Alcohol
Alcohol is a product that our society associates with having fun and good times. We’re programmed to think that alcohol can solve all our problems. Commercials on television give us the impression that things will get better if we just have a few drinks of alcohol and relax. For some, it’s okay; they can handle it. For others, it leads down a road of self destruction and to alcoholism.
Normies
Some people can drink alcohol and don’t have a problem with it. They can drink in moderation and not have it disrupt their lives. People that can consume alcohol in moderation are considered normies in the rooms of AA, Alcoholics Anonymous. Normies don’t understand alcoholism or AA for the most part. The reason I know this, is because I; am an alcoholic.
Alcoholism Is A Disease
If I try to explain AA to a normy, they’ll say,” oh yeah, you go to meetings to stop drinking, right?” And my answer will be, yes; but, what normies don’t realize is that alcoholism is a disease. One of the ways that we can treat our disease is to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Normies think that we go to meetings for a while, stop drinking alcohol; and then we’re done and don’t have to go to meetings anymore.
Rooms Of AA
I go to an AA meeting every day because I’m an alcoholic. In the rooms of AA you’ll find friendship, camaraderie, kindness, and understanding because we all suffer from the same disease called alcoholism.
Stories
In the rooms of AA, we share our stories with each other. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry; and we do it in a safe place where we feel comfortable cause we’re surrounded by people who understand our dilemma.
Craving
Everybody in AA knows what it feels like to have that craving for alcohol. We need to be reminded on a daily basis the kind of hell that alcohol put us through in our lives so that we never go back there.
12 Steps
In AA, we deal specifically with a higher power and 12 steps. It is a 12-step program after all.
Higher Power
One of the things that many people worry about when coming into AA is, if some kind of religion or ideology is going to be shoved down their throats. Fortunately, the way AA was founded; does not require you to be of a specific religious denomination. While AA does talk of a higher power or God that you can turn things over to so that you don’t have to bare the burden alone, you can have your higher power be whatever you want it to be.
Able To Relate
If you sit in the rooms of AA long enough and listen to what they’re saying, you’ll start to be able to relate to what they’re saying. Sometimes it will make you laugh because you’ll think to yourself,” oh yeah, I did that.” Even the most stupid or embarrassing things that we did while we were drunk that we feel ashamed of; other people did too.
Staying Sober
You should never feel scared to go to an AA meeting. We, alcoholics, all have the same goal of staying sober and the only way this program works is if we’re able to help each other.
Remember
Remember, you’re not alone; we’ve all been through it.
