AA - Alcoholics Anonymous, that is.

Off-topic
1

Okay, so, If any of you have wondered where I’ve been for the past 28 days (between Oct 18th and Nov 18th), I’ve been in an intensive residential rehabilitation program in Vero Beach. I know it wasn’t the past 28 days, but I’ve been sort of trying to blend back into the unicycling society. I’m sure I’m not the only one on the fora to have gone through the AA program, but I do feel quite ashamed. I was arrested on December 28th of 2005 for a misdemeanor possession of (marijuana) paraphenalia while I was taking a nap in my car between classes. I was given the option of either probation or drug court and I chose drug court because all of my charges would be dropped after one year in the program. Drug Court meant taking multiple weekly drug courses, however, and I ended up failing three (3) drug tests for alcohol before my first six (6) months were up.

I was court-ordered to attend a residential rehab program because of this. The one ordered by the court was 6 months at a place called CARP (the Comprehensive Alcoholism Rehabilitation Program, which covers a lot more than alcoholism - any addiction - but is free) but we pulled a few strings and I was able to attend a place called Hanley Hall in Vero Beach for only 28 days, but for $7,500. Hanley Hall is a sister program of the huge Hanley Hazelden corporation that prints a lot of the AA/NA books.

I left the program after 28 days, almost not wanting to leave (because it was safe there, I was able to do almost anything I wanted, and I was with good people) and I learned a lot.

My father died from cirrhosis of the liver at age 48 (I was 11 years old), and I still kept drinking. Knowledge/Intelligence/Willpower means little to nothing in the world of alcoholism.

Alcoholics Anonymous is the only proven way to overcome a problem of alcoholism. If anyone has this problem, I suggest they check out their local AA meetings - every town has them.

I’ve been working on my 90/90 (90 meetings in 90 days) and I’ve been finding it extremely difficult to refrain from drinking; it’s everywhere, including places I don’t expect it to be! I have to admit that I’ve drank quite a few times in the time since I’ve been out of rehab, but, as step one says (and is as far as I’ve gotten): “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol.”

If you aren’t alcoholic you probably won’t understant how I’m feeling, but, either way, if you’ve read this, thank you. I find it easier to admit things in a pseudo-anonymous setting than in an AA meeting where people can recognize me by my face and my true first name (even though I’ve said numerous times here that my name is Joe, which it is…)

2

Hey it’s good to hear that you’re facing your problem and trying to work it out. Keep it up. I have no hands on expirience in this area, though I know it’s a hard thing to kick, but I have a feeling it will be very worth it in the long run. I hope you can soon post to say that you’ve totally overcome alchohol and reversed the first rule so that alchohol is powerless over you.

3

That’s another thing about alcoholism; you can never totally overcome alcohol.

There is no way for an alcoholic to drink like a (so called) “normal” person. Whenever I pick up I a) don’t know how many I’m going to drink, and b) don’t know exactly what’s going to happen at the end of the night.

4

Congratulations on your first step.
I’m glad to hear you’re back in better shape than you left. At least you know your problem. Denial is a killer. Respect and good wishes comming your way.

5

You can do it.

There is another method out there, but not organized and full of support like AA, so it only works for the few people it works for. Basically the concept is cold turkey. The success rate is about equal to that of AA, but AA has a lot more “help” in it, so will appeal to people who do better as part of a group.

I don’t have the alcohol experience, but my mom did quit smoking cold turkey a long time ago (about when the Surgeon General’s report came out).

I imagine the temptation is always there. Moreso depending on the kinds of places you go, like casinos, or big sporting events, or even restaurants. Having a group of people to hang out with alcohol-free would probably be a big help if you had one near you. I would offer this in a unicycle group if I lived closer.

I would even offer “riding your ass off” as a way to fight temptation, but you can’t ride forever and you may feel a greater need after a big ride. Still, riding your ass off is good for you in any case. Riding lots of uphill helps too, but I know Florida suffers from severe flatness.

Believe in yourself. You have the power. Talk to us. We’ll offer what we can.

6

I do have to admit that I don’t completely understand the feeling. I have never felt a need to drink alcohol and I can’t see myself ever becoming alcoholic. I can’t even remember the last time I was drunk or heavily buzzed. It must have been at least 7 years ago. When I drink I’ll have one or two pints of a microbrew and that’s it. I don’t feel the need or desire to drink more than that. I’ll occasionally have some wine. I rarely have hard alcohol.

