Welcome and Friendship

“In my late 40s I was the walking dead, without spirituality - barely hanging in.”

Hello everyone, I am Andrew and I am an alcoholic but I am also an adult child (an adult who grew up in an alcoholic home) because I need both Fellowships of AA and Alanon and I am very grateful to be of service in both. Originally I came into AA in May 1996 by making a 12-Step call to St Andrews Street in Glasgow. I sat from 10.30am until the end of the afternoon meeting and I said that I was Andrew and that I thought I had a problem with my drinking. I worked on my recovery and healing an hour at a time, ODAAT. Since I didn’t drive, I burned up the shoe leather attending meetings in Strathkelvin Intergroup and Glasgow Region. I was in maintenance and I think I had some kind of itch in year three or four. I overstretched myself,
including attending two big Conventions - which are not for me. I crossed over the corridor into Alanon as an adult child and I went out in a leaky boat,
drinking with my Alanon sponsor. I had cut my mooring lines and lost my anchor from AA! The insidious nature of the illness crept up on me gradually.

For the last couple of years, I was a near daily drinker, diagnosed with physical dependency, terminal neuropathy and the start of a wet brain. In my late 40s I was the walking dead, without spirituality - barely hanging in. I came back in through online AA meetings and most of that is definitely not for me! I need the physical hand of welcome and friendship, sharing fellowship - with a mug in my hand and sharing - honestly, open and willing. I am again 20 months sober and a very grateful and responsible member of my home group, focussing on the principle of a power greater than myself - Step Two. I am humbly grateful to be back home with my alkie family.

Andrew L
Kirkintilloch Wednesday