Alcohol Anonymous Meeting Research Paper

This was the 5th step of the 12 steps program. A 54 year old male was the first to speak he stated that he had been sober for almost 5 months and that he had been an alcoholic for well over 20 years. He talked about how his alcoholism has completely destroyed his life. He no longer has a job and recently began having issues with his liver. He was hospitalized 6 months ago and was told that his liver had been severely damaged by his drinking and that he needs to stop drinking. He said this information was a wakeup call and he realized at that moment that he didn’t want to die. He wants to try and make amends with his family, his daughter recently had a baby and he wants to be around for his first

to them later that I was there to listen and observe for a school project for my drugs and

I noticed that the participants did not look like what I perceived someone who was suffering from alcohol dependence would look like. They looked like productive law-abiding citizens. I am embarrassed to say that it never occurred to me that these individuals could live positive lives while battling alcoholism. I assumed that they would be dysfunctional and incapable to participate in the meeting. Instead many of them looked healthy and were eager to engage in the group discussion.

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

For this assignment, I observed an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting held at The Meeting Place on Wednesday, September 28, 2016. There were 15 members in attendance, 12 men and 3 women not counting myself. The group leaders were both women and sat at the front of the room. For confidentiality of the group member names will not be included. The meeting began with the group leaders reminding the attendees of the rules of AA and the process of the meeting. Several of the attendees read the declaration of AA and the documents associated with the meeting structure. After the introduction, several of the members gave their testimony regarding their own experience with drinking. Following the short declarations, a passage of the big book was

Each person said their first name. The chair of the meeting read the guidelines for the meeting. Individuals were welcome to share their experience. The open topic for the first half of the meetings focused on how Al-Anon has helped the individual in their daily lives. One person shared that they have implemented the Serenity Prayer and teaching from Al-Anon into their work lives as well as to relationships with family and friends. Another person shared that they have learned how to set boundaries and adhere to them. Learning how to make sure that they held themselves responsible if they allowed someone to cross the boundary. As with Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon also has a Twelve Step structure and several people commented on the steps that they are currently on and what the steps have meant to them. No problems or issues were discussed. Individuals talked about how they are connecting with themselves, not trying to change or control the person/persons in their lives who have the addiction. The comments made were ones of encouragement. At several times in the meeting a sponsor sign in sheet was passed around. At a half way point in the meeting, new comers were invited to go to another room to meet with a member to get additional information and ask any questions that they may have. In the second half of the meeting, the group was encouraged to share whatever they wanted to talk about. One person spoke about the guilt they felt when they decided to end their marriage from the spouse with the addiction. How their child at the time blamed them for the break-up and how it took almost three years for that adult child to even communicate with them. Others talked about being lost, and having feelings of misery and hopelessness. They could not “fix” the person with the

Attending a local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting was a humbling and informative experience. To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect going into the meeting. Right before I walked in, I felt somewhat uncomfortable and embarrassed. I felt as if I was intruding on someone’s personal life with my presence, even though I knew I was welcomed since the meeting was listed as “open”. Alcohol abuse is a very sensitive topic to me, as someone quite close to me is an alcoholic: my Uncle. I know that he is a recovering alcoholic, but I never quite know what is going on with him because I don’t ask questions and he never shares what he is feeling with me. When I was younger, I remember that he was always the life of my family parties, but I know now it was because he was drunk. When I see him now, he isn’t as energetic as he used to be and often avoids situations where alcohol is involved. Although my Uncle did not personally tell me, my father has shared with me that he attends AA meetings at a church in my hometown. I never understood what AA meetings really entail and didn’t grasp how they helped alcoholics recover. Attending this local AA meeting helped shed light on what my Uncle feels, and I am more understanding to his addiction. I am thankful for this assignment because I know that my Uncle is not alone; the AA community is so supportive and the members all have the best intentions of getting

