Resources to Help
Updated: Mar 9, 2019
When my friend introduced me to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) back in 2017, I was in awe with how many resources and support is out there. I bounced around groups for a few months to see which ones I liked the best but haven’t gone back since early 2018. I went to Atheist groups, groups believing in God, and Gay groups. AA is very much dedicated to God, but it’s really about believing in any higher power.
Recently, I’ve been wanting to find an AA home house near me because I realize I still have triggers I need to work on. Though I have had a different process than most, I know what I need to do. It’s okay to seek help.
During my first meeting the leader gave me books on the house and encouraged me to come back. People wrote their names and numbers down in the book if I ever wanted to reach out. I never did, but it was a nice gesture. On my first monthly meeting I got a “One month Sober Coin,” but they ran out so I have a 24 hour coin instead. I still have it.
There are AA meeting groups everywhere throughout the U.S. and Canada. An excellent place to start and search near your area is here:
I never got a sponsor, but I did read a lot of self-help of books. Some books you may be interested in reading are:
1. The Addictive Personality - Craig Nakken
2. The Healing Journey - Quick IVP
3. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
4. Beginners Book - Grapevine
5. Alcoholics Anonymous (aka the Big Book)
The 12 Steps are:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn out the will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we have harmed, and become willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Have had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Growing up with an alcoholic father, my mom, brother and I went to Al-Anon meetings. This is a support group of families who have alcoholics in their family. People talk about stories and healthy ways to deal with situations. If you are in this situation or know someone that is, check out their website:
Did you find this helpful? Anything I should add?
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