Sobriety, V2.

[byates1]

I fkn hate those stupid AA sayings


fuck AA

Why so harsh on AA? Mine is mellow, not crazy God shit. It helps ppl. Much better than being a trainwreck.

[byates1]

You sound like a dry drunk

[~mikey b]

you sound like an AA addict

my life got better as soon as I got out of there

[~mikey b]

and don’t get me wrong b

I know you’re a good guy. I know you mean well. But AA ain’t for everyone. And even at its best it’s got a dismal track record of actual sobriety.

don’t drink motherfuckers - it’s not good for you

[mooseknuckle]

Alright AA’ers and AA H8’ers, any thoughts on California sobriety if it seems to be working after quitting booze.

Haven’t counted my days, but I’m done with sauce for at least 7 months and questioning if I’m kidding myself by keeping green as a crutch.

I’d welcome feedback and am not personally predisposed to AA, but can see how it works for many and know the hard line position on the issue. Just can’t say I’ve ever felt weakness about the decision made to quit booze - whether burning or sober.

[byates1]

I agree it's not for everyone. I'm not a starry eyed god wack. There are plenty of those. I'm lucky I guess. I've heard of shitty super strict wack job meetings/programs.

[DBdude]

Alright AA’ers and AA H8’ers, any thoughts on California sobriety if it seems to be working after quitting booze.

Haven’t counted my days, but I’m done with sauce for at least 7 months and questioning if I’m kidding myself by keeping green as a crutch.

I’d welcome feedback and am not personally predisposed to AA, but can see how it works for many and know the hard line position on the issue. Just can’t say I’ve ever felt weakness about the decision made to quit booze - whether burning or sober.

do you think weed is interfering with what you want or is making you feel bad?

[SumJongGuy]

MJ Maintenance program is probably fine for people who aren't cross addicted. Personally there is nothing better for cotton mouth than an ice cold beer. I know I'd better avoid the weed for that reason alone.

I smoked cigarettes for the first 5 years of sobriety. Other folks do other things prescribed by trained professionals. Odds are you know if it's really needed or not and if it's slippery or not.

[~mikey b]

I’ve said it in here before - smoking weed doesn’t make me want to drink, but I smoked way more weed when I was drinking, and I’m smoking less and less all the time. My girlfriend’s ex husband is a depressed, anxiety alcoholic so she’s not interested in a drunk or a stoner.

[SumJongGuy]

Imagine if folks had to give up caffeine to get sober...

[Dantheman]

Imagine if folks had to give up caffeine to get sober...

Sheeeiiit, imagine if people had to give up caffeine in general. Western civilization itself would collapse.

[detrusor]

My meeting weren’t aggro strict god fests. Down to earth folks trying to stay clean however possible.

No way I could smoke pot


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[SumJongGuy]

There's actually a "Athiest AAs" weekly meeting in this town.. or used to be. Haven't checked out many other meetings since the aftermath of COVID. Just glad our little home group survived.

[buttahflake]

Did you guy’s hear? SmellyMike has a girlfriend. Jesus Christ we fucking get it.
Kali Sober is the only way I roll, keep on keeping on, beaters

[~mikey b]

There's actually a "Athiest AAs" weekly meeting in this town.. or used to be. Haven't checked out many other meetings since the aftermath of COVID. Just glad our little home group survived.

yeah it’s not just the god thing - the home group I was in was not super religious but they were super judgmental and holier-than-thou

hell I was the chip guy - sometimes the only one there keeping the room open



but I fucking hated AA





and I heard that little home group imploded

[SkiBall]

Having a good AA community is not a given. I have one, but have been to other places where I think I would have struggled a lot more if that was my option. Going through the steps helped me find the neutrality over alcohol and clarity over why I drank. AA doesn’t cover ever for everybody, but it covers a lot of shit that has saved countless lives that I have seen firsthand including my own. Gotta find something that replaces alcohol as a higher power, be it what it may. Take what you need and leave the rest as every word is definitely not gospel.

[SumJongGuy]

If you're not crossing paths with people you don't like you're not going to enough meetings.

Regardless, I don't think anyone anywhere in all of history has come up with a more effective and successful strategy for long term sobriety.. And yes, maybe 1 in 20 people I saw get to one year over the past 35 managed to stay sober for more than 5 years... One in hundreds make it to one year, if that???

