Thanks for the message. When I go to meetings I listen to the good AND the bad that people share - in turn, it helps me stay more honest with myself. I think that's the key for me staying sober. In AA they encourage working the 12 Steps. One of the AA promises after working the first 9 steps is that "we will not regret the past, nor wish to close the door on it." That's ********. To be honest, there are things I'll cringe about/regret until the day I die! You're right about not beating yourself up too much, though.

UpDownAround, I wish there was Recovery International around here, so I could attend them in addition to AA. There are about 200 AA meetings within driving distance for me, but no Recovery International meetings. Go figure. I should review my old CBT skills, because I haven't picked up my workbooks in a very long time. The tools you describe are valuable, and somewhat different than the AA approach. Being MI, I think Recovery International would address my dual diagnosis better. As I wrote, due to anxiety, depression & semi-agorophobia that I've been feeling lately, I haven't been to an AA meeting in over three weeks. I generally go to 4-6 meetings a week (is there a program for being addicted to AA meetings?). When I disappear like this, I wish I could explain to my AA comrades why I do this...It doesn't feel altogether comfortable doing so, however.