Though someone may have been sober for three years after starting AA, they most likely got to that point with the help of AA. Why stop going when you're sober? Someone could simply want to stick around the chapter to help new members and act as a role model for people struggling with their addiction. Or, they could feel like AA is the only thing keeping them from drinking. There are a variety of reasons that someone would continue to go to the meetings when sober.
I've heard it said that you are NEVER cured from being an alcoholic, you are just always in recovery. As such, AA is really something that you need to keep doing for the rest of your life to maximize the chances of staying sober. Todd
From the newest research we know about addiction (including alcoholism), it stems in large part from improper development of neurotransmitter pathways in the brain early in life. From modern brain plasticity research, we know that it is possible to make changes in these pathways, but it takes much, much longer for adults and later-age teens than it does for children. Years or longer, depending on the person and the circumstances and the specific pathways. For addicts and alcoholics, then, AA actually serves a variety of functions, one of which is to, through socialization and constant reinforcement, actually repattern these neurotransmitter pathways. So from a neuroscience and biochemical perspective, there's a strong argument to continue going to AA for a very long time. From the psychological perspective of attachment theory, alcoholism is one of the results of attachment disorders that occur early in life ("attachment disorder" is a psychological term and isn't the same as how you were parented; many people who think they had great parenting and attachments still have attachment disorders.) And again, the socialization, activities, trust, and support that come from regular attendance at AA meetings supports the repatterning of the defective attachments. Again, over a long period of time. Finally, from an addictions treatment perspective, one of the keys to attaining and maintaining sobriety is continual active participation in twelve step or a similar program. From that perspective, the continued involvement with AA helps to keep the addict grounded, remind him/her about the value of sobriety and what happens if one falters with sobriety, and helps to squelch the mindset that often develops of "Oh, I had this problem, but I'm cured now, so I can go back to drinking, I just have to be careful." Finally, for those who do continue to go to meetings and participate, there is a much, much higher level of sobriety and emotional health than those who go for a year or two and think they don't need it any more. I've met *many* addicts who were clean for 3, 5, 10, 15+ years, going to meetings... one day decided they didn't need the meetings any more, and relapsed a few weeks or months later. So given the different perspectives and evidence, I'd say... if you're sober, why would you risk not doing what helped you get there in the first place? So from several different perspectives, AA
Yes. My wife is almost 12 years sober and she still goes at times. It is for support, friendship with others that know where you have been, being able to see how far you have come, encouragement of newbies and also she still craves. It can be hard for her as I can have a few drinks to take the edge off of my stress, she cannot. I will never understand how it feels to crave so badly that my mouth waters for it, but others at AA can.
I think it depends on the person. If they are still going after 3 years, good for them, they must know that it is still a struggle for them and they are still fighting the urges to return to their drug of choice. Everyone is different, they may still require that structure and support.
I'm almost 4 years sober and still go to NA. Granted, I don't go nearly as often as I used to, maybe once or twice a month, and only to my home group. Mostly I go during times of stress or temptation, or when I'm thinking about things or upset, or just to see how the people I've gotten to know are doing and check in with everyone. And there are people in my home group who have attended almost every week for twenty years or more, so it's definitely not unusual. It's normal, common, and actually encouraged.
