Recovery Online

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings by Town in Southeast Pennsylvania (SE PA)

2006-04-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings by Town in Southeast Pennsylvania (SE PA)

AA Meetings in Bensalem

AA Meetings in Doylestown

AA Meetings in Exton

AA Meetings in Flourtown

AA Meetings in Glenside

AA Meetings in King Of Prussia

AA Meetings in Lansdale

AA Meetings in Malvern

AA Meetings in Montgomeryville

AA Meetings in Newtown

AA Meetings in Norristown

AA Meetings in Quakertown

AA Meetings in South Philadelphia

AA Meetings in Southampton

Update

2006-01-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

Update : The Meeting Locators Search by Zip Code are back on-line. The search now displays the number of miles to the meeting and also contains, as does the Meeting Locator by Town, a link to the Google Map of the location of the meeting. There is some minor formatting that needs to be done but for the most part the meeting locators are fully functional.

Some of the other features that are now available on Sobriety Online are:

Message Board (We were able to transfer the messages from the old message board.

Calendar (Back On-line and improved. This calendar will allow visitors to submit and manage events and have them displayed on the calendar)

Chat room (Back up. We are trying out a new version of a chat room. We will see how it works out.)

One more Thing

2005-12-25T10:44:00.001-08:00

I forgot to say Happy Holidays... Hope it is safe and sober!

Found this at dryblog.blogspot.com I'm partial to John. I hope they don't mind me borrowing this!

John Lennon quote
"It's no good us preaching at people and saying don't take them, because that doesn't work. It's like the church telling you not to drink or not to have sex when you're young, there's nothing on earth gonna do it. But if people take any note of what we say, we say we've been through the drug scene, man, and there's nothing like being straight! But you need hope, and hope is something that you have to build up within yourself."

Meeting Locator Update

2005-12-25T09:31:00.000-08:00

Well it's taken a while but we finished the next phase of the meetings update at SobrietyOnline.com. The newest features of the meeting locators include mapping and a radius search. You can now look up meetings in Southeast Pennsylvania by town and map the location and get directions!

AA Meetings in Philadelphia by Town

Alanon Meetings in Philadelphia by Town

Alateen Meetings in Philadelphia by Town

NA Meetings in Philadelphia by Town

Also new is the ability to look-up meetings in Southeast Pennsylvania by zipcode and be able to search within 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 or 15 miles from the zipcode with the ability to map and get directions to the meetings!

AA Meetings in Philadelphia by Zipcode

Alanon Meetings in Philadelphia by Zipcode

Alateen Meetings in Philadelphia by Zipcode

NA Meetings in Philadelphia by Zipcode

Been away for a while....

2005-11-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

But I'm Back! I've been busy helping Sobriety Online http://www.sobrietyonline.com
update their meeting lists. It was an arduous task but we finally completed it. Well actually it will be in a constant state of flux. There can always be improvements, but it's a start.

There are currently over 2,200 meetings listed including Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Al-Anon, Alateen and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Area and we are constantly adding meetings.

Some of the things we are hoping to do is have it searchable by zip code and possible have the results show up on a map. That would be pretty cool.

Well I hope every one had a great Thanksgiving and are doing well. Well, as well as can be!

November - Gratitude Month

2005-11-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

I just read over at http://www.recoveryuniverse.com/ that November is accepted by AA members worldwide as Gratitude Month. I didn't know that.

Actually I haven't really thought about gratitude too much this past year. But as time has gone on I am starting to realize that I have a lot to be grateful for. So in the spirit of Gratitude Month I am grateful for the following:

Being in recovery
My wife and son
My parents, sisters and brother
My counselor
My dog
The fact that I am alive and mostly healthy
I have a decent job
I live in the US
I live in a middleclass neighborhood

I am sure there is more I should be grateful for, but unfortunately I am still in midst of healing. It will be interesting to read back on this next November (god willing). I will be grateful if I can do that!

