Last night a group of five of us AA "sisters" drove into Manhattan for a great Sunday meeting and to meet my sponsor's sponsor's sponsor's sponsor who is visiting from Seattle and a bunch of other members of our sober "family".
Problem is, one of the women in the car with us, M, was drunk. I was sitting next to her. I could not stand the smell of the booze on her breath, it took over the entire car. She's new to sobriety, she recently completed rehab, but she is having problems staying sober. She goes to Intensive Outpatient Treatment three nights a week. She went into the bathroom during dinner and drank some more.
Everyone in the car was uncomfortable with smelling booze on this woman. I am disappointed with myself because I wanted to be able to help her, but I was angry at her. I had a hard time talking to her. Eventually she was surrounded with people who tried to help her. Literally, they had her against a wall. I hope what they said to her helped her and I hope that she will be okay today. She said she didn't want to be a burden and one of the senior sponsors told her that we all needed her there to help us stay sober too.
I have her phone number, I'll give her a call today. I am going to pray for guidance and direction from my Higher Power on how to act around M and how to be of service to her. There but for the Grace of God go I.
4 comments:
Wow - that's a tough one. I don't think I could have helped but be angry too. Hang in there.. will check back to see how the call went. Have a great day :)
I have been in a very similar situation and also felt quite uncomfortable.
Be glad you're on the sober side of it and can look at it more objectively.
I pray she wants to get sober... because that is the only way she will.
drunk at an aa meeting, wow... shouldn't one at least be sober, cause i was so full of promises and motivation whilst drunk, which obviously didn't carry over to sober times. and does it help talking to her then? does she remember everything?
but yeah, i too get uncomfortable with booze smells close to me.
good luck there. don't know how i would handle that one...
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