The first speaker at the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting was a woman who had been sober for more than 15 years. She related that when she was younger, and as the daughter of a preacher, there was a lot of pressure in her hometown to prove she was not a 'goody-two shoes'. She relates that her social drinking became pronounced following her divorce at which time she also began taking nerve pills and specifically Xanax that were not prescribed to her. All of this worsened until she had a car wreck one night causing great amount of disfigurement to her face. This woman suffered greatly for many years going through plastic surgeries in an attempt to correct her facial features. This woman discussed the subject of Attitude Modification during the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting that I attended was held at the Alcoholics Alana Club in Anaheim, California on Thursday. The meeting started at 7:30 in the evening, though many members gathered earlier to smoke and mingle outside. The members were a mix of Caucasian and Hispanic individuals that ranged from early 20s to late 60s. They seemed to be over lower socioeconomic status (SES), and the majority of them had tattoos and piercings. This particular meeting was a speaker meeting, so the meeting began with the leader welcoming everyone and announcing the people visiting from other states, as well as people who shared that this was their first meeting. He then called up a couple people to read certain chapters of the AA book. Another individual then volunteered to be the ‘10 minute speaker’, and briefly shared his story and how the 12 steps helped guide his recovery. The treasurer then passed around a donation basket and handed out sobriety chips, and a 10 minute break followed. After the break the guest speaker shared his story for the next half an

For example there was a girl that looked young and sweet, but then there was also a white Caucasian male mid thirty’s in a fancy suit. The group was open to anyone that comes their way because it is an open group AA meeting. The population health care concerns of the group were that they felt that alcohol was taking over their lives so they felt like there had to be a change to better their well being, their life to help prevent or stop further damage of themselves. At the beginning of the meeting, the leader stated a rule that alcoholics were only allowed to speak, which gave me the opportunity to listen and understand what their life has become from being an alcoholic. The meeting was very educational and it helped me understand my future patients better from this eye opening experience. The meeting took place in a tiny back room of a house. As I was arriving, I was observing the members and many of them knew each there because they were regulars from the way that they were interacting with one another. The milieu was very inviting with no sense of intimidation. Most of them seemed friendly and were smiling for most of the

Everyday, more and more people are being claimed by alcoholism. The most important message AA makes is that there is help available, and there are people who want to help you, just as other helped them. Louis, a 79 year old AA member reciprocates his AA experience by “try[ing] to help the younger people find sobriety and happiness the way I have. I tell them, “If I can do it, so can you” (AA pamphlet). This is just one of many stories AA members have to offer an observer.

The main one was that I did not know what to expect. I was not sure of who was going to be there, and I felt I was going to invade the privacy of those in present. When I entered the meeting, I was very extremely uncomfortable for two reasons, the dark room and the age difference. After listening to their personal stories, I realized I was wrong. I was amazed at some of the meekness shown by the people, and was also moved to hear that many were misguide by their parents. I think the meeting was helpful for them because, they have one purpose they pursue every day and many are been encouraged with other people's experiences. My initial thought was that the meeting would be very depressing, and full of a bunch of drunks sitting around and telling stories about how alcohol has ruined their lives, but it was totally a different atmosphere. The people cared not only about themselves, but each other as well. They all shared their addiction to alcohol. The overall mood of the meeting though was very sad as they were all sharing their personal stories. Many were sad about the changes they had to make and how life has been very sober for them. At the end of the meeting, everyone stood up in a circle and held hands to say the Lord's Prayer. It was indeed encouraging to hear them pray together, knowing well that they cannot help themselves without the help of God. In spite of their dissimilarity,

The meeting that I attended was called “The Way of Life Group”. It took place at Palos Methodist Church, 12101 S Harlem Ave on Monday, January 20, 2014 at 7:00 PM. There were about twenty to thirty people at the meeting. They were all very friendly and welcoming to me as an observer. There were new members and older members and everyone was very open about their situation and dependence on alcohol. Overall, the participants were of all ages, ethnicities, and there was an even amount of men and women.

Alcoholism is often referred to as alcohol use disorder. It occurs when a person compulsively uses alcohol in excess. People who have alcohol use disorder may experience psychological and physical symptoms when they attempt to stop using alcohol.

I had the wonderful pleasure of interviewing Mr. Louis about his huge role within the community. He loved talking about helping others and everything he will do to see a person happy and doing well. We had the interview inside the A.A. house, two hours before the meeting started, with no one else around. To get things started, Mr. Louis commented that the reason he got involved with the A.A. meetings is because, “I am an alcoholic and a drug addict, and I joined the program to get help myself.” When asked, “What are the challenges of being a leader in the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings?” He made it very clear that “There are no leaders in A.A., only trusted servants.” Mr. Louis also states, “The biggest challenge is getting the message