Attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting should not overwhelm you. The meeting is not some competition or a course that you must come out of with flying colors. An AA meeting is a simple gathering of like-minded people who have a strong desire to quit drinking and change their life for the better.
If your desire resonates with this one, then you are a good fit for the meeting. If not, then you must not attend a meeting, as it would be a waste of time for you.
Why do people attend meetings of AA?
People with a desire to quit alcohol seek an environment where they can find their sobriety without having to fight temptations and triggers. Also, they need an atmosphere where they can express their feelings, admit their wrongdoings, and get a new direction in life. This unburdens their heart and helps them make a fresh start.
AA meeting in Illinois helps people get such an atmosphere. People who participate in this meeting do so on their will. No meeting coerces or convinces or lures people to come; because de-addicting to alcohol does not work that way. You cannot coerce, convince, or lure somebody to quit drinking. The desire to quit drinking comes from within.
If coercion or convincing had worked, then there wouldn’t be many alcoholics left in the world.
Asking yourselves questions
If you have decided to attend one such meeting, you must ask yourselves the following questions:
- Do you truly desire to quit alcohol?
- Are you ready for the big transformation in life?
If you have still not made up your mind, then you can attend one open meeting and see how it goes about. Open meetings welcome all – alcoholics, non-alcoholics, therapists, families, and even those who still don’t know whether they want to quit drinking.
However, as experts put it, simply attending an open meeting won’t help. If you are not sure, you will stay unsure even after the meeting. The strong desire roots from within; only then can you fight those urges and temptations.
“You ought to have strong willpower. The road to sobriety is not easy. A shaky mind often relapses,” says a member of one of the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings around Illinois.
Tackling that feeling of overwhelm
Whenever we gear up to do something challenging, we feel overwhelmed. However, if you continue to surf the waves of overwhelming feelings, you will go nowhere or maybe come back to the same old shore (of alcohol addiction). You must fight the waves and set forth your oars strongly to steer in a new direction, away from the old shore, to find new lands of sobriety.
It’s a tough fight, but it is rewarding in the end. Tools like Sobriety Calculator help you keep track of your non-alcohol days.
So, instead of nurturing those overwhelming feelings, push them aside, and have a clear vision of becoming a sober person.
Search for “AA meetings near me” and start participating in what would become one of the game-changers of your life. usamagazinehub
