Anybody else try AA and just don’t think it’s right for them?
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Yes I do ... I hate reading so rite there is a fail for me lol ... I love the concept but I have been looking into Smart Recovery ... ever heard of it ?
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I haven’t what is that?
Yes in N.A we referr to as as the thirsty club because from our experience they separate alcohol from drugs...we are all addicts with the disease of addiction plain and simple! You see?
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AA is not right for me. They say that it’s anonymous but after being there for awhile and sharing you inner most self, it’s not something that remains anonymous. Oh and the gossip is unbelievable.
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SMART Recovery is an international non-profit organization that provides assistance to individuals seeking abstinence from addiction. SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. The SMART approach is secular and science-based, using cognitive behavioral therapy and non-confrontational motivational methods.
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Same. I prefer SMART and CBT. AA meetings, for me, are just not the best fit.
Like what you wrote in your bio. Feel exactly the same.
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Does SMART cost money?
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I first got sober12/11/02. No it's not a perfect program but it is worked very well for me and countless others. It tells us in How it Works
Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program. Usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault. They seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average.
I think that pretty much sums it up. You're not going to find a program that is perfect or doesn't require some kind of action on your part besides hitting the buttons on your smartphone. All AA groups are autonomous except in matters affecting AA as a whole so you're going to find different meetings across the whole country.
Granted, some of the meetings that I have been to would not have my approval if I had any say-so about it but most of the ones that I've been to were meetings that I would return to. It appears to me that people(not saying anyone in particular) are getting awfully picky these days when it comes to how they want to recover from addiction. What I'm seeing a lot these days in AA are people that want something for nothing. I'm also seeing people in the program that don't want to be accountable to another human being such as a sponsor. They want to do it their way. Sadly we have to do it our way until we figure out that it doesn't work.
It also states that some of us tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.
If you don't like Alcoholics Anonymous I hope you find something that works for you. As far as I'm concerned you won't find a better program for sobriety but you have to be willing to take the steps and the action in order to have what we have.
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I’ve tried AA and it was not the perfect fit. You have to do what works for you
Honesty, when AA doesn’t seem like the “right fit”, it usually means “I’m not ready to put that much work into recovery.”
There are other avenues, but if you want to get sober and stay that way, AA has the highest success rate, and it’s 100% if you take the suggestions of somebody who’s done it before.
Also, AA only excludes drugs in some meetings, and those are far and few between. Drugs are mentioned numerous times in the Big Book and it is not “shunned” from AA meetings.
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I don’t think so.
AA helped me understand why I drink. The most important thing is staying sober no matter how you do it.
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I do smart recovery and AA. Gotta get a sponsor and work steps!!
Yesssssss! 100% bc I was that person last year that said AA wasn’t for me. And then didn’t stay sober either. Then something changed and I started going to AA and really fell in love with the fellowship. I’m almost at 6months, longest I’ve ever had. I’m so grateful for AA. A lot of people say “alcoholic and drug addict” at least where I’m from. There might be that one old timer that seems upset but this is 2021. 
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There are people AA will not work for. There are other methods to get sober just as there are different personalities and learning styles. Give a few of them a shot and if non of them fit, give AA a new try.
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I don't know if I'm an old-timer or not but I've been coming around since the early 90s some Old-Timers would do well to check out a couple of the stories that were in the second edition of the big book back then. One is "Physician Heal Thyself"and the other one is "Doctor, Addict, Alcoholic." There are hardcore drugs in both of those stories
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Thankyou for your testimony. You are in good company.
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Thankyou Brennan. True words.
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I didn’t mean anything offensive. That’s just how it was explained to me. I just say alcoholic bc I’m new and still learning. There was someone who was asked to lead a meeting last week and brought up opiates and someone stormed out very mad. That I don’t understand bc someone asked this lady to lead and that was where the alcohol lead her. I guess it just seemed rude but that’s just me. Idk Dave! I love all the folks who’ve been in recovery for 20-30-40 years. They’re some of my favs. And it’s a reminder for me that alcoholism isn’t “cured” and even in 30 years, if I want to stay in recovery, I’ll need meetings and a sponsor. Bc this is what works for me. I love the program.
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