Congratulations on almost hitting 6 months. That's an accomplishment.

Only you can really decide whether or not you need to go to AA meetings. I for one know I do. I use them for social support, to get out of the house when I'd otherwise be thinking about drinking and as a reminder, both of how I don't want to go back to drinking but more importantly that there are other people who are living happy and fulfilled lives without drinking.

It sucks that it's winter and transportation is difficult. Is the bus strike still on? Because it sounds to me like you could maybe benefit from finding some other meetings. I know for me, there are a ton of meetings in my local area (who knew there were this many drunks in North York) and I have a car so getting around is easy. In my first 6 - 8 months I was going to a meeting a day, and so I got to a lot of different meetings. Some of them I couldn't stand. Some were just like erm, and some I really liked. Same program, different mix of people, different emphasis on the program. I now have my favourite group of meetings that I go to weekly, plus my B list of meetings that I know I'll be comfortable at, if I start thinking screwy and need extra meetings.

I know your case is a little different from lots of people in AA. You stopped drinking before it really ruined your life. That was smart. Sounds to me like you definitely stopped before you were chemically addicted. Again smart and lucky. The thing is, alcoholism is progressive. If you are an alcoholic or have alcoholic tendencies and you start drinking again, things won't get better, you'll just drink more and more until you do start experiencing negative consequences. Is going to a meeting such a bad preventative measure? There's a saying in AA that you may or may not have heard "YET". Haven't crashed a car, yet. Haven't lost a job, yet. You get the idea. With drinking things can always get worse, by staying sober they have a chance to get better. AA can help some people in that regard.

If you do decide that you don't need to go to AA - that's ok, that's your choice. And I know people who got and stayed sober without AA. Just be sure that you understand the reasons for not going and that your brain isn't trying to rationalize away a legitimate need. We''re all great at doing that. And if you ever do decide that AA is what you need, we'll still be here and happy to see you.

--splitimage