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Miracles In Progress 12 Step Recovery Forums -> Alcoholics Anonymous -> Alcoholics Anonymous -> I need some guidance
Post Info TOPIC: I need some guidance
Esperanza


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I need some guidance
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I've recently admitted to myself that I may have a problem with drinking. I'm not sure if I do or not, but I've been doing some research and I took the questions quiz on the AA website and I answered "yes" more than 4 times, so I'm starting to get concerned.

I want to know more about what the signs are, so some more literature online would be helpful. I really want to get the bottom of this and discover if I have a problem or not. Does having regrets about what you've done while drunk a sign?

Also, if I do have a problem and I decide to get help, how do I do that? Where do I go? Who do I talk to? As an atheist I personally do not know where to turn if/when I need to get help... I'm not willing to change my beliefs just because I want to stop drinking.

Thank you for your feedback

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Doll


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http://www.recovery.org/aa/bigbook/ww/
 
" Does having regrets about what you've done while drunk a sign?"  It was the BIGGEST sign for me!


You can talk to your MD, call your local Alcoholics Anonymous, call the AA Hotline, surf the net for more support groups/forums, check yourself into a rehab.....just to name a few



-- Edited by Doll at 23:05, 2007-05-05

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miller2


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Hello, welcome.
You can try this site...

http://www.aa.org

There is alot of talk about "god" at AA, but your conception of such, or lack thereof, is fine.
We are a spiritual rather than religious orginization. We have seen atheists, agnostics, hindus, buddists... you name it... get sober. I know one guy that uses John Wayne for a higher power.
Glad your here.

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Laura


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Welcome,
I'm glad you've come here. Whether or not you believe in a higher power, this forum's posts can be helpful. There is such a wealth of information here and extremely supportive and not judgemental people.
Here's a link to a post here (made by Phil) last January:
http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=42735&p=3&topicID=10032805
He has 20 questions to ask yourself to help decide whether you have a problem or not.

I hope you come back and check in.

Laura

-- Edited by Laura at 02:24, 2007-05-06

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timverton


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Esperanza, I too am an atheist. If you would like to know more about how I use/handle the "God" references, P.M. me by clicking on my name to the left of this post and look for the "send private message" highlight. Welcome and good fortune...Tim

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Quetzal


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Hi Esperanza,

Welcome to MIP.

For me, my alcoholism wasn't just about how much I drank, but also what I did when I was drunk. So often I would really regret what I had done or said when I had been drinking.

But, AA really has helped me more than I thought was possible. You could always give it a go and see for yourself. You'll be able to find the 'phone number for the local helpline in your Yellow Pages and they'll be able to tell you where meetings are held.

Don't worry about being an Atheist as you're not 'required' to believe in anything. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.

Please keep posting and let us know how it goes for you, won't you?

Take care,

Carol



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TLH


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Hi Esperanza. I'm as yet undefined (that lands me somewhere between an agnostic, a buddhist and a taoist- and a whole bunch of other crap that runs the gamut from both ends of the dial), and I've thus far managed to work around the god thing. I have no compunction with letting the word "god" mean (to me) all of the things in the universe and the natural laws and principles by which they operate.
I'm a born skeptic but if I kept drinking I was going to go to waste, and so I found (thus far) a way to make the program work within the confines of my beliefs.

People (myself included) get hung up on the god thing all the time, but really I've found that it's not that big of a deal.

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