Alcoholics Anonymous

1484 Words3 Pages

Alcoholics Anonymous 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. However, I knew someone who is currently a member of AA. His name is "PB". "PB" is the husband of my supervisor and he was more than willing to take me to a meeting and show me what Alcoholics Anonymous was all about. Before leaving for the meeting, I asked "PB" several questions. They ranged from the length of the meeting to specific problems some of the members. He told me not to be surprised if there were some members who were admitted alcoholics and narcotic addicts. As I questioned him further, he said that many of the people in that predicament were also former criminals. One person in particular was so involved with both drugs and alcohol that he nearly died at the emergency room from an alcohol overdose. Now that my questions were answered, I felt much more at ease and ready to go to the meeting. The building where the meeting took place is located in an office park near The Colonnade. The meeting room is perfect for Alcoholics Anonymous. The room is surrounded by numerous oak trees with a small pond in the center of the complex. Having this view in front of the group could only help a person feel at ease with themselves. When "PB" and I arrived, he introduced me to all of the members w... ... middle of paper ... ...criminate its people. Personally, I learned some things that I can pass on to a family member of mine who is currently incarcerated. The saying "Patience is a virtue" definitely applies to Alcoholics Anonymous. In my opinion, patience is the most important factor of AA. Without patience, there is no way that a member can even begin step two because many members have never practiced any type of organized religion in their adult lives. Of course with any religion, patience is a key component. Regardless of whether someone believes in God, Allah, or is atheistic, patience must be preached at all times. The incarcerated family member has had problems in the past with drugs and alcohol. Once he is released, I will do my best to get him involved in Alcoholics Anonymous because I have seen firsthand how successful it can be for even the most serious alcoholic.

