Alan went to two meetings at 17, but wasn't ready. At age 25, he went to meetings for about 2 weeks before picking up a start chip. His attorney suggested AA. In the second meeting, he got hope. He was 12th-stepped as he was trying to "slide out" at the end of a meeting. The "God thing" was an obstacle. A candlelit meeting was really helpful to him.

Alan's sobriety date is 17NOV1983 and his home group is Summit Fellowship Men's in Greensboro, NC.