I do enjoy the flavor of a good beer and if I go to a pub for a meal I’ll definitely have a pint or two but never more. My avatar does promote the fact I enjoy a good beer but it doesn’t mean I drink a lot. In fact, I’d often rather have a good cup of coffee with a meal than a beer.

If I had to give up beer, or alcohol at all, I could and wouldn’t really miss it. If I gave up beer I’d likely become a coffee snob and cheesecake snob instead.

Godspeed on your rehab and recovery. I’m sure it’s difficult, but at the same time I don’t personally relate to what those difficulties are like.

7

Best of luck, Joe…good luck on getting through that first step.

8

Good Luck I really hope you quit all that bad stuff and start unicycling again.

9

Oh, I still unicycle…Just not very well when I’m drunk…

I’ve been working a lot on coasting/gliding lately…I can’t seem to get it down (I know, I know, get 1ftww down pat first :roll_eyes: )

10

Well good luck. I hope you can stick to the programme.

Over here on the other side of the water we have evidence that, for some people, Controlled Drinking works just as well as total abstinence. But I know that psychologists can be sacked for advocating Controlled Drinking in the USA. (And also we think of alcoholism more in terms of a Learned Behaviour rather than a disease).

11

You can do it!
Go bjurzynstkitsliztski!
I’m cheering for you!
Yay!
Good luck!

12

Interesting concept, but my wild guess is that it’s easier to control one’s behavior, if one has not had any drinks at all…

13

I’m pulling for you burjzyntski! You’re bigger than the drug and you CAN fight your way out of the slavery. You can do it!

Though it’s much less of a physical addiction, I sympathize as I’m currently trying (as I have before) to overcome an almost 30yr addiction (or at least a strong, many times per day desire) to smoke pot. I am, as my wife puts it, a “functional stoner.”

I’ve now been clean for exactly 72 hours. Not much, but it’s a start. I kind of got mad at the drug recently for it’s pull on me, and it’s exhorbitant cost, and I’m trying to retain that passion for my motivation. Oh yeah, and I’m hoping cleaner lungs will improve my times in the hillclimb races I enter.

Then came Nathan’s thread about the RideTheLobster race. In an informal deal with my wonderful, understanding and patient wife Rose, the money I could potentially not spend on herb we can use for a family vacation in Nova Scotia, 2008.

14

Why do they call it anonymous if you have to tell everyone your name?

15

You don’t talk about others’ issues and names out side of the meetings…

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Glad to hear that you are doing better. You can do it!
-Carson

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Most people do not share their last names in meetings, though some long-time participants have no problem with it.

It’s anonymous because you only share your first name - and the name that you share may or may not be your own. Comprende?

18

COngratulations! You may want to drop that NORML from your sig, if it has anything to do with marijuana. I’m sure they told you to keep clean from EVERYTHING. Get a sponsor. Get hooked in tight. Are you doing 100 meetings in the first 100 days? Sounds like you realize they did you a favor.

Other methods include Rational Recovery (no Higher Power), controlled drinking, etc.

No one really knows the success rate of these self-help programs, since they are largely anonymous. So there is no comparisons available. THere is just the general feeling that they work, which I agree with.

Because of this, some have said Doctors should not recommend the programs (claiming “it’s unethical”), since they are not supported by research. Those might be the same “Scientists” who would disparage AA because they don’t believe in any Higher Power (“GOD”), an essential element of AA, NA, etc.

Billy

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I’ve had a difficult time coming to terms with “God, a higher power of my understanding” because I’ve been so avidly agnostic for so many years, but then I was introduced to the idea of “the group of AA members” as a higher power; together we can do a lot more than we can do alone. I met a guy who is atheist, yet he is able to work the program with this concept of the group as his higher power - if you ask him about God, though, he denies it’s existence.

Just goes to show you that AA can work for anyone, and everyone (there are more than 75 recovery programs based on the 12 steps from AA).

20

Burjzyntski, keep up the good work!

It seems to me as long as you don’t drink, alcohol can not have any power over you. It is when you give in to a drink that you become powerless. I am I right?