I prolly shoulda posted here first...has anyone here attended AA meetings?

[Demon]

Igged in the Locker Room..understandably though, but I'm adding more to the post...

Just curious. I was earlier at work...one of my homies at work, he's always good to take a break with a take a couple nips out of the bottle...today he said was cool and at first i was like but he told me hes tired of the shyt having a hold on him and started crying in my car . I was legit and and proceeded to tell me he was going to start going to AA classes.

I personally thought it was admirable. Even though I drink and smoke, I understand everyone aint built for this and this aint for everyone. He was telling me after he pays his rents and electricity, everything else goes to booze and he's tired of it, smh

I wish the best for him without a doubt...just kinda curious, what exactly goes on at an AA meeting? What is dude in for?


I though dude had shyt under control...i feel mad bad right now because i already know im an influence

 

[TheHonorableOmarSharif]

AA meetings are cool for the most part if you buy into the premise. Yes they really say "My name is XXX, and I'm an alcoholic" and most open meetings just consist of people around the room speaking on whatever they feel comfortable sharing. Some meetings are closed, which mean they're only for members of that particular group, and some meetings have speakers who are invited to speak on a topic that the rest of the meeting focuses on. People receive tokens that commemorate their "sobriety birthday", which represents how long they've been sober. AA is all about the "big book" and the sponsor system, in which the book discuses the 12 steps to recovery, and your sponsor is someone that takes you under their wing to help you start working your steps.

For the most part, AA is all about having a collection of people who all have a mindset focused towards sobriety and a serious commitment to stop drinking because its central theme is the acceptance that without the strength of your "Higher Power" you're unable to control alcohol from taking over your life.

AA meetings have actually worked wonders for some friends and family of mine, so I hope your homeboy sees it through. If that approach doesn't work for him, suggest that he look into the SMART recovery method as well. It's similar to AA in alot of respects, without the "Higher Power" premise being the focus of its recovery approach.

 

[Pool_Shark]

I went to my first one this Saturday. There court ordered for me, but I also have an addictive personality so, might stick around after I do the required amount.

Honestly the one I went to I was disappointed. I thought it'd be like tv everyone sitting in a circle talking about what's been going on. Nah. They'll raise their hand to speak, say their name, what chapters they've read from the big book of AA, what they did that day, and a lot of the older people would share some of their thoughts.

Just the one meeting helped in weird way, hearing about what people do throughout the day without drinking and mainly just knowing that there's a big group of people whose lives were ruined by alcohol and are now here trying to get better made me feel like I could do the same thing.

I hope someone with more experience comes in this thread.

 

[Demon]

AA meetings are cool for the most part if you buy into the premise. Yes they really say "My name is XXX, and I'm an alcoholic" and most open meetings just consist of people around the room speaking on whatever they feel comfortable sharing. Some meetings are closed, which mean they're only for members of that particular group, and some meetings have speakers who are invited to speak on a topic that the rest of the meeting focuses on. People receive tokens that commemorate their "sobriety birthday", which represents how long they've been sober. AA is all about the "big book" and the sponsor system, in which the book discuses the 12 steps to recovery, and your sponsor is someone that takes you under their wing to help you start working your steps.

For the most part, AA is all about having a collection of people who all have the mindset towards sobriety and a serious commitment to stop drinking because its central theme is the acceptance that without the strength of your "Higher Power" you're unable to control alcohol from taking over your life.

AA meetings have actually worked wonders for some friends and family of mine, so I hope your homeboy sees it through. If that approach doesn't work for him, suggest that he look into the SMART recovery method as well. It's similar to AA in alot of respects, without the "Higher Power" premise being the focus of its recovery approach.

I went to my first one this Saturday. There court ordered for me, but I also have an addictive personality so, might stick around after I do the required amount.

Honestly the one I went to I was disappointed. I thought it'd be like tv everyone sitting in a circle talking about what's been going on. Nah. They'll raise their hand to speak, say their name, what chapters they've read from the big book of AA, what they did that day, and a lot of the older people would share some of their thoughts.

Just the one meeting helped in weird way, hearing about what people do throughout the day without drinking and mainly just knowing that there's a big group of people whose lives were ruined by alcohol and are now here trying to get better made me feel like I could do the same thing.

I hope someone with more experience comes in this thread.

Props ya'll...

I know I coulda researched this but I figured I'd ask someone on the forum I visit everyday...

shyt is crazy, and now I feel bad because thats my man and when we have off the same days i invite him over to drink because he lives in walking distance...and when i have that bottle in my trunk, its just a shot to take the edge off during the day....we work at a restaurant and i had no idea that one shot on our break leads him to drink the wine at work and shyt, and how i was duped to think when weren't not chilling he still guzzles all he can

 

[Demon]

I meant, I had no clue this is dudes life and didnt know what we drink on our days off goes down pretty much everyday for him

 

[TheHonorableOmarSharif]

I meant, I had no clue this is dudes life and didnt know what we drink on our days off goes down pretty much everyday for him

That's the craziest part of alcoholism to me...sometimes it's hard explaining what is a natural reaction to drinking for you personally, that would have other people like or when in your mind it all just started with that first drink.

I went to a few AA meetings thinking I had some crazy drunk stories to tell, and heard some shyt that made me feel like a damn rookie in the grand scheme of things. But as a setting of people that can all relate on some level to losing control due to alcohol, there's a sense of non-judgment and understanding even around total strangers due to a shared experience of wanting to refrain from drinking because of the results of what happen when you choose to indulge.

You'd be surprised at the number of functioning alcoholics that you may personally deal with on a day-to-day basis, though.

 

[MouseTeeth]

I think it can be a very helpful and therapeutic thing I just think the whole forcing someone to give themselves up to a higher power is bullshyt.

 

[88m3]

Drinking at work?



Anyways if he's really got a problem maybe he should look at inpatient granted he has insurance or whatever.



Like the guy above me said a lot of these programs try bring up Jesus and all of that.


Growing up a lot of people around me had addiction issues. I never saw anyone change in the end.

 

[KiD WavE]

Ive been to NA meetings

they didn't help at all ....every time I went I just used after ... sitting around hearing people talk about drugs only made me want to do drugs

did much better without them