During those early years I was physically miserable. He gave me a pamphlet to read, which consisted of a bunch of questions. Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, gives people in recovery an opportunity to meet and connect with others on a similar journey. Eventually, I found a group with members more sympathetic to drug use, learned to be a little less open about my drugs, and sought out other members who also liked to get high on drugs. 10. However, our experience indicates that the misuse of prescription medication can threaten the achievement and maintenance of sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous Helpline. Newcomers may choose to be guided through the steps by experienced members of Drug Addicts Anonymous who have had deep and effective spiritual experiences as the result of working the steps themselves. All of the efforts of Narcotics Anonymous are inspired by the primary purpose of our groups. I went to a therapist and he tried very hard to help me, and at times I felt better. … If you are addicted go to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)! 4. I felt so angry with God. I worked two jobs and went to art school full-time. I didn’t drink to have a good time, and I didn’t need the alcohol to talk to people. Fortunately they were able to find their way to sobriety in A.A., free from mind altering drugs. Being drunk felt great, because I didn’t feel anything. If such a program could relieve an alcoholic of their obsession with alcohol then it could do the same in relieving an addict’s obsession with drugs. During their monthlong stay at rehab, Karla took a daily van to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings at nearby facilities, Suzanne said. Al-Anon members are people, just like you, who are worried about someone with a drinking problem. I vacillated for three years, until one afternoon I just stopped taking all pills. Every month I had the opportunity to review the prescription with him. When my daughter turned two, we found out that my son was on his way. is against pills.”. I did my best to be humble and stay grounded. I obtained a prescription for what I thought was an antidepressant but later learned was a tranquilizer. I felt tremendously conflicted about taking medicine in sobriety. For the first time in my life, I truly opened my mind and decided to follow suggestions. “I no longer felt that I was just trying to cope by taking a pill. My doctor suggested that I call my old A.A. sponsor and explain what had become of me. I value my sobriety, so I question everything with my doctor, and I try to be careful. 3. To duplicate, with such backing, what we have accomplished is only a matter of willingness, patience and labor.”. I went to more meetings, but unlike in the past it wasn’t helping. I felt good almost all the time. The information here is the most current we have on file. Also among us are diabetics, epileptics, members with heart trouble, cancer, allergies, hypertension, and many other serious physical conditions. One day, I came upon a billboard that said something like “Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain, not a moral defect.” I think that the use of the word “defect” really struck me because of our Seventh Step. We have recovered by using the Twelve Steps as outlined in the book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous Facsimile First Printing. My name is Julie, and I am an alcoholic. In addition, most scientific studies show that some alcoholics can drink in moderation and that numerous drugs and therapies could prove more successful than AA in … Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. That was it for me, because I did not hit my children. Some A.A. members must take prescribed medication for serious medical problems. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy. I didn’t consider myself addicted to pills because my “fix” had always been half a glass of brandy! So I went into therapy and started working on these problems. National Convention – Adelaide April 2021. I am sober 11 years now. “Maybe they can’t smoke grass, but I can.” “What do they know about drugs? Unfortunately, by following a layperson’s advice, the sufferers find that their conditions can return with all their previous intensity. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. Drug Addicts Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who have recovered from addiction and are committed to helping those who still suffer. Most of that time I would drink until I had no money, or until I threw up, or until I passed out. Today I have an entirely different attitude about taking medication. Our primary purpose is to recover from our addiction and help other addicts to achieve the same freedom. Finally I went to a doctor. THE TWELVE TRADITIONS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS. I felt as if I wasn’t working the program, that I wasn’t doing enough, even though I went to meetings every day. Now I take a prescription medication for a mental illness, and I take it as prescribed. But then I started working more hours. I am aware that some people still talk about my being “on something,” but that’s okay. www.aa.org. “Three doctors agree on the bipolar diagnosis. But the dark mood persisted and in my new job I started to act as I had when I drank, getting resentments, missing work, feeling paranoid. Up until this point in my recovery, I do not feel