[~mikey b]

yeah it took three friends dying of alcohol related stuff for me to just move on from it

[basinbeater]

Just checking in. Been like 6 or 7 years now for me. For me I just had to think about the occasional stupid things i would do when wasted, and i decided i didn't want to do those things anymore. So, i stopped.
I did aa meetings a few times, saw how messed up people could get drinking, and knew i didn't want to go there. So i stayed stopped.
I still smoke weed occasionally, but not as much as I used to.
If you objectively don't like yourself when you drink, don't drink. If you objectively know that drinking has negative impacts on you and those around you, even if only sometimes, don't drink.
There's my two cents. Stay strong everyone.

[mooseknuckle]

do you think weed is interfering with what you want or is making you feel bad?

Don’t actually think so.

[SumJongGuy]

For me it's important to be continually working with other alcoholics helping those who want/need to get sober on their journey as well.. I once heard a speaker saying that when they slipped they worked the steps backwards.. They stopped going to meetings and working with other alcoholics. Then they stopped taking personal inventory and admitting they were wrong as often... etc.. to they no longer were reminding themselves they were powerless over alcohol.. The first step's really the only one a true alcoholic has to do right every day.

Anyway, 23 years of ODAAT and I still depend on meetings at least 3-4 per month to keep it all in proper perspective.. You can't keep it if you don't give it away.. When it's all about you instead of the community you're not on the beam anymore..

[~mikey b]

yeah I do that and it does help

working at the hospital I run into alcoholics and addicts that need some help

I’ve also helped some folks I know with their struggles

I do tell them about the local Alano club because it’s there and I know a lot of great people there - I also tell them AA is not for me - and if a friend is new to all this, I will take them to an AA meeting or two and introduce them to folks - I have not burned my bridges that’s fucking stupid - I might say “fuck AA” here but I try to be a little more gentle for real - I will also tie friends in directly with old timers I know who might be willing to help them

just because I don’t think it’s for me doesn’t mean I won’t help someone get tied in if they want it - but I’m not sponsor material

I tell them about a couple of local rehab facilities I know of, and I’ve gone to meetings when I know a friend is in and they need to see a familiar face at a meeting they’ve been brought to or at their facility

I also turn them on to an outpatient program the local tribe has going that is not a 12 step program - I’ve heard great things about it - I looked into it for myself, but I can’t really do it because I smoke weed - the program is Federally funded, and they require ongoing drug testing - you can’t be in if you test positive for weed so

the thing is, just because AA and the tribal program aren’t for me doesn’t mean I shouldn’t help people find them

the problem with AA for me isn’t really AA, it’s me - I’m not a good fit for AA - and forcing myself to try to fit into it isn’t good for my sobriety so I don’t do that any more

[byates1]

Sounds reasonable.

[~mikey b]

and I did the math

3 years 6 months 11 days

[SumJongGuy]

yeah I do that and it does help

working at the hospital I run into alcoholics and addicts that need some help

I’ve also helped some folks I know with their struggles

I do tell them about the local Alano club because it’s there and I know a lot of great people there - I also tell them AA is not for me - and if a friend is new to all this, I will take them to an AA meeting or two and introduce them to folks - I have not burned my bridges that’s fucking stupid - I might say “fuck AA” here but I try to be a little more gentle for real - I will also tie friends in directly with old timers I know who might be willing to help them

just because I don’t think it’s for me doesn’t mean I won’t help someone get tied in if they want it - but I’m not sponsor material

I tell them about a couple of local rehab facilities I know of, and I’ve gone to meetings when I know a friend is in and they need to see a familiar face at a meeting they’ve been brought to or at their facility

I also turn them on to an outpatient program the local tribe has going that is not a 12 step program - I’ve heard great things about it - I looked into it for myself, but I can’t really do it because I smoke weed - the program is Federally funded, and they require ongoing drug testing - you can’t be in if you test positive for weed so

the thing is, just because AA and the tribal program aren’t for me doesn’t mean I shouldn’t help people find them

the problem with AA for me isn’t really AA, it’s me - I’m not a good fit for AA - and forcing myself to try to fit into it isn’t good for my sobriety so I don’t do that any more

You're working a "program". Everyone's journey is an individual program using the tools available how they see fit. I didn't get a real sponsor until after 5 years of sobriety and meetings, book study etc..

And ya, not many AA groups are going to count "sobriety" if you're smoking weed. That's slowly changing though, especially if it's prescribed by a legit doc.. No different than other psychiatric helpers then..

You're not cross addicted or it wouldn't have worked that long for you.. Good luck, maybe you'll find some other like minded people in recovery and start your own group with a similar program philosophy.