The e-AA Group

I feel uneasy about providing services to those in the rooms. AA is not a marketing tool to me. But if people know what I do and want to hire me is that so bad? It doesn’t break any traditions (that I can see). I am pretty sure this is above board, and there is no 'AA reason' not to work for other ...

Welcome here Mike, thanks for an interesting question. I am trying to remember where this is mentioned, but not coming up with the answer. I don’t believe it’s in the words you use about the newcomer finding us, but I recall seeing where we should not be so anonymous that we wouldn’t know how to ide...

I wish you the best with this, anyone willing to undertake organizing things that can help others is a bit of a hero in my book, partly because as someone said, in things like this you encounter both those who are supportive, and also the nay sayers. Some don’t really know how a workshop might opera...

It is unfortunate but true, for every piece of evidence put in front of an alcoholic who does not want to stop drinking, he will find an excuse, a reason why the evidence is ‘wrong.’ Our own literature gives examples of alcoholism, mainly the fact that an alcoholic can not have just one or two drink...

Keep it simple and look for the answers in the Big Book, 12 & 12 and other AA Literature. Maybe, but the same Big book says on page 87, under ‘Into Action’ - There are many helpful books also. Suggestions about these may be obtained from one's priest, minister, or rabbi. OK, maybe we have good caus...

You are not alone, in it’s preview of the book ‘the power of now,’ a major newspaper, I think the new york times, said it was a lot of mumbo jumbo. It takes time reading, and most importantly stopping now and again and ‘pondering’ on what he is saying. After a couple of years of reading a bit each d...

On the bright side of these problems, is the fact that you recognize them as bad habits, I think the real danger would be to deny it. Each time you are about to engage in doing any of them, asking your higher power, whoever that may be, for strength, will help you overcome it. The same steps, saying...

How do you use principles before personalities in the program?  With some personalities I keep a distance.

Well done for agreeing to try to help, and best of luck.

Welcome here Elena. As you say, we decide to stop, then after a few days go back to it. Because it brings a relief from the troubles of life, and seems like fun, but the fun is soon over and the troubles are still there, usually more than before. When an alcoholic is not drinking they tend to feel r...

Welcome Britney. It’s a pity AA hasn't lived up to your expectations, and I suspect that this may be quite a common complaint. The way AA meetings are often portrayed to the public is as a ‘support group,’ so it’s fair that newcomers might expect support concerning all their problems, and some frien...

Welcome here and thanks for an interesting question, I saw it yesterday but couldn’t figure a good answer, mainly because AA’s traditions and concepts are written in a sort of we should do this, or it’s best practice to do this or that, there are no ‘musts.’ I live in the Caribbean, and there are ma...

The problem here seems to be, that the sponsee understands the sponsors instruction to be - “5 examples of powerlessness over alcohol that I am experiencing in that day and 5 examples of how my life is unmanageable in that day for 7 consecutive days.” If it were just 5 examples of powerlessness not ...

Welcome here Becca, that was a fine post not a rant at all, it’s the sort of story heard at AA meetings, and on forums like these. Especially when you speak of being out of control where alcohol is concerned, accepting that absolutely, is step #1. No one will try to fool you that you won’t be tempte...

I agree with you that what he has asked might require making things up, and maybe the best approach is telling him or texting or whatever, a version of what you said here. Unless he is expecting you to put ‘ridiculous’ sorts of things, in my case it’s Friday, and that’s the day I do my chore of clea...