I have never had the "honor" of spending time in prison.
I can't tell you first hand how unpleasant it is...
I can only imagine.
Being locked up seems like punishment enough, but there is something worse.
Prisons reserve one punishment for prisoners who can't follow the rules...
solitary confinement.
Humans are social creatures.
At first we lived in groups.
Then we organized into clans and then into villages.
Eventually villages became towns which became cities.
Now we live in countries.
A person living completely alone with no outside contact is considered odd...
a hermit or a recluse.
We were not made to be alone.
Solitary Drinking One of the "symptoms" of alcoholism is drinking alone.
In a sick way, the disease of Alcoholism compels us to impose a horrible punishment, solitary confinement, upon ourselves.
Alcoholism also tells us that we can quit drinking without help.
I Don't Need AA to Quit Drinking! My first AA meeting was compulsory.
I was required to attend three meetings per week in order to continue my treatment program.
I did NOT want to go! One of the counselors gave me a flier with a list of meetings.
I found one close to my office that met at noon.
I could run over there, sneak in, go through the motions, and be back at my desk in an hour.
The meeting was in a church.
I found the room and quietly slipped in, sitting in the back row.
One of the men turned to me and introduced himself.
"Hi.
I'm Dave.
Is this your first time here?" "Yes.
This is my first AA meeting ever.
" "Are you here because you want to quit drinking?" he asked.
After a brief pause, I told him that yes, that was why I was there.
Finding the Similarities I had been sure that AA was not for me.
Of course, having never been to a meeting before, I had nothing to base my conclusion on.
When I went into that church, I was certain that I was different from the people I would find there.
I knew that I was unique and that nobody there (or anywhere else) could possibly understand my problems.
As I listened to the men in that room I heard little parts of my story told back to me.
I was astonished! Though these guys were all very different, they had a surprising amount in common with me.
When I shared some of my story with them, they just nodded with understanding.
It was like talking to a compassionate uncle.
Over the years I have developed strong friendships with many men from AA.
I have found their support to be a lifeline, pulling me slowly out of the abyss of addiction.
They didn't necessarily help me quit drinking, but they certainly helped me stay sober.
Other Ways to Quit Drinking For me, AA was a good fit, but not everyone finds AA useful.
I know many people who have gotten sober without every stepping into an AA meeting.
But, I have never met an alcoholic who achieved long-term sobriety without some sort of support.