I have never experienced what it would be like to be a part of an AA meeting. The only time I have had seen or heard someone mention meetings for alcoholics has been TV shows and movies, which would portray these meeting as a circle of strangers just deliberating stories of their life and how this disease has changed them forever. Therefore, I had no idea what to expect. I felt intimidated and had a sense of nervousness, so I decided I would not go alone and brought a friend. My expectation upon entering this meeting was to see beat up people with bad hygiene and a homeless appearance. As a matter of fact, the expectations I had upon walking towards this place was that I was going to get hit on and even get kidnapped. As crazy as it sounds, all these thoughts came through my mind particularly because of the type of environment I expected it to be. For the most part, I was wrong. I was actually surprised at what I witnessed and I came to realize that I was over-reacting. Upon arrival, there were people spread out; some talking together and some sitting alone. The room was nothing like I imagined. It wasn't an auditorium or a gym like they showed on TV. This place which I had imagined to be a dreadful enclosed surface with maniacal individuals turned out to be a small room with sofas and tables to make guests feel welcomed, with regular looking men and women appearing to be middle-aged. I thought "There has to be something wrong, I can’t be convinced that all these people who seem normal to me have an addiction problem with alcoholism". My friend and I took a seat by the door just in case we wanted to make a quick exit. I looked around the room and saw two large signs right in front of the speaker’s podium. One explained how to g... ... middle of paper ... ...meeting was one of awe and some relief. This meeting made me realize that I should really appreciate the things that I have in life because there are others out there who are way off worse. What I learned from the meeting is that the problem is not how much you drink; it’s what happens when you drink. Getting clean and sober is for those who want it, not those who need it. The key step for addicts is to maintain a motivated way of thinking once you start feeling good about yourself from making amends. I believe 12-step sober support groups can be extremely beneficial to the person attempting abstinence. The premise is that one addict can best help another and that by helping another you actually help yourself. AA is a fundamental example of how groups support sobriety in individuals as long as they are willing to follow a program and commit to changing their habits.
I introduced myself. I learned that the facilitator for the night is actually a member, a 30-year sober member. I was asked to enjoy refreshments and was greeted cordially by present members. The meeting was held in a church reception hall and the room was set up with 3 tables parallel from each other. I participated in this group as an observer, although, I did introduce myself at the beginning. The issue of this group was alcoholism and how to stay sober. The purpose of the group is to be a support system for those who are struggling with sobriety and those who have been successful in sobriety. The group focuses its healing around the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. This support group is open and provides no limit to the attendee
This paper will try to explain the different views of how and why Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs are accepted and rejected as effective tools in treating alcoholism and other addictions. The articles reviewed contradict the others’ opinion. First, we see that supporting the 12-step programs with a degree of involvement both the doctor and patient will see better results in treating the addiction. The second view will show that 12-step programs can be used as “self-help” treatment and must be used in conjunction with other forms of rehabilitation. When AA and other 12-step programs are not used with other forms of treatment, the patient tends to become codependent on the group.
A major question that has been asked ever since the creation of AA, people have questioned Bill Wilson’s theory on Alcoholism; whether it’s a disease or a spiritual problem. In addition to the question of the origins of alcoholism another question is if the “Big Book” and 12 step program about alcohol or about finding God. This paper is about Alcoholics Anonymous and how the organization treats alcoholism as a disease that it impossible to cure unless the individual finds God. I believe that AA operates in a fashion similar to that of a cult because of what the book teaches and the message that AA members are instructed to carry out.
In the fall of 1935, a second group of alcoholics slowly took shape in New York. A third appeared at Cleveland in 1939. It had taken over four years to produce 100 sober alcoholics in the three founding groups. That same year, the Fellowship published it’s basic textbook, Alcoholics Anonymous. The text, written by Bill, explained A.A.’s philosophy and methods, the core of which was the now well-known Twelve Steps to Recovery (Pitman 75 & 76).
