by Guest » Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:00 pm
Congratulations Jared!
You are getting closer to the most important step of them all, and that is admitting to yourself that your drinking is a problem. Many people drink themselves to death without ever giving in to the idea that they "may have a problem". Here's a good rule of thumb, "if you think you have a problem, you do have a problem". The important thing to understand is this: You are no different than hundreds of thousand of people in the world. Admitting you have a problem does not mean you are different, or less of a human being than anyone else.
I encourage you to attend a meeting, and I can assure you there will be other people at the meeting, all of whom at one point were in your shoes and went to their "first meeting". Don't be afraid, or nervous. You will not have to say a word during the meeting. Of course, before and after the meeting, you will have people say "hello" to you and may ask you your name, since if they go regularly, they won't recognize you. They will know that you are new to that meeting anyway.
You will meet all kinds of people, some of whom you can and will relate to right away, and others whom you may think are very different from you, but in all likelihood are very similar to you, perhaps they took 15 or 20 years longer to walk through the doors, so what you are hearing, although you might not relate to, may very well be describing what you have to look forward to if you keep on drinking.
I hope that you will make the right decision. As long as you are drinking, you are headed for trouble. The sooner you learn that there is a whole other world out there who does not drink and drug, you will remain buried in your addiction. Go to the meeting, if you like it, go to another, reach out, talk to people, ask questions, everyone there is there to help you, that is a big part of the AA program, helping others get well.
Tbone