How it works
Help for a beginner?
I've been sober only a month and have gone to thirty-five meetings, and I suddenly feel trapped. When I say to my groups that I only want to stay sober and attend meetings, being unwilling as yet to make any further commitment, one or two old-timers who've been sober for a thousand years always approach me as if I were an out-of-control toddler and begin sternly preaching the Twelve Steps. I know that my reluctance to take advice and my resentment of such persons are typical of beginners like me, but that doesn't seem to help. I feel quite desperate and don't want to run away, because I doubt that I can remain sober without AA, and I cannot bear the thought of giving up the friends it is possible to make at meetings. I would like to take it one day at a time and advance in AA at my own pace, but suddenly I am feeling a lot of pressure being applied to me to "get with the program." If old-timers expect me to listen to them, why can't they listen to me when I tell them I'm not ready to make these changes yet? Thank you very much for listening.
Need help with customer service?
Call 800 631-6025 (English), 800 640-8781 (Spanish), 212-870-3456 (French) or email: [email protected]
or [email protected]