Alcoholics Anonymous AA Essay Research Paper Alcoholics — страница 2

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This program is discussed at A.A. group meetings (AA Forum). There are several different types of meetings. There are 2 types of open meetings. One is open speaker meetings which are open to both alcoholics and nonalcoholic. In this type of meetings the members of A.A. share their stories, their problems with alcohol, what brought them there, and how their life has modified since attending A.A. The other type of open meeting is discussion meetings. A member discusses briefly their experiences with alcohol, and then leads a discussion on recovery or another alcohol related problem brought up by someone at the meeting. Closed discussion meetings are the same as open discussion meetings, but are for alcoholics and prospective A.A. members/ people who may have drinking problems only.

There are also step meetings, which are normally closed. At these meetings one of the Twelve Steps are discussed. Alcoholics Anonymous has expanded its locations to include holding meetings in both correctional, and treatment facilities. By doing this they are able to extend help to people who are in need, but unable to go to meetings. Obviously people in jail or prison cannot leave to attend regularly scheduled meetings. Patients in treatment facilities are also helped by these meetings. They are in treatment and recovering, but also are receiving counseling and/or therapy along with being able to attend meetings. The Alcohol Safety Action Project (A.S.A.P.) and Driving While Intoxicated (D.W.I.) may have Alcoholics Anonymous members conducting informational meetings as part of

their programs. These are not regular A.A. group meetings, but informational meetings about A.A. On November 11th I attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with another student from class. I had researched online various times, locations, and types of meetings in Nassau County. The meeting was in a local church that I have driven by many times. The meetings themselves were located in the basement of the church. I thought that the meeting would be held in a big, open, spacious room filled with people from what I may have seen an A.A. meeting looks like on television or in movies. However, I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that the meetings held at this particular location were in small, nursery school classrooms. I figured that I would be able to sneak into the room, sit

quietly, keep to myself, and go unnoticed. This was not the case. When I first walked downstairs, I was reading a bulletin board which listed the times, types, and room assignments for the meetings to be held that night. I was only standing there a minute or two reading and deciding which meeting to go into when a man came over and asked if he could help me find a meeting. So much for going unnoticed. Immediately, I found myself speechless (that does not happen very often). I did not think it was appropriate to say that I am not an alcoholic, nor do I have a problem with alcohol because I was surrounded by either alcoholics or friends and family members of alcoholics. I also thought that he might think that I was just in denial. I was flustered, and the other student that I was

with seemed equally so because she was doing the talking for both of us and was having trouble choosing her words . It was not appropriate either for us to say that I was there to observe for a school project. The man was polite and had introduced himself. He said that he helped to run the meetings here and at another location on Long Island. He also asked if this was our first meetings, I think because we both looked lost and somewhat confused about how to go about choosing a meeting. So we both said yes, and he suggested a few options for meetings about to begin. There were meetings that were both open and closed, step, for women, and for beginners to name a few. We told him we were interested in an open meeting. he asked us if we were students, and we said yes. Then, a very

astute observation, he politely asked if this was research for a class. A minor sigh of relief, I did not feel like I was posing or intruding so much anymore. We decided to attend an open meeting that was for women only. The meeting started, and a women stood up and introduced herself. She stated her name and that was an alcoholic, but had been sober for a little over a year. Recently, she said she has had a strained relationship with he teenage son. They have a good relationship, but he knows how to lay guilt trips. Before she was sober her sons got their way all the time, and did as they pleased. He is becoming more independent and at 16, and getting a drivers license. She has set boundaries, but he does not readily accept this. It is also difficult she realizes that he mother