Alcoholism is a chronic brain disease that affects all walks of life and does not have any bounders (Gossop, Stewart, & Marsden, 2008). I choose to attend an Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) meeting since this disease is prevalent among adolescents and adults. The meeting was held in the first-floor forum at Pilgrim Congressional Church in Queens New York. The goals of the AA meeting were stated explicitly by the leader conducting the meeting. The mission of the organization is to maintain sobriety by helping alcoholics achieve recovery. The organization provides clients with relevant materials such as pamphlets and flyers and states that all information shared in the meeting will remain confidential and will not be shared with anyone. The statement of anonymity was read to the members at the beginning of the session to ensure confidentiality. It was amazing to see members at the meeting open in public and were able to verbalize their drinking habits and …show more content…
I was asked by the group leader to introduce myself and to read the open statement. I was very much appreciated by the members and got a warm welcome. I learn about myself that I can integrate into any setting and participate in a positively. I was astonished that members had the confidence to share their stories in an open forum and be honest about their history. Moreover, I was touch by the member enthusiasm to come out in a large group and support each other. My initial perception of the members in the room is that some members may be shy to disclose their stories, but was amazed that everyone came forth in the room to discuss their shortcoming. Furthermore, I did not have any stereotypes perception about alcoholism since I am aware that alcoholism is a disease that affects the brain. My understanding about alcoholism was confirmed by the various client verbalization of their stories and problems associated with
It was my pleasure to attend my first ever Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting. This particular meeting was held at 7:30pm in the lunch room at Richmond Community Hospital. Richmond Community Hospital is located within Richmond, Virginia in an area known as Church Hill. The group is called Church Hill and is open to the public for opportunities to join or observed. In addition, the meeting’s content consists of topic discussions and numerous formats.
Fabian Castaneda Mrs.Kehrmeyer Contemp. Comp April 25, 2015 The Problems With AA AA meetings are for people who are struggling with alcoholism which means they have an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. I believe that these meetings are not helpful and in some cases cause harm the people who are trying to change and no longer alcoholics or drug addicts. These meetings do not have high success rates in fact they have very low rates.
I chose this particular group because it was an open meeting and they welcomed anyone. The man running the group, was a member himself, and was very welcoming. The meeting started with the AA promise and 12 steps, which I believe they start every meeting with. There was not one specific topic focused
I was interested in hearing stories and experiences of those who struggled with drug addiction. I wondered if I would receive any insight regarding my family members who have suffered from drug addiction. Going into the meeting, I was prepared to introduce myself if necessary and did not hold feelings of anxiety regarding the potential necessity for introduction. Upon arrival, I noticed a big church with various entrances. I was unsure where to enter and did not want to enter into the wrong door.
Before the meeting, I thought only people from lower socioeconomic status or unemployed people were alcoholics. People in the meeting dressed well and looked healthy. They didn’t look like the alcoholics I have seen in the movies. The meeting was a mix of male and female, young and old. To start off the meeting, everyone in the room introduced themselves as “My name is ______ and I am an alcoholic.
The meeting was different than I expected. I expected a small group of people sitting in a circle and telling their stories and it was very different from that. It was an extremely positive place. There were people ranging in ages and people ranging on length of sobriety. Some people there have been sober for over 25 years and some people had less than a week
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio. The first chapter of The Big Book tells how Bill Wilson was introduced to the concept of using a faith based, group support program to provide the mental and emotional support needed to manage Alcohol Addiction. The main purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. The program is unique in that each chapter is self funded, develops their own meeting format. I attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on Thursday, October 6th at 8 p.m.
I believe this because of what I observed during the meeting, everyone seemed very open and nonjudgmental. Also the younger people in the meeting seemed very eager to get well or stay well. At the end of the meeting they gave out coins to people that have been sober from 30 days all the way up until multiple years. Every time people went up to get their coin, they were given a standing ovation and gave so much support, you would see people’s faces just light up during that process of getting the coin. The other people in the room made them feel proud of themselves for staying sober for that long and not giving up.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss and reflect on my experience attending an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting. Alcoholic anonymous (AA) was created to help individuals effected by Alcohol collaborate and support each other during their time of need. All AA meetings are structured differently. However, there are only two types of meetings: opened and closed meetings. During my experience, I attended an open meeting where anyone can come regardless of a diagnosed alcohol problem or the level of experience one had with participating in such meetings.
While she was doing that, a basket was passed around for contribution. When the young lady finished, she handed the scroll back to the facilitator. The moderator then started on the topic of discussion for the day which was “Boredom”. She called individuals by name and they introduced themselves by saying “My name is ______, and I am an alcoholic” and the members responded by saying “Hi _______, “Some individuals shared their opinion and some did not. It is so interesting when they talked about their experiences from other self-help groups before joining the one at this location.
When long-term sobriety is a challenge, for support and guidance, many people turn to 12-step programs by Alcoholics Anonymous and other organizations. Although there are numerous reasons to embrace the principles for 12-step recovery in St. George and throughout the world, there are still many lingering rumors and misunderstandings that surround this effective program. The original 12-step program was established in the 1930's by a physician wanting to recover from alcoholism. Even though this distinguished program has a long history of helping millions of people with the battle against addiction, many people still struggle with the guiding principles, especially in the early days of their participation.
In my first session, the group started with a silent prayer, and read Alcoholic announcement. Next, the reader introduced the group leader. The group leader stated that goals that needs to be accomplish in this group which is stay sober day by day. The group leader also discuss in the group session about alcoholism. The group leader stated that alcoholism is a disease, and alcoholism progress and a chronic disorder.
Walking into an AA meeting most first timers are defensive in search for all reasons they can gather to prove they don’t belong there. Whether you are an alcoholic or not these meetings open up your perspectives on a whole array of subjects. I didn’t exactly have a certain expectation on how the meeting would be like, however I didn’t think a majority would be as involved as they were. The meeting had an environment that made it safe to share and to connect with one another. As well throughout the duration of the session the lights were off, which added to the feeling of privacy in the sense that no one felt they were being spoken to directly.
A common clinical conception of alcohol dependence is that it is chronic, and also the plan of impaired management
ALCOHOLISM How many times have you heard about the consequences of alcoholism? Have you taken them into account? Alcoholism is one of the major problems in society. People don’t take it so seriously but it actually is a disease. The effects of this disease are really serious.