MAKING
A START
Welcome!
You
have made a decision, You’ve
taken Step One and said to yourself, “Yes, I’m one of those people who is
powerless over alcohol. My life has
become unmanageable. I can’t stop
drinking and I want help.” You
have discovered, as it says in the Big Book, that alcohol is cunning, baffling
and powerful.
In
order to stop drinking and stay stopped, there are a few simple principles that
you will need to apply to your life. These
principles are A.A.’s program of recovery.
They can work for you as effectively as they have worked for others.
Following are some suggestions which we feel will be of help to you on
your path to recovery.
We
stay sober one day at a time or when necessary, one hour at a time.
We try to break life into small pieces we can handle. We do our jobs,
solve our problems and clean up our past one mess at a time. And we
conscientiously try to turn our lives and our will over to the care of the
Higher Power as we understand Him.
In
learning to apply the A.A. principles to our lives, we ask for help from other
A.A. members, from our sponsors, and from our Higher Power, whom most of us come
to depend upon for our recovery.
All
over the Wichita Area, every day of the year,(including Holidays), mornings,
afternoons, evenings and even late at night there is help in the form of
meetings for you and for every alcoholic who wants help.
Use
the directory of “A.A. Meetings in the Wichita Area” which you can get at
the Central Office (or on this website). It
list meetings in the area. Then
take in as many meetings as you can. You don’t have to speak at a meeting, but
if you will introduce yourself as a newcomer, people will get to know you
sooner. As one A.A. member says, “The Big Book is your road map, the meetings
are your filling stations.”
GET
A SPONSOR
A
few members may tell you that they got sober without the aid of a sponsor and
they may be telling the truth. However, our A.A. experience tells us that you will have a
much better chance with a sponsor, than without one, In A.A. you will
find that your sponsor is a vital part of your program of recovery.
Sponsorship
assures a new member that there is at least one person who cares—one person to
turn to without embarrassment when doubts, questions or problems linked to
alcoholism arise. A sponsor is simply a sober alcoholic who helps the newcomer
solve one problem: how to stay sober.
A.A. experience does suggest that it is best for men to
sponsor men, women to sponsor women. This
custom usually promotes quick understanding and reduces the likelihood of
emotional distractions that might take the newcomer’s mind off the purpose of
A.A.
Your sponsor will listen to you and give you
suggestions; tell you what has worked for them; point out trouble spots; and
will help you to decide what to do about them.
Your sponsor will help you to understand the A.A. program and will guide
you along the path to recovery. A
sponsor was once a newcomer too, and has tried to use the A.A. program to deal
with problems similar to those the newcomer is facing now.
The
home group you choose should be one which you feel that you are a part of.
It should be a place where you can get sober, stay sober, a place where
you are challenged to keep growing and where you feel you have so many friends
you can’t afford to stay away.
When
some of us were introduced to A.A. through a particular group we thought we had
been assigned to that group and should not go to other meetings.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
There are many different type of groups and meetings available. Feel free
to visit the various groups in your area, and attend as many meetings as you
need to.
As
soon as you can, we suggest that you read these important books which explain
the A.A. program of recovery, our History and Traditions:
ALCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS-The Big Book is
the prime text of our program and the chief source of discussion at meetings.
Also available in Large Print, Braille, on Cassette, Video Tape- American Sign
Language, CD, CD-ROM, or floppy disk .
TWELVE STEPS & TWELVE TRADITIONS– The “12 and 12 is a more in depth study of our steps and our traditions. Also available in Large Print, Braille, Cassette, Video Tape- American Sign Language, or floppy disk.
EXPERIENCE,
STRENGTH AND HOPE--Fifty-six
stories retired from the first three editions of the Big Book.
LIVING SOBER- Practical advice to the newcomer Also available in Large Print.
CAME
TO BELIEVE--A.A.
members worldwide share what the phrase "spiritual awakening" means to
them. Also available
in Large Print.
DAILY
REFLECTIONS-daily
meditations for A.A. members by A.A. members. Also available in Large Print.
AS BILL SEES IT– Short selections from the writings of Bill W., one of our co-founders
A.A. COMES OF AGE-Bill W. tells how A.A. started, the evolution of the Steps and the Traditions and how the A.A. Fellowship grew and spread in the U.S. and Overseas.
PASS IT ON- Biography of Bill W., A.A.'s co-founder.
DR. BOB AND THE GOOD OLDTIMERS- Biography of Dr. Bob S., A.A.'s co-founder.
These books are A.A. General Service Conference Approved literature. We encourage you to read them...and re-read them. They can be a source of inspiration and understanding. They are the basic source of our program of recovery.
It is said that the average practicing alcoholic affects the
lives of at least five other people and that alcoholism is a family illness.
We find that the family that gets sick together can often recover
together. The best way to do this
is to share your program of recovery with them.
Following
are some of the A.A. activities you can share with your family;
OPEN
MEETINGS: Take your spouse, significant other, and other members of your
family or interested friends to hear the stories of A.A. speakers.
Open meetings are listed in the meeting directory.
SOCIAL
EVENTS: Special supper, dances,
picnics and other social activities are regularly sponsored by groups for A.A.
members and their families.
CONFERENCES:
Weekend conferences and roundups are held at hotels and conference
centers around the state, throughout the year.
There are activities and
speakers for A.A. and Al-Anon members. You
can find out about these conferences in the A.A. Grapevine, and through the
Central Office.
AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS
Al-Anon
Family Groups® for members of the alcoholics family hold meetings just as A.A.
groups do. They use A.A.’s Twelve
Steps to help them understand the alcoholic and to help them improve their own
lives.
Al-Anon
membership is available to the spouse of the alcoholic and other concerned
family members or friends. The
Al-Anon Family Groups have their own organization including Alateen (for
children of alcoholics) which is separate
from A.A.. You'll find a link to Al-Anon on our links page.
ASK
YOUR CENTRAL OFFICE
When
you need help, and can’t reach your sponsor, you can call your Central Office. They will try to help, or will try to find help for you.
The
Wichita Central Office is your source for meeting directories, A.A. books,
pamphlets and tapes, Grapevine literature and tapes.
Some A.A. Literature is available in Spanish and other foreign languages.
When
you travel, the Central Office can help you find meetings in almost every city
and town in the U.S. and around the world.
You are never very far from an A.A. meeting.
BE
A PART OF...
Remember
that you never have to be alone if you use the tools that A.A. has to offer you.
The program of Alcoholics Anonymous wants to provide support and guidance
to all alcoholics who reach out for
help. Our very survival requires
that we must carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
We
need you. Join us, participate, and
become a part of our program of recovery.