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and I need advise please..  http://www.greatday.com/ http://www.gratefulness.org/word/ Hi.. I'm Rhonda an alcoholic.   I need to give you a little about myself so you may help me with my question better... Many of my friends would doubt if I'm truly an alcoholic but then they've not seen me at some of my worst moments.  Like falling off a barstool or falling to the floor and hitting my head with the bartender calling an ambulance, but coming to and running off before they got there.  Or in a blackout giving a sobriety test.. or laying on the floor of a jail, waiting to be released on bond for a DUI.  Or passed out in the floor of the bathroom.. or while sitting on the toilet.  Or having to blow in your vehicle before it will start. I stopped drinking by choice.. last drink on 11/17/06.  I finally came to the realization that I did not want or can handle alcohol in my life anymore.  I attended some AA meetings.. but mainly to give to my boyfriend (who went thru rehab during the same time) support.  However.. they did help me.. and help me realize that I too am an alcoholic cuz even tho I think I can choose not to drink.. I do know that if I DO drink.. I don't have the control to stop and will drin****il I'm blacked out and then passed out.  My disease has progressed to that point.. and I know if I continue I may someday not be able to choose not to drink of my own free will.   As I said my boyfriend is also going thru his own path of recovery.. and he did have a relapse which I at the time posted about.  I attended a couple Alanon meetings while he was in rehab so that he can come home on half day passes.  Also.. his drinking *while I wasn't* effected me so that I was on pins and needles.. too.. so Alanon helped me to deal with his drinking also and I still attend on thursday nights. The part I need advice on is getting a sponsor and working the steps..   I have not done this.  I'm not sure if I must do this to help me not to drink.  However, I know that if I do do this.. it will only help me grow individually and spiritually better.  So.. do you think I should get a sponsor.. and work the steps thru the AA side.. Or.. Alanon side of this.. or both    I suppose I can start with one.. like AA and then down the road after accomplishing it.. I can decide if should do Alanon ??   I didn't really think I needed to work the AA steps.. cuz I was doing so well and don't want to drink.. but I guess no matter the degree of ones alcoholism it doesn't change the facts.. and the steps are for ALL alcoholics.   I may have answered my own question just by writing all this out  but your thoughts on this will be greatly appreciated also.

im not an alcoholic, but i am pretty into the smoke...yes, i like my ganga. the way i see it, you are on this site apparently because you had a food addiction too right??  thats how we get obese. it isnt easy to bust that addiction to eating... how do we feel as we diet? it blows man!!  how do you feel when we dont have our drink? that blows too!   it wasnt easy to battle the food addiction, so we get bypasses and all kinds of stuff to help us.  its not easy.  the same thing with alcoholism...you can 'diet' from it, but unless you go thru more deeper approached to really battle it, you know its gonna come back. its no different than food. i think you should go thru the steps.  addictions are easy to break from for a bit but definetly not easy to break for good.  take the steps so you dont fall back off the wagon.

HI Rhonda, Good to see you thinking about the program, and how to best work it.  I could not stay sober if I did not work the steps.  When I came into AA, I was also attending Overeaters Anonymous for my eating disorder.  My primary addiction is food, but the one that I worked the program with is AA.  I would suggest you get an AA sponsor and work the steps in AA.  Understand, that the 12th step says "...practice these principles in all our affairs."  So, in essence, you are working the steps for all of your life issues, not just alcoholism.   I was really resistant to getting a sponsor in the very beginning, back in 1989.  Then, I had one sponsor who dropped me for taking medications prescribed by a psychiatrist.  I always pray before I seek a sponsor and then I ask someone I can relate to in life issues, like when I came back in 6 years ago, I found a woman who was divorced and had a daughter dealing with drug addiction.  She helped me deal with my divorce, and my son's drug addiction while getting sober and working my program.  My latest sponsor has me write my steps and talk to other women about the first step.   Working the steps gives me freedom from the past and a guide to my life.  Having a sponsor gives me accountability and someone to call me on my s*** when I start to f*** around with my program. Hugs, Trish

Hi Rhonda, When I quit drinking 21 yrs. ago I didn't go to meetings. I DID get the Big Book, and work each and every step to the fullest. The steps ARE the program, and I did myself a disservice by not getting a sponsor and finding a women's group I connected with way back then.  Be good to yourself. What you need is out there. Don't shy away from it! Much love and hugs, Marie