How do you stay sober without AA?
Question by Megan: How do you stay sober without AA?
How do you keep up sobriety without going to AA?
I have been sober six months now and currently live at a supported independent living center, a sober house. I am not dual diagnosed, they opened it up to people with just mental issues, but I do have a history of using alcohol at times to self medicate when I wasn’t on the right medications. I do get triggers at times to drink, when I smell alcohol at a restaurant. It’s only a slight feeling, a feeling like, ‘oh that was nice, it used to relax me,’ if that makes sense. I am committed to staying sober for life, but I have mixed issues about going to 12-step groups. Some people say they are necessary for sobriety, that since it is a disease it is impossible to stay sober without treatment in committing to a higher power. I believe however that there is choice involved with it, and don’t believe that I am totally helpless to a trigger or a craving, that they can be overcome with the right coping tools. I don’t hang out with people who abuse alcohol anymore and who have depression, I keep my boundaries clear. Honestly while there were times where I abused alcohol, I mostly did it to ‘fit in’ instead of my own cravings. When I did attend AA I didn’t relate to anyone there, and literally felt like I was lying when I said that I was an alcoholic…when they asked if I obsessed about it or had cravings for it I didn’t, and when they shared stories about going to rehabs and running away from them, and drinking bottles to themselves, I thought woah… I can’t relate. Even though I know it’s not always about how much you drink it’s the consequences, but I feel that it is different.
Anyway I’m just influenced by other people’s opinions, my therapist thinks that I am not dual diagnosed and don’t need AA–but the case manager here thinks I could benefit from it. I however feel like I would benefit more from Al-Anon because I have been more of an ‘enabler’ in my past, instead of the one abusing it more I’ve tried to save people and been co-dependent on people who were abusing it.
To sum up my drinking history, I used to drink a glass or two of wine a night, almost every night in order to help me sleep (while I was depressed at my last job). I thought it calmed me down but I think it interefereed with my medication. I quit it cold turkey when I started to feel really depressed and had an episode.. then when I told a dual recovery counselor about it they basically diagnosed me as an alcoholic. When I had my manic episodes the most I drank, usually, was about 4 drinks a night.. so if you look at it by how much I drink it wasn’t considered to be all that much, but still, I just don’t want to pick up a drink ever again and worry when I hear that I could be an addict that I might just do that. I don’t think I’d ever drink myself into oblivion, though.
I just think that I wasn’t on the right medications and that’s why I was self-medicating, but I wanted to know if this seems like I should give AA another shot.
Best answer:
Answer by Gillian
If you are on the right medication now…I would suggest staying on it and avoiding alcohol…I don’t think you need AA unless you start to drink again, then maybe you should give it another try…I suffer from depression and alcoholism and don’t care for AA…making the right choices, and staying on my medication is what helps me…good luck!
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