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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by owenus32 on June 4, 2004, at 22:49:41
Just wondering
Posted by beatrix34 on June 5, 2004, at 16:44:09
In reply to Anyone in AA or NA here?, posted by owenus32 on June 4, 2004, at 22:49:41
I am...I have been going to NA for over 5 years now. Are you going to either?
Posted by Tony P on June 8, 2004, at 6:39:39
In reply to Anyone in AA or NA here?, posted by owenus32 on June 4, 2004, at 22:49:41
I have been a member of AA since the early seventies, and NA almost as long, though not always in good standing so to speak - i.e. didn't go to meetings for a year or two and eventually relapsed, more than once.
In the late 70's, when I really got serious about recovery, I joined the first NA group in Canada - right here in staid old Victoria BC. It had been going a few years by then, but there were still very few meetings and members - we could and did meet in a tiny room in a church attic. After the first year or so, I only occasionally went to NA meetings, concentrating on AA, until I drifted away from both and had a major relapse on "soft" drugs as well as alcohol in the early 90's. I attended NA meetings for a year or so after that, but eventually stopped, feeling I didn't quite fit in with what I saw at the time as mostly "hard" drug users and "biker" types -- an attitude called "terminal uniqueness" by a friend of mine. I continued to go to AA regularly for several more years, though, even hosting a meeting in my home - a great way to make sure I got to at least one meeting a week!
More recently after an even worse relapse, I have been going to NA meetings pretty consistently for about 3 years, keeping up some attendance even during further relapses. I now consider myself very much a member of NA. I love NA's attitude that what counts is that I am an addict, and how that wrecked my life, not what drugs or how much I used.
I just posted more of my story under the thread "Re: Addiction: how did it start for you". I didn't say much there about my involvement with AA and NA, but I will say here that they have saved my life when it seemed nothing else could. At one time I had 6 or 7 years of solid recovery, after working the steps. Counselling and medical therapy have helped a lot along the way -- but nothing really changed in my life until I stopped using and stayed stopped with the help of AA and NA. I am completely open to those who find recovery by another route -- even the AA/NA literature says we don't have a monopoly on how to recover -- but I know that AA and NA that were the only things that worked for me.
It's a bit like the way some people have to take insulin or heart medication for life -- or antidepressants like me and so many others here! It's something I need to do to have the life I want and grow into the person I want to be. And as well it's like having a second family -- and now a whole crowd of new friends, after considering myself as a loner for so long.
That's a long answer to a short question, but I'm really in a mood for sharing and story telling tonight. Either that, or my perfectionism just won't let me stop writing!
Celebrating 30 days clean tonight,
Tony P
Posted by Tony P on June 8, 2004, at 7:30:08
In reply to Re: Anyone in AA or NA here?, posted by Tony P on June 8, 2004, at 6:39:39
P.S.
There is a great 3D version of the NA logo at http://members.tripod.com/~houndoggyjt/NAgraphics/3dNAsymbol.gif, with permission to download it. I've got it as the centrepiece on my desktop now!
Tony P
Posted by beatrix34 on June 8, 2004, at 21:17:12
In reply to Re: Anyone in AA or NA here?, posted by Tony P on June 8, 2004, at 7:30:08
Hey...me again! I got into the NA rooms in Canada too! Toronto, I'm now living in Denver and there aren't as many meetings here but it is a great bunch of people with lots of years of recovery! Nice to see another Canadian :)
Posted by Mr.Scott on July 18, 2004, at 23:49:53
In reply to Anyone in AA or NA here?, posted by owenus32 on June 4, 2004, at 22:49:41
Yep...
AA Since Nov 2, 2003.
I do however still take clonazepam and Zoloft under a doctors supervision.
Sometimes I feel bad about this, but my anxiety is horrific.
This is the end of the thread.
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