I was just curious if anyone felt the same way when they first started attending meetings... This really doesn't make any sense to me, but after I go to a meeting (which hasn't been many yet) I always feel as though I want to drink. I feel like I just want to stop at a bar on the way home. Is this crazy? I heard from one person that I met at a meeting that he felt the same way when he first started meetings (he's 8 years sober now), but it gets better the more meetings you go to. For some reason I just crave it everytime I leave a meeting. I am obviously not planning on stopping at the bar and drinking but the idea pops into my head and it kind of scares me. Just wondering if anyone else felt this way when they first started meetings... Thanks!
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"Advice is what you ask for when you already know the answer but wish you didn't"
That's so interesting--I felt the same way but never told anyone. What I did because I was so afraid I'd do just that, is I would volunteer to bring newcomers to meetings, or just offer rides to anyone who wanted one. It made me feel safe, and although I dont think I ever would have gone, ( it was just the disease and I was giving it too much attention), I felt useful. And that helped me. It eventually went away, and I never did determine what caused it. Like I said in my run-on sentence, it was just the BEAST,(to quote another) talking away at me. It finally felt starved and went away. hug, Chris
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"Never argue with an idiot... They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience..."
Thank you for sharing this, Jamie. If I feel this way on Thursday when I go to my first I'll let you know. Reading about your experience will make the experience (if I get the cravings) less scary. I'll know I can straight home and talk to you and Chris about it. Laura
You might try sharing about this at the meeting. Maybe some of them are going out for coffee and to eat (the meeting after the meeting). When I still lived in my home town about 20 of us would invade the local Baker Square after the meeting. Bob.
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Work like you don't need the money
Love like you've never been hurt, and
dance like no one is watching.
Thanks for the advice! so... I went to a meeting tonight... well tried. I was going to a woman's meeting that way I could try to get a sponsor. Around here I have only seen one or 2 women at a meeting. So I thought a women's meeting would be a good thing for me. I left a half hour earlier for the meeting to make sure I got there on time and that way if I got lost I would have time to find it. Well obviously that did not work!! The church was non-existant! The numbers on the street jumped over "34" which was the street number of the church!!! I drove up and down... tried to find someone to ask... but it was in the sticks so noone was around! UUGGGHHH!!! Sorry I am irritated right now... just venting! I have tomorrow off so I think I will find a meeting to go to at night but find the location during the day and if I can't find it at least that way I will be able to get to a different one... sometimes I think AA does this on purpose to test someones' will! They always have places that are hard to find!!! ....venting...
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"Advice is what you ask for when you already know the answer but wish you didn't"
That is interesting. But I have to admit, I never had that experiance. When I started going to meetings, drinking was the LAST thing I wanted to do. I was in so much hurt and turmoil... all I wanted was to find out how to survive WITHOUT alcohol. Sometimes during the day... away from meetings... for the first month I would think about alcohol. When I worked the steps though, around the fourth step... the obsession to drink was removed. I suggest what the others said. Find a friend at the meeting, and go to the local coffe shop afterwards, or as a group. We do that here every Saturday night. Some of the restaurants around here hate us at closing time... LOL
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My warranty on tomorrow has run out. My guarantee on the past is void. Nothing is going my way... and I like it like that.
Thanks for the advice! so... I went to a meeting tonight... well tried. I was going to a woman's meeting that way I could try to get a sponsor. Around here I have only seen one or 2 women at a meeting. So I thought a women's meeting would be a good thing for me. I left a half hour earlier for the meeting to make sure I got there on time and that way if I got lost I would have time to find it. Well obviously that did not work!! The church was non-existant! The numbers on the street jumped over "34" which was the street number of the church!!! I drove up and down... tried to find someone to ask... but it was in the sticks so noone was around! UUGGGHHH!!! Sorry I am irritated right now... just venting! I have tomorrow off so I think I will find a meeting to go to at night but find the location during the day and if I can't find it at least that way I will be able to get to a different one... sometimes I think AA does this on purpose to test someones' will! They always have places that are hard to find!!! ....venting...
Try using Mapquest or google maps for directions. That's what I do at work, the print outs of the directions are usually printed large enought to see while your driving, at least during day light. Good luck and always remember the internet has access to just about all human knowledge.
__________________
Work like you don't need the money
Love like you've never been hurt, and
dance like no one is watching.
Meetings often leave me feeling really empty and a little lonely afterwards, like "Okay that was great and everyone made me feel good for an hour but what am I supposed to do now?"...more than once I found myself at a bar after a meeting. I finally confided it to an oldtimer and he recommended that I start finding some people to carpool to meetings with and it actually helped a lot. There wasn't that emotional crash afterwards because I wasn't immediately alone and if I felt like talking or asking questions there was someone I was comfortable with asking to go for a coffee and shoot the aa shit.
