MAKING A START
MAKE A START
You have made a decision. You have taken Step 1 and said to yourself, “Yes, I’m one of those people who are powerless over alcohol. My life has become unmanageable. I can’t stop drinking, and I want help.” You have discovered, as it says in the Big Book, that alcohol is cunning, baffling and powerful. In order to stop drinking – and stay stopped – there are a few simple procedures you will need to apply to your life. These principles are AA’s program of recovery. They can work for you as effectively as they have worked for others. Following are some suggestions we feel will be of help to you on your path to recovery.
LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME
Alcoholics Anonymous is a “One day at a time” way of living. We try to break life into small pieces that we can handle. We stay sober one day at a time – one hour at a time if necessary. We do our jobs one task at a time. We clean up our past one mess at a time, and we conscientiously try to turn our will and lives over to the care of a Higher Power, as we understand Him. In learning to apply the AA principles to our lives, we ask for help from other AA members, from our sponsors, and from our Higher Power, upon whom most of us come to depend for our recovery..
GO TO MEETINGS
All over Vermont – every day of the year – mornings, afternoons, and evenings - there is help in the form of meetings for you and every alcoholic who wants help. Use the handy AA Meeting Schedule distributed by Vermont Area 70 which you will find at most meeting literature tables. You can also find a list of Franklin County and Northern Grand Isle County meetings in the District One Meeting List. Take in as many meetings as you can. As one AA member says, “The Big Book is your road map; the meetings are your filling stations.”
GET A SPONSOR
A few members may tell you that they got sober without the aid of a sponsor, and they may be telling you the truth. However, our AA experience tells us that you will have a much better chance with a sponsor than without one. In AA, you will probably find that your sponsor is a vital part of your program of recovery. Your sponsor will listen to you and give you suggestions; tell you what works for him/her; point out trouble spots and help you de3cide what to do about them. In other words, your sponsor helps you to understand the AA program and guides you along the path of recovery. Sponsors cannot solve your problems but they can help you to face up to them with honesty and courage. They will help you find ways to solve them by using the AA progra
_HAVE A HOME GROUP
When some of us were introduced to AA through a particular group, we thought we had been assigned to that group and should not go to other meetings. Nothing could be further from the truth. Feel free to visit various groups, but eventually you will want to settle down to a regular meeting that you will consider your home group. Having a home group should not keep you from going to other meetings. Attend as many meetings as you feel the need for, and then a couple more. There are many different types of groups available. Your home group ought to be the place you feel challenged to continue growing and where you feel you have so many friends that you cannot afford to stay away.
_READ THE BOOKS
As soon as you can, we suggest you read these important books, which explain the AA program of recovery, our history and our traditions. The Big Book , Alcoholics Anonymous, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, AA Comes of Age, As Bill Sees It, Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, Pass It On, Living Sober and Came to Believe.
These books are AA General Service Conference approved literature. We suggest that you read and reread them. They can be a constant source of inspiration and understanding. Many of us begin our “quiet time” by reading a paragraph or chapter from one of them. They are the basic sources of our program of recovery. Other AA literature is available and can be found on the literature tables at most AA meetings. They can be helpful to you as you travel the road to happy sobriety. There is an excellent periodical that most of us read called the “Grapevine” which is published monthly and is filled with helpful articles for the alcoholic who wants to get well and stay that way. Subscriptions are available at a minimal cost, and many meetings will have single copies to take home.
GET PHONE NUMBERS
When you cannot easily get to a meeting, the phone numbers of AA friends are invaluable. As you attend more meetings, you will meet people who will be willing to give you their phone numbers. In emergencies, you can call the hotline that is available 24 hours a day. (802) 524-5444).
INCLUDE THE FAMILY
It is said that the average alcoholic affects the lives of at least five other people. Alcoholism is a family illness. We find that the family that gets sick together can often recover together. Share your program of recovery with them.
Following are some of the AA activities that you can share with your family.
OPEN MEETINGS – Take your spouse, friends, members of your family and others who care about you to hear the stories of AA speakers.
CLOSED MEETINGS are marked with a “C” in some meeting lists, all other meetings are open.
SOCIAL EVENTS – Special dances, picnics, workshops and conferences as well as special social activities are sponsored by AA groups and the Fellowship for AA members and their families.
Al-Anon Family Groups, designed for members of the alcoholic family, hold meetings just as AA groups do. They use AA twelve steps of recovery to help them understand the alcoholic and to adjust and improve their own lives.
BE A PART OF
So now, you have made a start. We think you will find these suggestions helpful to you on your journey into happy, comfortable sobriety. Remember that you never have to be alone if you use the tools that AA has to offer you. The program of Alcoholics Anonymous wants to provide support and guidance to all alcoholics who reach out for help. Our very survival requires that we carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. We need you. Join us. Participate. Become a part of our program of recovery.