How I got to AA
Throughout the year, I have been humbled
and guided by a higher power, whom I
refer to as God, to come to terms with the
fact that I needed help. Alcoholism had
taken hold of me, and it all started when I
was a young boy who struggled to fit in
with society. As a result, I turned to liquor
as a means of coping and escaping my
insecurities.
Initially, my primary motivation for
attending AA on July 6, 2024 was to
address my legal issues. While this
approach proved somewhat effective in the
short term, it was only after completing
step 4 and reflecting on the harms I had
caused that I became genuinely committed
to attending AA. Finding out my top 5
character defects, anger, dishonesty,
selfishness, lack of self control, pointing
fingers and self centeredness. I wanted to
run the show. Column 5 of harms done by
me, was huge.
During my early days in AA, I was a
lonely and emotionally unstable individual
who avoided social situations due to the
fear of experiencing intense emotions.
However, I am grateful today for the
divine intervention that brought AA into
my life, the people within it, my sponsors,
and my support groups. I can now express
genuine gratitude for being a recovering
alcoholic.
I have now completed the steps of
recovery, and I am filled with gratitude for
the strength and grace of God, who has
granted me the ability to change my life.
By serving in my groups currently and
sponsoring others in the future, I am
confident that I will remain grounded and
steadfast in my journey toward sobriety.
July 23rd I felt that desire be taken away, I
witnessed my first part of spiritual
awakening. By going to a liquor store,
opening that door, taking out my fave beer
and going in my car, drove to my trail and
dumped it out. As I did that I felt this
stronghold lifting.
July 27th found out my cousin passed
away in California. We were close and he
checked in on me and my issues of alcohol
and AA. When I found out man, I was
distraught. I wanted to go and get a beer.
But was at a meeting that day, I was
having panic attacks from an ex. God
brought me my first sponsor and began
working steps on 28th.
What I have learned from all the steps:
-
Admitting I am a alcoholic and
powerless over it. Was difficult to do. I did
not believe I qualified as one. If being
arrested didn’t prove it. Took 2 hrs of
debate with sponsor. 7/28/24 -
Came to believe a power greater than
myself could restore me to sanity. In all
trueness I knew of God being there but I
did not fully believe in Him to restore. But
it wasn’t put into actions. 8/1/24 -
Made a decision to turn my will over
to Gods. At this point it was just going
thru the motions really. Legal issues had
me doing this. But I did turn it over and
prayed the 3rd step prayer. 8/1/24 -
Made a fearless moral inventory of
myself. I had done this before in another
program, which I believe God had me go
thru and do, to have me ready for AA. Pt 1
finished 8/8/24
- Between 8/8-10/1 I had went through a
lot. I had no sponsor, wasn’t working
steps. I had multiple times, temptations I
could’ve drank. But didn’t. I started
looking into a sponsor in sept til end of
sept. My new sponsor stepped in quick. - Pt 2 came with doing the 5th column in
inventory. Harms done by me. This is
where the willingness came to fully
surrender and work the steps.
-
Admitted to God, to myself and
another person of my wrongs. As my
sponsor and I began to look at the triggers
and character defects, I began to learn how
I became alcoholic. 10/5/24 -
Became now ready entirely to have
God remove it all. I found out really I was
a lonely, emotional alcoholic and mentally
affected me from my past. 10/5/24 -
Humbly asked Him to remove my
shortcomings. This became very powerful
and intimate with my Higher Power. I
wrote out my prayer and surrendered those
defects. 10/8/24 -
Made a list of all persons I harmed and
became willing to make amends.
Thankfully I had already did this step in
another program because I did not know
how I would do it in AA. 10/14/24 -
Made direct amends to such people
where possible. Started my amends project
to myself. 11/7/24 -
Continued to take personal inventory. I
have now always started reflecting of my
day in a nightly prayer and meditation. -
Sought thru prayer and meditation to
improve my relationship with God. I do
this meditation every morning at 8am and
thru out my day -
Having had a spiritual awakening. My
first awakening came on July 23, 24 and
my second one came at column 5 step 4
and steps 6/7. I am now continuing this
daily. Finished steps 10-12 on 11/15/24.
In closing, I come before you with
humility and gratitude, acknowledging that
God intended for alcohol to be a tool for
helping others struggling with addiction. I
pledge to continue serving and sponsoring
others in the future, ensuring that my
experiences remain a source of inspiration
and guidance for those on their own paths
to recovery.
Which in full, will keep me sober...
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