It's also important to note how important group settings can be on the outside. Many people in recovery make significant process by going to 12-Step meetings. Again, these meetings offer much more than a forum for having coffee and discussing problems. These meetings offer people a chance to make new friends and develop lasting relationships. That's a very important attribute because most people in recovery have to say goodbye to the old friends they had while living life with an
Alcoholics Anonymous is best known of the 12-step fellowships. Anyone with the desire to quit drinking or using substances is welcome to attend meetings. Individuals learn how to be sober through the support of other members and the 12 steps. In most suburban and urban areas, meeting can be fund every day and around the clock; they are even available online and are structured for confidentiality and anonymity. Family members and other support are often welcome. The 12-step model has been adopted worldwide. Specific groups may focus on specific addictions and include specific populations. The size of meetings ranges from small to large. There are also meetings to address the special needs of family and significant others, such as Al-Anon for
Addicts suffering from alcoholism should make the effort to join an AA meeting. I believe meetings can truly help addicts become successful in their recovery. As evidenced by the members of the group I observed, meeting with fellow addicts who understand and has lived through the struggles of addiction, AA meeting is a great resource. Not too long ago, I had a hard time deciding my feelings of people with substance abuse. I strongly felt that this was a choice, however, at the same time, a small part of myself understood that this was a disease. As I have been learning more about substance use, I have been more on the side that substance abuse is a disease. After attending the AA meeting, it was confirmed for me that addiction is a disease. Although it may start out as a poor choice, it ultimately is a disease that affects that brain. Listening to the speakers, I felt really bad about my negative activities towards substance use. I know longer believe that addicts have the choice to completely stop their addiction. They need help from others to overcome the disease. Programs such as AA provides the fellowship that addicts need in recovering from
This was evident in the meeting as well. Of the ten members, only one was attending their first ever A.A. meeting (two others were attending their first Brown Bag Meeting). Ann declined to speak the first time they went around the circle, but she seemed very nervous. She later decided to speak, and related her experience to us. She had been sober for 10 days now, and when she woke
I had attended a 12 Step AA meeting on a Sunday at the South Hills Business school in
They were all conversing with each other seeming to already be a cohesive group outside of group settings. A few of the members greeted me politely, however, did not engage me in further conversation. As the meeting time came closer, we were all able to enter a room where the meeting would be held. My immediate thoughts on the room were that the room was cold and with simple settings. The room was not very well lit, had a bunch of benches and folding chairs to accommodate the members, and had a table with information and pamphlets about other support groups. Perhaps I had formed an idea of an AA meeting in my head based on movies and TV shows I had seen, but I was expecting to see a table for refreshments and snacks where the members could chat around as they waited for the meeting to begin. However, there was only a water fountain at the very corner of the room, somewhat hiding from all
When I saw the Alcoholics Anonymous assignment on our syllabus earlier this semester I thought, "Oh my god, I have to go to some stupid AA meeting." In the weeks prior to attending the meeting, I was very nervous about attending it because I did not know what to expect. Some of the questions going through my mind were: "Was everyone expected to talk at the meeting?" and "Was I going to be criticized as the outsider wanting to know what AA was all about?" Those were my two main concerns.
Though not much research has been done to find out the effectiveness on NA meetings for persons with addictions, there are some studies done to show outcomes of this form of treatment. Many addicts try to put themselves in rehab or some form of treatment to help them with their recovery. According to the article “Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, frequency of attendance and substance use outcomes after residential treatment for drug dependence: a 5-year follow-up study” by Michael Gossop, Duncan Stewart, John Marsden, they state “…the relatively high rate of relapse which often occurs after leaving treatment gives rise to concern” (Gossop, Stewart, & Marsden ,2008). This means after rehab there is no form of treatment helping them with their sobriety. “Studies that looked specifically at NA have found an association between group attendance and improved drug-using outcomes and length of time in NA has been found to be related to abstinence from illicit drugs” (Gossop, Stewart, & Marsden ,2008). Another study on youth, ages ranging from 30 and under, from the article “Can 12-step group participation strengthen and extend the benefits of adolescent addiction treatment? A prospective analysis” by John Kelly, Sarah Dow, Julie Yeterian, and Christopher Kahler, explains “…high post-treatment rates
The ingestion of alcoholic beverages for their enjoyable effects is a custom which has been around for thousands of years, and alcohol continues to be a popular drug because of its short-term effects (Coleman, Butcher & Carson, 1984). An enormous amount of damage can be attributed directly to alcohol abuse as a result of lost jobs, accidents caused by drunk drivers, and so forth (Maltzman, 2000). Alcohol also compounds other problems--an estimated 25% to 40% of hospital patients have problems caused by, or recovery delayed by alcohol abuse (Maltzman, 2000). Clinical psychologists spend about one-fourth of their time dealing with people who are suffering in part from alcohol or other substance problems (Vaillant, 1995). Although alcohol problems have been around for so long, it is only recently that these problems have begun to be associated with medical or psychological difficulties.
My only exposure to AA meetings has been through the media, so my initial expectations had a lot of cinematic imagery. I thought maybe I would walk into a cathedral at night or a darkened, smoke-filled community hall with rows of melancholy people telling horror stories from their drinking days. Predictably, the reality was pretty far from what I imagined.
The staff are volunteers and do not necessarily need any educational background to join the team. The program is a community effort, helping each other fight off their substance abuse. Using unconventional methods has both advantages and disadvantages. One advantage of being a volunteer-ran agency is the personal connections attendees can form with the staff. Pat, a volunteer we spoke with, connects with other alcoholics seeking sobriety on a personal level. He facilitates discussions and understands the audience much more than a trained educator would, as he has been through similar experiences. To successfully facilitate meetings, Pat uses personal stories of resilience to convey to current alcoholics that they can also overcome their addiction. Pat tells us that he has “been clean for 27 years, not 27 minutes.” He also helps by leading by example, and proving that alcoholism can be stopped. Although not stated when asked, this learning method is similar to observational learning from the Social Cognitive Theory. Members observe and listen to Pat’s testimony weekly and see that he has successfully abandoned his old lifestyle. Ultimately, they will believe that they also can stop drinking and change their risky behaviors. Disadvantages of not implementing a theory can result in the inability of addressing all the factors – interpersonal, community, environmental – that influence an alcoholic’s behavior. For instance, an individual may be struggling with alcohol because there are many liquor stores in his or her neighborhood. The person’s need of an intervention addressing this factor will remain unmet as the AA program focuses solely on the individual and is not able to address other factors that play a role in an alcoholic’s life. Another disadvantage of the program is that progress can only be measured until the very end, when the person completely surrenders