Aa Meeting Experience Paper

NABA Club I attended an open AA meeting at the NABA Club located in Atlanta. Upon observation, I noticed that majority of the people attending were in their early forties to late fifties consisting mostly of men. As I walked in, I felt so welcomed at the meeting because of the positive energy surrounding the room. This is one of those places where everyone is and will always be welcome, regardless of their race, religion, or background. I sat quietly in the back of a crowded room and watched as more people entered and greeted each other. The meeting opened with the Serenity prayer, a reading of the 12 Steps of AA, and numerous other readings. Subsequent to the readings, a new leader was chosen to initiate and overlook the meeting. The leader

The experiences these addicts faced with addiction was extremely relatable because I have felt those problems myself for my addiction of soda. Many of my friends and family have to cope with the problems that addiction brings along with it. This experience can be helpful in improving my relationship with my friends and family targeted by substance abuse. At the conclusion of the AA meeting, a select few were awarded for their sobriety. Chips were being handed out to members for a month and a year of sobriety. Unfortunately, only one person came up to claim a chip and she claimed to be sober for a year. Personally, I believe the reward system can be helpful as it motivates people to stay away from the substance they are addicted to. Before attending the meeting, I held many stereotypes about alcoholics. Like many other people, I used to believe that an alcoholic can be recognized through their appearance. The reality is that I did not notice a difference between the members at the meeting and myself. Unfortunately, the media plays a huge role in promoting stereotypes about addicts. In my opinion, we need to break through stereotypes together so we can combat addiction