David Sklar, PhD, ACSW
LONELINESS, RELAPSE, AND ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
The Google definition of loneliness is feeling sad and unhappy about being socially isolated. Loneliness can occur in a crowd, family, or happen as a product of living alone. The key component in loneliness is the emotion sadness. Being alone can feel relieving, calming, stress-free. Feeling lonely is sad, sometimes to the point of depressing. Nobody understands you. Nobody loves you. If someone cared for you they would come over right now and take this sad feeling away. But they are not coming. There is an easy remedy for those in recovery feeling lonely-AA. Alcoholics Anonymous is a great structure for keeping loneliness, often a trigger for relapse, at bey. The early AA guys knew the loneliness of addiction and built a group structure that best combats that loneliness. AA provides a community for anyone feeling lonely. Meetings are everywhere at any time. AA is a caring fellowship. The recovering alcoholic is freed from the loneliness that destroys, if he or she so chooses.