A Student Nurse's Perspective of Alcoholics Anonymous
858 Words | 2 Pages
Coming into the substance abuse meeting the student nurse was scared and nervous. She was scared of the reaction of the consumers and feared all the stereotypes she heard about typical alcoholics. Innervison gave the student nurse a new outlook on these types of consumers. She no longer looked at them as people who were just drunks and wanted to use AA as an excuse to make it seem like they are getting help. She never really looked at alcoholism as a true addiction; it seemed like more of an excuse to escape life’s problems. Sitting in and listening to these consumers gave the student nurse a dose of reality. The student nurse now understands alcoholism better and AA helped her realize recovery is truly a process that takes one day and one step at a time.
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Al-Anon Observation Paper
3578 Words | 8 Pages
Alcoholism is as prevalent in my family, as blood is in our veins. When previously asked to observe 12-step groups, I ritualistically flocked to Alcoholics Anonymous, without consideration of the possibility that other groups had any potential to make an impact on me. I always pride myself in my ability to identify as an individual that is not ensnared in alcoholism, but unfortunately am an individual that was highly tormented by alcoholism. Through observation of the group and how it processed, as well as identifying how I felt as a new attendee, I was able to understand why self-help, support groups are so vital for individuals in recovery. I finally realized, I too am in recovery.
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My Visit to an Alcoholics' Anonymous Meeting
2396 Words | 5 Pages
...ethnicity or culture; it happens to anyone such as, doctors, lawyers, teacher, judges, students and many more. My observation of the meeting was that every member seemed to really listen to each other’s sharing, where each member shared an experience, and others could relate to that particular experience or had similar experiences, such as struggling with promiscuous behavior or relapses in attending meetings, but they still stuck with the program because they wanted change in their lives. No one was rushed in their sharing, and everyone was opened and friendly. It was a cohesive group. I felt a sense of that openness, when I was introduced to everyone, and included at close of the meeting, where everyone one formed a circle, held hands and recited the serenity prayer. Overall, it was a new and knowledgeable experience Another Chance gave me.
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Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
801 Words | 2 Pages
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.
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Irrationality Of Alcoholics Anonymous Summary
208 Words | 1 Pages
In the article "The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous", Gabrielle Glaser contravenes the sacredness of Alcoholics Anonymous and how it is believed to be the only treatment for alcohol abuse. She starts the article with a narrative of an alcoholic and shows us how he was failed by the Alcoholics Anonymous. Using this, she further explains her point and how the program's success rates have been exaggerated. Glaser disagrees with the claim that the program is the only way out for alcoholics. She travelled to Finland for research where she discovered that abstinence may cause more drinking than usual, and the use of the drug naltrexone for treatment. The author endorses the drug, after she did an experiment on herself. She criticizes the fact
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Recovery Essay
811 Words | 2 Pages
Attending an A.A meeting for anyone may be hard. According to, “Psychiatry and Wellness”, “Practically nobody looks forward to going to their first AA meeting.” Alcoholics or recovering addicts may feel the same way I felt when attending their first A.A meeting. Some alcoholics may feel worse than I did. Some alcoholics may feel ashamed to attend an A.A meetings. Some alcoholics may be scared or have fear to go to an A.A meeting because they do not know what to expect. The thought of attending an A.A meeting may be worse than actually attending an A.A
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Alcoholics Anonymous Assignment
830 Words | 2 Pages
After speaking with several individuals, the first time they attended a meeting, they felt scared, alone and confused. However, after leaving, they had hope. Hope that tomorrow would be better than today. Hope they can make it another 24 hours without taking a drink. Because the individuals attending the meeting, are encouraged to take it “one day at a time”. More importantly, they have hope because they now have a social network they can rely on, relate to and connect with personally.
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Reflection On Narcotic's Anonymous
945 Words | 2 Pages
One thing I admired about each of the individuals at the meeting was that all of them held their selves accountable to fight their addiction. Each one of these people could have been consumed with something else on that Wednesday night, but instead, they all choose to come together to become a better version of themselves. They stated that if they didn’t attend the meeting that night they would all feel more likely to fall back into their addictions. Many of them reported attending a meeting multiple times a week. Thus, I was impressed when learning how frequent NA meetings are held. One of the members had informed me that some groups will run every night of the week. Therefore, making it hard for someone to come up with an excuse to miss a
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Narcotics Anonymous Group Analysis
1468 Words | 3 Pages
For my group experiential activity, I chose to attend an open self-help group, Narcotics Anonymous, which is a support group that focuses on the healing and recovery process of people with addiction. The Narcotics Anonymous group was a very informal, open group in which members could come and go at their own free will and were not coerced to disclose any information that he or she did not feel comfortable sharing with the larger group. In addition, new members were welcome to attend. The group was comprised of approximately 19 group members and one group leader. I found it interesting that there were also children of recovering addicts present at the meeting because I was not aware that children could attend these meetings. Nonetheless, I found it very compelling to witness so many families present with their families because it showed that there was still a sense of social support present despite turmoil that the addiction may have caused. The purpose of the group was to engage in the recovery process with other group members but also to adhere to the group’s mission of providing an environment of recovery to those individuals who are still suffering with his or her addiction. The purpose of the group was clearly stated by the group leader during his introductory speech about welcoming new members who would like to share in the recovery process with other group members. Just from observing, there appeared to be a group leader, referred to as the “chairperson,” who provided a brief overview of the group and voluntarily asked members to participate with the reading of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of the Narcotics Anonymous program. In addition, the group leader facilitated the flow of the group members’ conversations and ...
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Support Group Reflection Paper
840 Words | 2 Pages
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
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Alcoholics Anonymous Field Visit Report
2152 Words | 5 Pages
Alcoholics Anonymous is a self-help organization made up of men and women, young and old, who come together to share their experiences with alcohol, and to express their hope and strength with one another so that they can overcome the illness of alcoholism and then help others to recover. A.A. was first started by two men in 1935. One man from New York, Bill W., who was a stockbroker and another man from Ohio, Dr. Bob who was a surgeon. At one point Bill had wondered how one of his friends had achieved his abstinence, and his friend told him that he achieved it through religion. His friend explained that it was based on the principles laid down in a movement known as the Oxford Movement. “This movement advised people to live according to certain principles, and these were related to Bill by his friend.” (Block, page 150). His friend gave him a set of steps to follow, but he could not follow them because he had lost religion in his life long ago. After Bill had been through many trips to the hospital he had finally admitted that alcohol had defeated him. He began to devote more time to these steps and began to feel better and better. Bill had tried to help others and even though his attempts were unsuccessful, his efforts seemed to improve his own outlooks. After his improvements in life, his improvements in work came along. He took a business trip to Ohio, after about a year of being sober, but what he had desired to do had failed. He then had a great desire to drink again, so he decided to come up with the alternative to seeking out and speaking with another alcoholic to prevent him from taking that first drink. He managed to come into contact with Dr. Bob and so A.A. bega...
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Family Nursing Approaches
1074 Words | 3 Pages
A situation that involves nursing based on the family as a component of society includes a man, his wife, and two daughters. This man was admitted to the hospital for an alcohol problem that required treatment. The wife and daughters were suffering emotionally from this man’s illness and wanted him to seek help to better himself. As the nurse, I offered support to the family and provided information for community assistance along with resources regarding Alcoholic anonymous. According to Timco, C., Cronkite, R., Kaskutas, L., laudet, A., Roth, J., Moos, R. (2015.), Alcoholic Anonymous is used to create a better way of life with less stress. This is what this family needs in order to continue to function as a family. A few months later, I ran into this family and heard what a success their family has been due to the use of community resources. This family feels their lives are on the right track now and feel they have this man as a husband and father instead of the drunkard he used to
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Maintaining Anonymity in Alcoholics Anonymous Journey
1099 Words | 3 Pages
I’m an alcoholic and sober today thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous. Our Fellowship is called Alcoholics Anonymous that is who we are, we are alcoholics who help each other get and stay sober, one day at a time and we don’t tell anyone who we’ve met at meetings. If I tell someone outside AA that Maggie, who lives next door to them or Tam who’s in a TV programme come to meetings, I’m breaking their anonymity. That’s quite straight forward. What wasn’t clear to me for a while was that if I tell a fellow AA member that I saw someone at a meeting, I’m breaking their anonymity. Just because someone has come to a meeting doesn’t mean they want people they haven’t yet met in AA to know what there’s doing. This is of great importance, especially to the
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Anonymous People: Film Analysis
973 Words | 2 Pages
In the concept of spirituality, AA meetings and such are proven to provide a positive relationship with self-esteem, self-efficacy, hope, optimism and the general well being. Being able to openly speak about a problem in which you face allows your body and mind to accept things for the way they are. It allows a movement to spark to make a difference in your life. As human beings, we tend to not like being alone but once you realize you’re not the only one you will be able to understand.
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Reflection On Aa Recovery
1037 Words | 3 Pages
Basically, Alcoholic Anonymous (AA), “was the first self-help organization founded to assist alcoholics in recovery. It continues to be the model of recovery most widely used in treatment facilities and for individuals who may choose to start recovery on their own” (p.288). Likewise, the Big Book of AA is a lifeline to recovery that introduces the twelve steps of recovery. Therefore, the assistants to this session seemed to stay there to receive support on the path of addiction recovery.
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Alcoholics Anonymous

A Student Nurse's Perspective of Alcoholics Anonymous

Al-Anon Observation Paper

My Visit to an Alcoholics' Anonymous Meeting