2 days sober, 2 meetings

The first meeting I went to was a culture shock. Introducing myself, "Hi, my name is Jack and I'm an alcoholic." That's when it really hit me. I was nervous, confused, not sure what to expect for that meeting. The people I met were great.

Supportive, open people. I think this is the secret to AA. I went to my second meeting tonight and just got back. Different types of people than the first, still supportive. I need to get a sponsor, but I also need to make sure the sponsor I get fits me. First advice I got tonight was to come to meetings, listen to the stories, and find someone I can relate to.

At first I thought it would be really hard to go to a meeting every day. An hour every day seemed like an awful lot of time. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I've probably spent an hour a day (averaged out) on drinking. I didn't drink every night, but I drank often and hard enough that it would be a complete waste of a few nights a week.

Going to meetings every day will be a large time investment, but with tremendous returns. I already feel better about myself. The initial shame I felt before yesterday's meeting has been replaced with hope. Every time I say, "I'm an alcoholic" I gain a little more honesty with myself. It's something I've known for awhile, but something I didn't want to admit. I felt like I should be stronger, that I could beat it without admitting it.

Obviously my method doesn't work, but AA is tried and true.