When I got sober, they told me that being in the AA community was like a mini world. We all are just people with problems and same as everyone else out there in the larger world.

The best thing about being in AA community is that we have understanding of our drinking problem and our feelings, reasons we needed to drink or drug etc etc Then, we also have the STEPS and sponsor or friends to talk with. Some people in the program simply will not discuss issues but like to give directions and forget weighing your thoughts and feelings then making a decision, others will discuss and allow others to make their own decisions and support them as they can.

With experience meeting various people we can form a personal friendship circle for ourselves, in AA as well as some not AA members. Some AA members do not believe we should need anything else other than the program. Others think we should use what we need for our personal lives, during our sobriety, physical, mental, spiritual.

I have used what I need, including Therapy, some better than others. That said, I was also told and followed directions to put away all my self help books I had for at least a year sober.
To use only the Big Book and the other AA approved books so I could focus on alcoholism and using the steps in my life.

It has been said that when we do our fifth step, it can be done with more than one person. Such as if an issue has to do with our religion and we think a minister or other religious person would be more understanding than our sponsor than we should do that. Sometimes a mother may have stuff to talk about that a person that has never been a parent would really understand and have experiences to draw on.