The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I am wondering how many meetings you go to in a week? There was a time when I would sometimes hit 4 meetings a week. I tried keeping that up but I found myself constantly looking at my watch and sigh'ing to myself wanting it to just end because it was so redundant. I found I was hearing a lot of the same sharing over and over and one can only share so much on the steps and traditions without hearing the same thing over and over again. I guess at the time, I felt I needed it.
There is an open meeting I have been consistently attending for about 3 years and for the first time last week I started thinking, I really don't want to go to this and the thought was as though it was a chore.
I attend my homegroup meeting, for which I am the GR.
I go once a week. I like the group I am with. Sometimes we have 7 people and at other times it can be 14. I have gone to open AA meetings also along with AA and Al-anon together. I get on this site everyday, sometimes several times a day, along with the one F2F meeting.
Al-Anon is family for me. This family saved my life and taught me how to live it. What I know today I've been taught in the rooms and because newbies show up often there are always different perspectives to put in my tool box. I slacked off once for a while and then relapsed...I was born and raised in the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction...what would I go back to doing if I left this family. I went back to my old thinking, feelings, behaviors and spiritual motivation. We use to talk in Al-Anon about "half life" recovery...that point in time when the time living in the disease and the time living the program were equal; the balance point and I have about reached that point however the closer I get the more I am grateful for the program and "my part in it". I usually do three meetings a week which is just a small portion of time to how much I work the program. ((((hugs))))
There is only one here, and i go most every week... have done, when it was going for 31 years... we have three meetings, each about 50 mins away. I used to go to all at various times- I only go now for a reason... each group has its own culture, and its own rhythm... I feel it takes time to fit in and to get trusted... so the home group suffices now...
...the rules change a little as we get into the programme... so in my opinion, if you felt that a certain meeting was getting to be a chore [for you] you are most probably right.
Having said that I do have online meetings... okay- so we can all talk at once here without interupting . And I think this counts as a great resource for recovery!
In the first two years that I was in program I attended one meeting a day for over 2 years. Then I felt I knew it all and could do it on my own and stopped going to meetings. I crawled back about a year later and again went to one meeting a day for over 3 years. . I chose meetings that are dedicated to recovery by discussing the Steps, Traditions or Slogans. I keep an open mind at meetings and still learn from them. Today I attend 3 meeting a week.
When I became serious about Alanon, it was suggested that I go to a meeting every day for a few months. Then, to slowly back down by 1 meeting less a week as long as I am able to maintain the same level of serenity. After several months, it wasn't a matter of how many I needed per week, I looked forward to attending different meetings... and did what I could 2-3 meetings per week. Now, it varies, I've been attending more because I have so much going on that I need to work through.
Not enough, as I am realizing. But one thing I forget is that I can come onto this site and read posts. Thanks for that reminder Jen61. I have a hard time getting to f2f meetings due to my work schedule and my daughters schedule, but this is available anytime. I forget that. I'm gonna work on that.
When I first started, I was doing one or two a week. Then I arrogantly thought I could help myself, lol, I dropped out for a spell. Then I came back and started with once a week. At some point, I must have decided my recovery was the most important thing in my life and I started going to three to four meetings a week. I will continue to go to that many, until I can't. Alanon has been there for me, I couldn't have made the changes I have without their support.
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I needed these behaviors in my past they helped me survive I'm finding new and better ways to not just survive but thrive
it varies for me at first I was going to about three a week plus canventions.
Then Igot a job that involved travel but working late so could not get to as many.
Today I do my meetings of a weekend I go to my al anon homegroup every saturday morning where I too am group rep.
I am also in coda so I go there on a sunday. I was also doinf a step study meeting on a sunday but that has finished.
I also go to an open AA meeting once a month where they have aa and al anon shares and lots of conventions. Al anon is a huge fellowship. I like to try different meetings. Whern I go to conventions I know lots of people.
If you feel your meeting is getting a little reptatrive you could call for a consiuonce meeting and see if people have any suggestions eg inviting speakers from other meetings or changing format a little.
My recovery is my responsibility, I like to mix it up. I like to hear as many different shares as possible. As jerry stated meetings are only one aspect I have a vast tol box.
A friend came to our meeting yesterday he had missed his meetings for two months I was reminded a week without a meeting makes one WEAK!!
It took me a full year from the time I found my first meeting to actually get to that meeting. For the first month I did that one meeting a week, then I found another and and another. At one point I was going to 3 or 4 per week. Now I do one or two, depending on how I am feeling. I also check this board daily.
My AH was told to do 90 meetings in 90 days. I figured if it was good enough for him, it was good enough for me. One meeting a day, either F2F or online. If I skip a day I make it up the next by doing two meetings. I truly enjoy the meeting and I am learning so much. So currently I am doing; 5 Al Anon meetings week, 1 open AA (to show spouse support and learn), and 1 OA meeting.
I decided to make time for what is important to me.
. And I think this counts as a great resource for recovery! 
