Name
Mikey
Question
Hi, its taken a big bit of courage to go to AA recently but i done it and it was good.kept me off the drink for about a week and i was so ill i could just have easily went back on it at any time but it did give me strength. the prob i have now is i have lapsed and to be honest i have wanted to go back but not sure about the big book stuff. im not religious and not stupid so i realise that a lot of the steps are are just progression through your alcoholism but sometimes it frightens me to think that aa might be something else. can anyone help as i have fell off the wagon now but want to stop..aa was good but am not sure
Answer
Hi Mikey, thanks for getting in touch. Firstly, congratulations for finding the courage to go to AA and for successfully coming off the drink for a week. This is great headway and it must have taken a lot of strength and willpower - well done.
An important thing to remember is that relapse is a natural part of the process. You found the strength and courage to take action and this is a huge step forward. It sounds like you feel afraid and concerned about getting pulled into religious stuff at AA when you know that’s not for you. As far as I'm aware, AA doesn't have any religious affiliations but some parts of its program can be spiritual. It sounds like the AA meetings have been a big help to you so far so maybe it's worth giving it another chance and keeping an open mind. If you try again and still feel that it's not for you then that's okay – there are lots of other options out there.
You might find that trying out a variety of support options and taking the useful bits from each will help you on your journey to giving up/reducing your drinking. One-to-one counselling is an option - this is available free of charge through your local Tayside Council on Alcohol (TCA) branch. Their number is 0845 072 0190 and the nearest branch to you is in Arbroath.
There is also the Alcohol and Drug team based at the Abbey Health centre in Arbroath - details are on this page: http://www.focusonalcohol.org/services/detail.php?solutionauto=36 They offer a variety of support and organise relapse prevention groups so would be worth having a chat with them. Other options are the Tayside Alcohol Problem Service (TAPS) - more info here: http://www.focusonalcohol.org/services/detail.php?solutionauto=10 and the Community Relapse Prevention Group - more info here: http://www.focusonalcohol.org/services/detail.php?solutionauto=9 (copy and paste these links into your browser window)
Related Documents
I've also attached a document to this answer - a useful booklet on Relapse Prevention - if you have any problems accessing/viewing it let me know. It has some helpful tips about identifying your triggers for drinking and ways of coping.
You might also benefit from using the telephone helpline called Drinkline on 0800 917 8282 - they offer help, support and advice about any issues relating to alcohol. It might help to talk over with them your concerns and fears about AA.
I wonder if the positive things you've taken from the AA outweigh the negatives - something to consider in your decision about whether to go back. It's your choice and talking it over is a good way of deciding your next steps.
I hope this is helpful Mikey, if there's anything else you would like more information about please feel free to post another question. Let us know how you get on.