Ordered into A.A.?
A Friendly Note to the person being referred to Alcoholics Anonymous and a few things that many of us have come to understand that may be of some use to you as you approach AA for the first time.Many of us did not at least initially recognize ourselves as having a drinking problem. Many of us made our first contact with AA at the direction of the legal system or as a matter of getting spouses or other family members "off our backs". Many of us were, in fact, resistant to the notion that we would be referred to AA.
Many of us felt that all alcoholics are folks who hang out on street corners drinking from brown paper bags, or do not hold jobs, or shake uncontrollably in the morning until they drink, etc, etc. Alcoholism can indeed progress to those degrees, but certainly those are not reliable indicators.
From All Walks of Life
Many of us managed to maintain responsible positions in spite of our drinking. Many of us felt that we were too young to be alcoholic. Many of us thought that we were too intelligent to be alcoholics. The fact of the matter is that alcoholism is found in all age groups from adolescent to senior citizen, and in all social and economic levels in our society. There are members of AA who are doctors, lawyers, policemen, clergymen, university professors, and even judges.Many of us felt that because we did not drink "hard liquor," or because we did not drink during the day, or because we did not drink every day, etc, that we did not have a drinking problem. The fact of the matter is that it does not matter what we drink, or how often we drink, or what time of the day we start drinking. What does matter is what happens when we do drink.
Many of us find that even if we had only intended to "have a couple," once we drink even a small amount of alcohol, a craving for more and more starts, and we often drink until drunk. Coupled with that phenomenon of craving was an obsession to drink again and yet again, even though we had demonstrated to ourselves time after time that we would surely end up drinking more than we had intended.
Taking Responsibility
In the final analysis each of us must decide for ourselves whether or not we are alcoholic or if we even have a drinking problem. However, many of us did come to see that regardless or whether we considered ourselves alcoholic or not, it was evident that alcohol was causing problems in our lives. Those problems included for some of us automobile accidents, DUI charges, increased insurance premiums, failed marriages, strained relationships with loved ones, lost jobs, etc.Once we came to that realization it became the responsibility of each of us to decide if we really wanted to continue putting up with those sorts of problems for the rest of our lives, or if we would rather address the problem.
If you can relate to any of the above, we hope that you will give AA a serious try. Many of us felt that if we were to stop drinking we would be doomed to a life that was dull and boring, and that we would no longer have any "fun."
We would like to assure you that many of us have found a way of life that is far from boring, and in fact we have come to find contentment that we would have not thought possible.
Our best wishes for you.
An A.A. Member