You don't know you have a problem

2005-11-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

until you try to stop. What is it about reality that makes people want to drink. Is it that bad? How come life was fine growing up not drinking but at a certain point every occasion needs to have drinks or beers included in order to enjoy it or get through it? Is it the stresses and problems of adulthood? Then why do we drink if there are good things happening?

Is it the insecurity that we feel? That if I have a couple of drinks it will loosen me up and I will be more social. And then over time it takes more and more drinks to loosen up? Until one day you wake up and you are an alcoholic?

A Million Little Pieces II

2005-10-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well I finished the books couple of days ago but I wanted it to sink in before I wrote anything. I definitely recommend this book. I don't think it is for everybody. But if anyone has ever gone through an addiction or knows someone who has, this is definitely worth reading.

One person I recommended the book to stopped reading it shortly after beginning it saying that the author complained too much and because he also hated his parents.

The other person I gave it to is really enjoying reading it and thinks that he writes with a lot of emotion. She already has recommended it to several of her friends.

I think if you are on this web-site then you will probably like the book.

A Million Little Pieces

2005-10-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

ok I know... it's in Oprah's book club. I have never read a book that was on her list but I would not read a book because it is on her list. I actually clicked on the top 10 selling addiction books link in the book section of http://www.sobrietyonline.com/books.htm and there it was so I decided to read it.

I'm half way through it and it is a very interesting story so far. Basically the author, James Frey, was heavily addicted to almost everything by age of 23. The story so far is about his stay in a Minneapolis Treatment Center.

His writing style is different. Whenever there is a conversation he writes what each persons says on one line. He also repeats words and sentences which emphasizes his feelings. He uses street language and an amazing amount of honesty which makes all the more real.

I am amazed that he remembered so much, in so much detail. Unless of course he is embellishing the story. That really doesn't matter though because the major points he makes should strike home with people that are battling addiction.

I will write a better synopsis once I am finished reading it.

What you put in...

2005-10-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

I think Lenny Kravitz said that... not sure... I had a meeting with my therapist today. I really look forward to those days... One thing I took away was the amount of negative energy I am subjecting myself to. For some reason I enjoy watching the History Channel. The only problem with that is that the shows I watch are mostly negative WWII shows. The outcome of the shows are good it's just that the images I subject myself to are negative. I think I really need to start viewing/reading positive articles.

One thing I will try to work on this week is positive influences...

Honesty

2005-10-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

Honesty will only get you so far... I'm not sure why I just wrote that but... alot of people say honesty is the best policy or I'd rather hear the truth. When in fact what they mean is "as long as you tell me what I want to hear". I'm not going to get up on a pulpit and preach, because God knows I would rather hear what I like.

I just don't like when people say you never communicate with me. When in fact the last time I openly spoke my mind, it was remembered word for word for the next two years. I'm not sure how I am going to feel two minutes from now let alone 2 years from now. That's one of the reasons I learned to keep my mouth shut (for the most part).

I think it is important to communicate with other people, just be careful what you say and who you say it to.

The man in the mirror

2005-10-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

ok I really don't like the title but it seems to fit right around now... who do people see me as and should I really care? When I look in the mirror it is usually a cursory glance. I don't like looking to long because then I start noticing my flaws. And that's only physically! Imagine if there was a mirror that you could look into and see your inner self. Unfortunately in my case I really don't think I could really look too long.

Maybe I am being too hard on myself and I had should be happy for what I do have, good health, good family and a nice living. There are people alot worse off.

But sometimes that still doesn't make me stop wondering when I look into the mirror.

Status Quo

2005-10-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

What's so bad about status quo? It is defined as "The existing condition or state of affairs." Sometimes I find myself wanting to experience something more exciting than what I am currently experiencing. When in fact what I am currently experiencing may be what other people could only wish for... It seems that, as an alcoholic, I always want more. And when I get more it is still not enough. How come other people can stop after one or two beers and I can't. Unfortunately, the people I hung out with made it a challenge to see who could drink the most. And to be honest I played right along with it. Egging other people on.

