Can you go to AA too much and use AA as a crutch

People enterting into AA find it alluring in some cases, they have exit the world of booze and now find complete acceptance and understanding in those around them, it’s only natural that at some points people experiencing this would feel inclined to be so grateful that he or she becomes an ardant advocate for the group. Not only that, he or she may go as far as to make the group his or her life and shield themselves from people who live a life outside of sobriety. Let’s look at some of the perks and downsides of this and answer the question can get too much AA and use AA as a crutch.

Where I live there’s a young group of people in AA, this group consists of around four hundred young people between the ages of fifteen and forty, they are quite active and practice all the traditions adamantly. What’s more, they required A LOT of time from my personal life, meetings were to be attended five to as many as seven times a week and taking on a sponsor and sponsees was normal. What’s more, these people spent extensive amounts of time with each other, much like high school they would meet for lunches and barbecues, throw dances and parties, first year in sobriety celebrations were typical and trips skiing and hiking. The question I started raising was whether or not this was conducive to expanding as a person, I started to realize that while I was having a great time my circle of friends outside of sobriety was diminishing and therefore my work suffered (which in sales socializing is imperative) and my old relationships suffered. Now I understand that many people eliminate their old friends but I’m talking about the friends of over ten years, the ones who accept your sobriety and want you to stay with it.

So can you go to AA too much? From the inquiries I’ve been running on Sobriety.org what I’ve come up with is it’s a shady area, if the person in sobriety had alcoholism that was so severe than absolutely he or she should only communicate with like-minded people. On the other hand,  AA is meant to be a tool for emerging back into the normal world, in fact the big book speaks on the fact that booze will exist around us, that we can manage to stay sober around others that drink if we work the steps. It is my belief (and much of this topic is centered around opinion) that too much of anything can be a bad thing, early in sobriety extensive amounts of AA is necessary but later on easing off may be necessary to resume a normal and happy existence in sobriety.

In the end, I would say that this is dependent on the person experiencing the miracle of sobering up and working the steps but it’s important we use AA as a tool and not a way of shielding ourselves from reality.  I would say from month six to year two is a good time to start emerging back into everyday society while keeping constant contact with your sponsor, the first year is always the most difficult so be prepared for a feeling of sensitivity and periods of anger.