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Addiction recovery research paper
Addiction recovery research paper
Addiction recovery research paper
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This was my first AA Meeting experience, so going into the meeting, I had no expectations on what I hoped to get out of it or what I thought it was going to be like. Since this was my first AA meeting to attend, I was nervous about how people at the meeting would perceive me and their reactions for my reason being there. The meeting itself wasn’t awkward, but there was one moment from the meeting that was awkward for me. The moment that was awkward for me was the beginning of the meeting when we went around the room to introduce ourselves and when it was my turn, I said that I wasn’t an alcoholic and that I was there for a class assignment. So not knowing exactly what to say in that moment and having over twenty strangers staring at me in that
...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.
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
I attended the Alcohol Anonymous (AA) twelve step meeting on Friday December fourth at 8:00 p.m. at the community center at Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. The people were middle aged men and women of different ethnic backgrounds. The meeting started in an arranged fashion. I sat in the back and was addressed by an elderly man who wanted to know who I was to and I replied that I was a student writing a paper for school. He was fine with my answer and departed. The meeting started with people presenting themselves. First, there was an open conversation that started was with the storytelling of one member’s endeavors with alcoholism. After this heartwarming account, other people in the group provided how the
Something that stood out to me during the meeting was that some attendees lived in fear for years after being sober. They wouldn’t come outside of their homes for the reasons being that they would use again or run into old friends that used to drink with them. Also, I found it interesting that every year group members come together to celebrate their years in sobriety. The celebration consists of a speaker, food, and fun. Overall, I really enjoyed sitting in on an AA meeting. As an aspiring social worker, this meeting helped me to understand that it is not easy to get over an addiction. Also, if I decide to work with substance abusers, there may be times where they may relapse. I would have to learn how to be patient and keep in mind that excessive use of substances can alter your brain and control your life.
The phrase “early A.A.” refers to the early fellowships and meetings held in Akron, Ohio. These meetings took place between 1935 and 1939 when Alcoholics Anonymous was an integral part of “A First Century Christian Fellowship” (Pitman 56). A.A. was the outcome of a meeting between Bill W., a New York stockbroker, and Dr. Bob S., an Akron surgeon. Both had been hopeless alcoholics (Fingarette 14).
I attended an AA meeting at the 5th street fellowship on October 6, 2015. I looked forward to attending this meeting since the beginning of the clinical rotation. The meeting exceeded my expectations. It was an eye-opener and a life changing experience. The meeting at the 5th Street Fellowship consisted of a leader and two members. Even though there was only a smaller group gather, I could see the positive impact AA has had on each of the members personally, regardless of years of sobriety. The chairman of the group discussed the influence his sponsor, AA, and the 12-step program has had on his life and how he lives a happier, healthier, and a spiritual life due to his sobriety. I learned that all three components - sponsor, AA, and the 12-steps – are important in aiding in the sobriety of an
Attending an additional meeting was more relaxing the second time around, because I knew what to expect. Believe it or not, the meeting was a stress reliever for me because, knowing others have bigger battles to fight compared to my mere test definitely puts perspective into my eyes. The meeting was very similar to the first one, however instead of an alcohol addiction, the meeting focused on narcotics. In my
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 do not regret it because it was an experience that taught me something. After attending the A.A meeting I realized/learned that everyone was there for the same reason. Everyone was on a road to recovery, everyone had a desire to stop drinking and everyone was trying to stay sober. I learned the stories of those who had an alcohol dependence problems. Some stories where sadder than others. I learned the stories of why the people chose to get sober. Some stories consisted of trauma that occurred, some stories consisted of children and some stories simply consisted of change. I learned that it is important to share and express your feelings at A.A meetings. Most importantly, I learned that the people at the A.A meeting were not judgmental and they are very accepting to others. Attending an A.A meeting gave me an inside feel of how an alcoholic or recovering addict may feel when attending their first meeting.
There are two groups of people pertinent to this project. Members of AA will provide information through sharing their experiences in interviews to those that will read and learn from the project, such as future alcoholics, new AA members, college students, and everyone in between. The members of the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are the most valuable first-hand accounts, and will be the first to supply information with this project. Though a few members may be less than cooperative to provide personal information, most are more than willing to share their experiences in order to help others in any way possible. In the first visit to the AA meeting, several o...
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been around for more than 75 years. The biggest controversy about AA is if it is effective or not. Some people find AA to be an effective aid to sobriety; others find AA to be damaging and can lead to increased drinking. AA meetings are groups of people with the desire to quit drinking that help one another achieve and maintain sobriety. These meetings may include readings from the Big Book, sharing stories, discussing the traditions and 12 steps, and celebrating members’ sobriety. Because AA is anonymous, many people feel that participating in a study would be a breach
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
The Alcoholics Anonymous meeting I attended started at 8 PM on Saturday, April 8th and the Narcotics Anonymous meeting I attended started at 7 PM on Sunday, April 9th. The AA meeting was very small, and consisted of more college students than people in recovery. The meetings lasted approximately an hour. The NA meeting had more people in recovery, than college students. The atmospheres of each meeting were comfortable and welcoming. In the AA meeting I was greeting with smiling faces and people who made me feel very comfortable. For the NA meeting I was greeted with hugs and provided with the Narcotics Anonymous Big Book, so I could read along during the meeting.
I attended an Alcohol Anonymous meeting in Huntington at The Church of Christ. At the beginning of the meeting, I was feeling very nervous and uncomfortable. A lot of my classmates' were present and we all looked like government workers monitoring the meeting. We were all dressed in our school professional wear and seated in the back row of the group circle. I also believe that this may have created a slightly uncomfortable feeling for the people who attended the meeting. When the leader of the group asked if anyone wanted to share about their “fun week in sobriety”, very few members were willing to disclose personal issues. This increased my feeling of being a nuisance and a spy.
The meeting I attended was a NA on Sunday September 13, 2015 at 1:30p.m. The thoughts I had about attending this meeting were more nervous. I didn’t know what to expect or if it would be scary. Doing something out of my comfort zone is not something I am use to doing. I was uncomfortable and was honestly not looking forward to going. As for finding an open meeting it was a little difficult. I found lots of different meetings but majority of them were closed meetings.