that I suffered depression. This has caused many A.A. members to be concerned with the misuse of drugs. I couldn’t do that. Drug Addicts Anonymous is fully supported by voluntary contributions from its members and declines outside donations. However, some A.A. members have misused or abused … During that time I would take my readily available painkillers — some prescribed and some over-the-counter — along with a tranquilizer to calm down. I felt tired all the time, angry with everyone, even suicidal. I feel normal on it, not high or fuzzy in any way. I began drinking less. •    Active participation in the A.A. program of recovery is a major safeguard against alcoholic relapse. With my parents’ permission, I put myself into therapy at 15, and was diagnosed as schizophrenic. It is well known that many sedatives have an action in the body similar to the action of alcohol. The marriage turned into a violent and insane affair, and it ended in divorce after a few years. 9. Better I should take this medicine that keeps me stable, than be in so much pain that I risk drinking again. Each time I abruptly stopped taking my medication my symptoms got worse and my suicidal depressions came back. The fact that I drank again was a stunning blow to me. Discontinuing the use of the tranquilizer was crucial in recovering from the disease of alcoholism. New York, NY 10163, ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Welcome to Drug Addicts Anonymous USA. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. They never use them.” And slowly, but surely, the pot pulled me back into the very pit of isolation I had seen briefly beyond. I never adjusted the dosage on my own. I married at the age of 19, and we had two children by the time I reached 21. I have come to terms with that, and see that most of my life I have needed some kind of medication.”. Twelve step programs are commonly used in drug and alcohol treatment. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. And the lives of those to come. Drug Addicts Anonymous has now grown and there are meetings in at least eight cities in Sweden with up to some 33 meetings a week. I was still drinking and drugging, though, and spent a lot of time sleeping at work, right at my desk. It didn’t remove the anxiety, but it took away the drastic mood swings. Then I got transferred to a much less prestigious position. After I left the rehab, I was surprised to go to an A.A. meeting and find members talking about drugs. •    If you feel that your doctor does not understand your problems, consider making an appointment with a physician who has experience in the treatment of alcoholism. Unfortunately, after trying for two years that combination did not work. of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dominica has attended both Alcoholics Anonymous and Codependents Anonymous meetings over the years and appreciates the support she’s received. There was one day when I was driving to go get the kids, and I wanted to go to the bar. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. I had real symptoms.”. Desperate, I called Intergroup and went to a meeting. Because of the difficulties that many alcoholics have with drugs, some members have taken the position that no one in A.A. should take any medication. “Certainly, the decision to take medication should be made primarily between a doctor who is informed about alcoholism and a patient who is informed about the medication.”. I became active in my home group, got a wonderful sponsor, and began using the Twelve Steps in my life right away. I questioned taking the antidepressant, fearing I just wanted to use a pill to solve my problems. He opened the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, to the Doctor’s Opinion and told me to read it. At the end of the day, I found myself in the restaurant where I had done much of my drinking, and ended up having several martinis. Six months into sobriety, I had a terrible day at the office and felt rejected in every way. Even though I had known something was wrong with me since I was a teenager, manic depression was a total shock. I stayed on the drug for two years, and after that I was put on another medicine, which was a big turning point for me. By the end of the meeting, it was clear to me that “it can be done,” and I began my recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous. Out of respect for AA’s 12 traditions and singleness of purpose they knew they could not become members of AA but they also realized the success this program had in sobering up drunks. THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL, A.A. FOR THE BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN ALCOHOLIC, A.A. FOR THE OLDER ALCOHOLIC—NEVER TOO LATE, THE A.A. MEMBER—MEDICATIONS AND OTHER DRUGS, A MEMBER’S-EYE VIEW OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, WHAT HAPPENED TO JOE; IT HAPPENED TO ALICE 6. I have had mental problems since I was 14, and though they weren’t apparent to others, what went on in my head was pretty bad. •    Be completely honest with your doctor and yourself about the way you take your medicine. See Upcoming Events for Drug Addicts Anonymous, Checks and Money orders are accepted from Groups and Members only. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. As my alcoholism progressed, it was impossible for me to tell where the pain of my drinking problem began and the pain from my physical problem left off.