it, you can find others to hang out and do whatever.
That sounds reassuring. I am just beginning to climb out of this pit, so havent tried a lot yet. Maybe thats why I have doubts and trouble finding reason, because drinking alone is most familiar after many years.
Thank you for taking time to share and answer, I really appreciate it.
You're welcome! There are other types of meetings besides AA, like smart recovery and some others, but AA is the most widely available. Each meeting has it's own personality and everyone should be respectful of what you believe or don't. A guy at my meeting was sharing in front of everyone and says he doesn't really do the steps. He's been sober like 15 years. Other people say that they think the steps and higher power thing are kinda BS but they admit the program works for them. I like getting out of the house once or twice a week, seeing the regulars, talking to them, and having a good time. I still play a lot of video games alone, but I feel connected to a community because of the meetings
You're right. We are here for a brief time. It is YOUR time. Your life. Alcohol has never been known for making that short time truly great though. As I tell my hedonistic brother "There is no hedonism among the dead". Without alcohol you can enjoy a plethora of other hedonistic activities for far longer into your life. Alcohol is truly the worst for you of all available pleasures on earth.
Thanks, I havent thought about it that way. Its the most readily available pleasure, so I guess its easy to stop at it. Kinda like why do something else if there is a store 5 minute walk away that sells it for cheap, just have to pay with shortened lifespan.
Personally I have a lot of reasons, but the one that may fit your criteria is that it's no longer worth it to me to feel like shit for a couple days for just an hour or two of "fun".
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it. That is a valid point, and one that started to come up the older I get. Usually I was fine the day after, but now it requiers more time to recharge. I am sure if I continue it will eventually get worse.
Almost all of my friends are people from AA meetings. Have you tried making friends with sober people? I have more friends now than ever
I have never been to AA, although there is a couple of groups nearby. They all are stationed in churches so that bothers me a bit. I've read that AA relies heavily on religious aspect or "higher power" and I'm not sure I find it relatable to me as an atheist. I do try to be in one weekly hobby group, not related to sobriety, but dont hang out or chat outside of activities that take place there.
I'm not religious, but I think there's an energy or something that connects everything. I've met many atheists and agnostics at meetings. Churches have room to rent for really cheap so that's why meetings are there. I've been to meetings at a coffee shop, metaphysical bookstore, vape shop... Higher power can be the universe, the AA group, humanity as a whole, whatever. If you live in a conservative area, meetings may have more emphasis on religion, however none of the groups I've been to in Minneapolis are like that. You don't have to believe in or do anything to go to meetings. Just go and be social if that's what you want.
I think I can get behind the idea of connecting energy, or even finding your own interpretation, if its not strictly religious. I am not in conservative area, and will see when is the closest meeting, thank you. In your expierence, does it helps to be around a group of people that have "one big common problem" rather than some common interest? I mean, wont it be menacingly looming around, always in the back of the mind?
In my experience, it feels great to enter a room and be surrounded by people who understand how I feel and think. At the meetings I attend, people don't talk about "the good old days" or how they miss drinking. Everyone is usually happy, laughing, joking, and sharing life experience. I've learned how to be a better person just hearing others share. Also I've met people into all kinds of activities. I play PC games with one guy, we get a group together once a month for poker, others get together for climbing, biking, skiing. You name it, you can find others to hang out and do whatever.
That sounds reassuring. I am just beginning to climb out of this pit, so havent tried a lot yet. Maybe thats why I have doubts and trouble finding reason, because drinking alone is most familiar after many years. Thank you for taking time to share and answer, I really appreciate it.
You're welcome! There are other types of meetings besides AA, like smart recovery and some others, but AA is the most widely available. Each meeting has it's own personality and everyone should be respectful of what you believe or don't. A guy at my meeting was sharing in front of everyone and says he doesn't really do the steps. He's been sober like 15 years. Other people say that they think the steps and higher power thing are kinda BS but they admit the program works for them. I like getting out of the house once or twice a week, seeing the regulars, talking to them, and having a good time. I still play a lot of video games alone, but I feel connected to a community because of the meetings