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[Dorian Gray]

185. AA is a wonderful tool in an arsenal

when it comes to beating addiction. Without AA, my husband would probably not be sober. But there are other variables, too. He did AA in conjunction with spiritual study, therapy for 8 years, and meditation. Every single component there is important to HIS sobriety. I can't say one thing is THE thing. And for other people, other variables/combinations/actions may address the needs if sobriety is desired.

I get really angry when I see slews of magazine articles about AA being useless. The org doesn't keep numbers, on purpose, because it's a group of people who support one another without any formal doctrine other than having a desire to have the desire not to drink. If you're there, you're welcome to the closed meetings. And if you're like me (a spouse, loved one, or family member), you are welcome to the open meetings.

I'm thankful that AA is here. It took some trial and error to find the right group for my husband. Being in NYC, he had options. (Which is lucky, bc he went to a few groups that were new agey/kumbaya, and that wasn't the right fit for him. He likes the grit and straight forwardness of the group he's fallen in with.)

I'm thankful that he has a bunch of people he can talk to who understand his struggle more than I do. They're strangers to me, and that's super healthy for me to know he has a support system outside of our immediate family. It takes tons of pressure off of me. Pressure I felt when he was drinking.