I did not see the damage I was doing or that I was causing other people to do something that was not in their best interest. But then it comes down who do you blame. I blame no one except me. I was never strong enough to say I don't have to drink 5 beers in a row. I don't have to do a beer bong. I don't have to be the last one at the keg. In fact I was always trying to be the first one at the keg. That always broke the ice for me... a couple of beers in me and I was ready to go...

Why is that????

and that is my quest... to find out why

Infatuation

2005-10-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about infatuation lately. Actually I'm not sure if infatuation is the right word, just a feeling you really like someone for who they are. There is a person I have met who has made a lasting impression in my life. However, at this point they have made it clear that it was only a temporary relationship. The relationship was on an intellectual level, sharing thoughts and ideas, which in some ways may be more intimate than a physical relationship. But now that it is over, I'm sad. I miss it.

It seems in life there are several times where you meet someone who makes a difference in your life. And even though I am sad now, I need to realize it will happen again, as it always will...

afraid to make a statement???

2005-10-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

that's me... that's what I'm hoping this blog will help me with. A lot of times I hold in what I have to say for fear of upsetting someone, causing waves, or sounding stupid. That really hasn't gotten me really far. I thought it would get me friends - it hasn't. I thought it would get me a better career - it hasn't. I thought it would help me with me family - it hasn't.

I think people like other people who have a stand on something, they can understand them. If you are wishy-washy people tend to stay away from you. It's too difficult to know if you like someone who you don't know where they stand on issues.

Just another day

2005-10-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't heard from my friend that was supposed to go to rehab today. I hope he went. I probably should have called him but either way he probably doesn't want to hear from me right now. Nothing really new happening today. I am still new to blogging so I should probably start doing some exciting stuff so I have something to write.

One problem when you first stop drinking is trying to find something as "exciting" to replace it. Anymore my life just feels like sleeping and working. No more late nights partying with my friends, going out seeing new people. I am kind of introverted so it's difficult for me to be socialiable without a couple of drinks.

They say give it time and you will come around. Well I hope they are right.

Another try at rehab

2005-10-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

My friend called me up tonight and said he will try going to rehab tomorrow. I'm glad he called and for his sake I hope he can go through with it. He is a nice guy, someone who can get along with most anybody. Unfortunately some of his current friends are really just using him to get what they need. One thing I found from my drinking days is that good friends are hard to find. The people you go out drinking with usually don't have your best interests in mind.. and vice versa - to be fair.. I was happy if I could drag someone out to drink with me..

Drinking is over- rated

2005-10-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

When I look back at my days of drinking I really don't miss it. I'm thinking about the times I woke up hurting from a night of heavy drinking. I would be dehydrated, with a headache, hungry and not feeling too good. Alot of times I couldn't remember what I did, what I said or who I said it to the previous night. Stopping drinking is the best thing I could have done. I feel alot better. It's not for everyone but for me it's what I had to do....

Drive to rehab

2005-10-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

Last night was a weird night. A friend needed a ride to rehab. This would be his third time in rehab. He's having a hard time putting the bottle down and goes on binges that last weeks. I do feel bad for him so I said I would give him a ride when he called. He said the other person that was going to drive him had to stay late at work. That should have alerted me. I picked him up at a bar and ended up driving him to about 3 different bars so that he could have "one" last drink. When we finally got into the area of the rehab he decided that he did not want to go anymore. So I ended driving him back home which took @45 minutes. I was pretty upset with him but there was really nothing I could do. I couldn't kick him out of the car. Plus I didn't know exactly where the rehab facility was located. I ended up dropping him off at the bar and I guess he ended up meeting his friends...

Like they say in AA you can't force someone to quit drinking... they have to be ready. I just hope he is ready before he does some serious damage to himself.