Every problem has a solution; so does a drug problem. However, to find a solution, you must first identify the problem. That’s where many drinking falters. They don’t realize they have a problem, yet they experience all the repercussions of the problem.
Unfortunately, such people continue to live a life of drinking because they miss the first step of identifying the problem.
Perhaps that’s why drinking Anonymous meetings have a single and most important criterion for joining the meeting:
You must have a desire to quit drugs.
And this can happen only when you identify and admit that you have a problem withdrugsl. Then, you desire to solve this problem.
The next step after identifying the problem
Once you identify your problem, the next step is to take action toward solving this. For drinking, a smart move would be to join a meeting of AA or take therapy. If you are severely addicted, you may need an exclusive rehabilitation program.
Not doing anything about the problem is yet another folly.
Many people know they have a drug use disorder, but do nothing about it. They think they cannot live without drug, and it’s impossible to quit drinking. Such people are wrongly trapped in their own misbeliefs.
According to experts, such people can attend an open meeting to get motivation to quit drinking. Deep down, they want to quit, but due to their misbelief, they think they can’t, or it’s impossible.
This category of people is different from those who don’t want to quit.
As per expert viewpoint:
The world has four kinds of drinkers:
- Those who want to quit and do something about it, i.e., may join one of the local AA meetings or take therapy.
- Those who want to quit but think it to be impossible, so don’t do anything about it. Such people simply need some encouragement or evidence from other recovered drinkers.
- Those who don’t know are drinkers. Such people need somebody who will point out their problems to them.
- Those who don’t want to quit. Probably nothing can be done for such people. They have made their choice.
A fifth category exists – people who relapsed. Again, it’s their choice to try again or go back to their drinking ways.
About meetings of AA
Meetings of AA are not meant to provide therapy or medications to stop drinking. So, if you are severely addicted and need detox, you must enroll in a rehab program.
Meetings are platforms where drinkers meet and share their drugs-related stories and experiences. The members motivate each other to stay sober. Each one talks about their struggle to quit drinking, about their sobriety goal achievements, and even stories of relapse and how they tried again.
It is a gathering of like-minded people. In this case, everybody in the meeting wants to quit drinking.
It is important to stop drinking when you join an AA meeting. Otherwise, it is futile to participate in the meeting. That’s why, according to experts, if you are severely addicted, you must first undergo detox and therapy and then join a meeting. Abruptly stopping the consumption of Drugsl can be dangerous for an addict.
Does AA help?
Some of you might wonder how a mere platform can help a Drugs transform into a sober person.
Napoleon Hill, the famous American self-help author, had once said, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve.”
People who participate in meetings are those who desire to quit. Once they start attending meetings, they begin to believe that they can quit; and that’s how you lay the stepping stones to success.
We must again mention here that meetings welcome only those individuals who have a desire to quit. Because those who don’t desire may never believe they can do it. For them, no doubt, the meeting is of little help.
But if you are drinkers and desire to quit yet don’t believe you can, please attend a meeting. You may meet people who have fully recovered. You may also get to use tools like Sobriety Calculator that helps you keep a tab on your sober days. As you continue to be amongst people with an aim to become sober, you strengthen your sobriety resolve.
Meetings are powerful. They can influence people who participate in it. They allow people to share views, express emotions, exchange ideas, announce their achievements, and encourage one another to keep working towards their goals. These gatherings can be life-changing. Once you decide to quit drinking, you may need a direction that helps you be on track to sobriety. AA meeting in Illinois provides you the direction.
So, waste no time in thinking whether it works or not. It depends on you whether you want it to work or not.
Find a meeting near you. Visit www.aa-meetings.com for more information.
FAQs:
I had a drink today. Can I still attend a meeting?
Please do not attend a meeting in a drunken state. You can attend the next meeting. It would be good if you confessed to your relapse so that you get guidance on how to stay sober.
2: I attend meetings but still find it difficult to stay sober. What to do?
You may choose a sponsor who can guide you outside the meeting. Maybe you need therapy, especially if you are having emotional issues or co-occurring mental disorders. Unless and until you address your emotional issues, you would find it hard to stay sober.
3: Who leads the meeting?
The chairperson leads the meeting. The chairperson is the one who has fully recovered and has a record of sobriety for six or more consecutive months.
4: I feel shy in a gathering. How can I still attend a meeting?
You can simply find a seat for yourself and observe how the meeting goes. It is not mandatory to speak in a meeting. You can take your time to open up. Till then, simply listen to what others say.
5: How do I find a meeting near me?
You can use the online AA meeting locator, aa-meetings.com, to find a meeting near you in Illinois.