New to AA and grateful I found this board.

foxfarmboxers · Newbie

New to AA and grateful I found this board.

Larry_H · MIP Old Timer

Welcome to AA and welcome to the MIP board.

You have taken the action that was the most difficult for me. Admitting that I had a problem and going to my first meeting.

Successful AA members suggested to me the following:

1. I should pray every day to my Higher Power for the obsession to drink be lifted.

2. Don't quit forever just don't drink for 24 hours at a time and renew this every 24 hours (in some cases it was 5 minutes at a time for me in the beginning)

3. Keep coming back to the meetings. We have a solution!!

This was about all I could manage to do in the beginning but it was enough.

AA works best for most. It worked for me and it will work for you!!

Ask questions. Nothing is to trivial to ask after all you are just beginning to travel a path that leads to a whole new life and you will need a road map

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Hello FFB and welcome to the board. Our "online meetings" are no well attended but certainly you can try popping into the chat room at the scheduled time. I know that there are more active online meetings somewhere, wish that I could tell you.

Dean

ljc · MIP Old Timer

Welcome to the group Foxfarmer. Stick with AA and your life will change so much, you wont believe it.

kkotz401 · Senior Member

Welcome to the board. Good to see you here. I am sure you will find it helpful.

carlasober · Senior Member

Welcome. Keep Coming Back

turninggrey · MIP Old Timer

Hello FFB,
This program is really worth the time. You will really enjoy the honest feedback and extra help this board lends you.
Welcome!
Tom

Aquaman · MIP Old Timer

Hello, FFB!
Come grow with us. You are welcome. Come back often!

Rob

Jerry F · MIP Old Timer

Aloha FFB...some higher power than booze has got you looking for support from
alot of retired drunks.   MIP is 24/7 and although not a face to face meeting it will
certainly help in your situation where you are wanting sobriety and needing
support from others to get that.   I am glad you are here. My sobriety and the
proof that the program works has also depended on the new comers who come,
sit, stay, learn and stay sober too.    smile

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

Hey FFB, this would be a crucial time to find a sponsor and get phone numbers for your peers in AA. I stated this in another thread, but a meeting really is a minumum, one alcoholic talking to another. Hence, when you can go to a meeting, try and set up time to talk to a peer or your sponsor for a while. You sound very determined and I love hearing that you went to meetings every day after your first one. That is certainly an indicator of willingness. Good job! Stay strong.

Mark

Avril G · Senior Member

Hello FFB and a very big WELCOME to this forum, join right in, here are some links one is for the AA Big Book

http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_tableofcnt.cfm

Next one is for AA Speaker tapes

http://www.xa-speakers.org/pafiledb.php?action=category&id=2

As a single parent myself, it isn't always easy to get to a lot of meetings, which is crucial in early days, and as already mentioned, do get some phone numbers for the sober ladies in the meetings.

Great to have you onboard, love. You can also send Private Messages to any of the ladies on here, or write on the whiteboard, get stuck in. biggrin

-- Edited by Avril G on Sunday 18th of October 2009 11:55:24 AM

angelov8 · MIP Old Timer

Welcome!
I orginally came here because I didn't know if I would get to in person meetings. I've made those happen because I felt I had to do-or-die, and AA truly has a huge helping hand if I'm willing to accept it. I still feel this message board is a constant in-my-pocket lifeline. I consider it another fellowship group I'm very grateful to participate in. I hope you share with us, and help us stay sober too.

-- Edited by angelov8 on Monday 19th of October 2009 01:54:51 AM

Avril G · Senior Member

I have used online boards like these for some years now (met my soulmate in one 10 years ago) and I have known some people come to these sites because they cannot face going to rea-life meetings, but once they feel comfortable sharinf with us on these boards, they usually find their way into real meetings.

I believe the internet has helped more suffering alcoholics into sobriety, and it is a great asset, for me now, it is an addition to realtime meetings and service, but everything I read on this board is exactly what I hear in meetings, so however the message is passed is fine by me.

zahndi · Member

Welcome to you from another newbie to this forum and newly returning to AA. Avril's thoughtful comments and links have reallly helped me. Until I get more meetings and request a big book and 12 X 12 I have used the links. I listened to some speakers this morning. I have sleep problems. So at 4:00a.m. I listened to some women speakers and cleaned house. That is how I get through sleepless nights. I nap in the day if needed but usually I am able to sleep by the next night. Anyway my point is the speakers stories reminded me of when I would collect tapes in my first years of sobriety. We didn't have internet developed but I still had AA 24/7. I also had meetings available 3 times a day. Technology has made it even easier today to have all the resources within minutes. But we still need willingness. All the knowledge in the world doesn't matter if we aren't willing. I pray for wilingness today because hp can't help if we just let devine intervention pass on by. I can hear the sweet voice of my hp and not move a muscle or read a word. So thats how I shall begin today. I know I can begin the day as many times as I choose smile

Avril G · Senior Member

ZAHNDI - I too had problems sleeping in early days, the committee meetings in my head often went on all through the night, and my sponsor told me, 'Avril, if you can't sleep well, stay awake well' which is exactly what you are doing listeningto speaker tapes and instead of worrying about getting to sleep just accept it and use it positively.

I have done all of that, plus I downoaded an interactive site Paltalk where I did online meetings, with sound!!! virtual AA meetings, and when I shoud be asleep but couldn't I managed to find mebers in meetings from all across the world, who lived in a different timezone.

There's AA in Oz, Canadian group of Alcoholics, Friends in Recovery and lots of other online meetings. http://www.paltalk.com/ Check it out, it's free to download and the AA meetings can be found in the Addiction/Recovery section.

If you have a headset with microphone and earplugs you can almost imagine you are in a meeting with your eyes closed. I haven't been there myself for quite some time, my grandkids have fitted into that slot in my life now, but I'm sure there'll still be some good meetings going on.

Outside of meeting times, if you have a webcam, you can also get to see who you are sharing meetings with.