The pandemic has brought about many challenges to the recovery community, and those that need to be in recovery: increased rates of drinking, drugging, death, incarceration, suicide, abuse, crime, you name it, the panoply of human dysfunction.

Long ago, instead of whining about the pandemic, I just accepted it and figured, like others, it was this generation’s turn to suffer. This is nothing new to AAs: AA began in the 1935 during the Great Depression and just before World War II began in 1939 with the German invasion of Poland. Times were much tougher back then, and like today, the full menu of human suffering was on parade.

There’s one big difference, however, because today we have a huge network of AA and AA-type meetings, public and private support for treatment and mental health programs, etc. All you have to do is reach your bottom, decide you want to live and go to a meeting. Like liquor stores, there’s an AA meeting on just about every corner! Yes, its still hard to “make a decision,” as Step 3 begins, but that’s up to you. “You can lead a horse to water, but…..”

In my sobriety there’s not one challenge life has thrown at me that the program of AA has not helped me get through successfully, a record that’s decades long (continuous) and counting. Now that’s a testament to the power of AA you can put in the bank.

So, give it a try. And as they always used to tell me at my first AA club in Denver when I hesitated to stay in AA, “If AA and sobriety are not for you, leave, and your misery will be cheerfully refunded!” I’m certain there were a few knowing looks and smiles thrown in there too!

Keep coming back folks. It works if you work it!

 380 total views