An Outsider’s View of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings Essay

The purpose of this research paper was to attend two support group meetings and share my experiences. The meetings that were to be attended were an Alcoholics Anonymous

For the support group observation assignment, I attended the Gateway Group’s Alcoholic Anonymous (A.A.) meeting. The Gateway Group is part of a larger organization called the Tri-County Intergroup Association of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Tri-County Intergroup serves A.A. members in Franklin, Wake, and Warren Counties and is broken down into 113 separate groups. As the preamble states, the purpose of all A.A. group meetings are for A.A. members to share their experience strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. There are no dues or fees for being an A.A. member, and the only requirement for membership is to have a desire to stop drinking ().

Founded in 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is a 12-step spiritual program for those who have a desire to stop drinking. It is open to all those who seek help all over the world. Thousands of alcoholics have become victorious because of the spiritual foundation it was built on. In 1939 the first book, Alcoholics Anonymous, was published. It held all of the struggles and hope filled stories of some of the first alcoholics that joined the group. This book, later called “The Big Book”, would lay down all of the suggestions for an alcoholic if he or she wanted to live a sober life. The program focuses on the 12 steps to help newcomers adjust to this way of life. Upon entering the program, it is suggested that the newcomer pick a sponsor to help guide them through the steps. Furthermore, service work within the fellowship is also recommended.

Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the most widely known and used 12 step groups, it was found in 1935 by two men who wanted to share and support those who wanted to become sober. Currently I am in California so I had to search for a meeting here and I was able to find a 12 step meeting at a local church that took place in the morning. My thoughts before the meeting were interested as well as nervous. I never went to one of these meetings nor do I know what one is about. Im not to sure what AA entails so I was interested in learning about it. Currently my boyfriends father is a recovering alcoholic so going to this made me think of him and I believe may help me understand him, his thought, and his feelings a little better. Before the meeting I began to read that AA does not discriminate including to those with other addictions, but closed meetings are specifically for those battling addicting to alcohol (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2012).

While I was mindful AA had an enormous religious component, mainly because of its groundwork and that the organization accepted wisdom from a higher power, I did not envision members would focus so much on faith to the point of AA being a clear form of ‘faith healing’ meeting in which members relied on God, rather than some type of treatment plan, to heal them of their illnesses. Members, though, at least according to the testimonies, have seemed to have taken abundant individual efforts and have established self-control. Might it be the case that personal determination and the assistance of others, rather than pleas to God or a divine intervention, has directed to the soberness of affiliates? I don’t believe it has. The part of story sharing gave the impression to be quite fascinating and seemed a very essential part of the AA meetings. In hearing others’ stories, members have established that other people have similar complications and life experiences. New members can see that sobriety is possible for any who have hope. I found that the spiritual aspects of this meaning are very useful and helpful to many people seeking to become sober. The understanding that there is a greater power, willing to give you strength over your weakness, is what I believe motivates several people and what in actuality is the key contributor in

Alcoholism is a chronic and progressive disorder (“Alcoholism”) affecting more than twenty-two million Americans in the United States today (Wholey 18). Alcoholics are prone to dramatic and

Alcoholism has become one of the most prevalent diseases in our society today. The everyday pressures of life and the burden of worries that we face every day have served as a catalyst for this growing affliction.

It was determined that AA is a beneficial resource for an individual seeking abstinence, but the extent of its effectiveness may be limited. As Kelly recalled (2003) “The authors concluded that “AA had a positive, but moderate, salutary effect on drinking behavior and psychosocial functioning” (p. 643). Consequently, these studies are considered to be limited because of certain variable flaws that resulted in measuring the full extent of AA’s effectiveness difficult. Some of the discrepancies are related to the level of care that an individual was attending and the amount of available services. Individuals attending outpatient treatment were found to have higher levels of success, but those who were attending inpatient treatment may attend more meetings (Kelly, 2003). A link was found to correlate a positive relationship to the amount an individual was drinking and the quantity of meetings they were attending (Kelly, 2003). Conversely, research by Project MATCH found different results among meeting attendance and why it was

Today, “alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States” (NCADD Staff, 2017). According to the National Council on Alcohol Drug and Dependance, “17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence” (NCADD Staff, 2017). To cope with this mass issue, several self-help programs has evolved. Perhaps the most well known and most accepted program is AA. AA stands for Alcohol Anonymous. This global program is designed for men and women who have problems with drinking alcohol, alcohol abuse or dependence. The association is accepting of all individuals regardless of age, race or other distinguishing factors, and hopes to help those who wish to resolve their drinking issues.

Furthermore, my visit to the open Alcoholic anonymous group was very informed and it provided me an understanding and knowledge on this specific population. It provided me an opportunity to understand the process of a group meeting. The impression I had when I left was that even though these people were affected by alcoholic, they are hopefully and determined to overcome this challenge in their life.

A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous), the beginning of the Twelve-Step recovery format, has been in operation since 1935 (Galanter, 2014). From the time when it first began, to the year 2014, A.A. has reportedly grown to approximately two million members worldwide, with an estimated 200,000 weekly meetings (Galanter, 2014). Over the course eighty years later, the foundational methodologies of A.A. have, for the most part, remained the same. This brief look into A.A will discuss whether or not the static procedures of A.A. are effective, and even if they are, is there room for growth in the treatment methods of A.A.? To find these answers we must begin with

The first meeting I attended was an Alcohol Anonymous (AA) meeting located at St. Stephen Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia. I located this meeting using the google search engine. I searched “AA meetings in Richmond Virginia”. I clicked on the link titled “An Interactive Guide to AA Meetings in and around Richmond, VA”. From there, I was able to enter my zip code, how many miles from my location I was willing to travel, the day of the week, the time of the day, and the type of meeting I wished to attend. I chose a Thursday evening meeting with a speaker. I chose this meeting because the day and time fit with my schedule and I chose a speaker meeting because I felt like by choosing a meeting with a

My impressions and hesitation for this assignment, I was not looking forward to the 12-step meeting, becoming nervous, angry, and fearful of not knowing no one. There was no prior prejudice on the subject of going to a substance group, there was more of a fear of being out of place, and asked to speak on my non-drug/substance issues, and acknowledge that I was there to observe. After attending the group setting of an AA meeting, I found myself comfortable due to the open arms of the members. The majority of the individuals present were doing it because they promised someone else to go or court orders. One gentlemen stated nobody wishes to be an alcoholic, and as a result virtually everyone attending the meeting wishes that they were someplace else doing something else (Brooks & McHenry, 2009).

Alcoholism relapse is common. After completing a treatment program more than 60% of alcoholics drink within the first 90 days after treatment and on average only 1 or 2 remain abstinent 1 year after treatment (Maurer & Smith, 2009). The use of resources such as Alcoholics Anonymous support, along with a supportive social network, and adequate socioeconomic support has a positive correlation with lasting abstinence and decreased numbers of reoccurrence for alcoholics. With these statistics it is evident that the treatment of alcohol and substance abuse, in general are in high demand today.

Alcohol Abuse is part of disorder that affects many people throughout the world. Many are aware of the issues the disorder can bring not just on the victim, but also to the people that surround the person with the psychological problem. There are different areas that can be discussed in regards to alcoholism. According to Coon & Mitterer (2013), a substance abuse disorder is when there is an abuse or dependence on a psychoactive drug. Alcohol is a substance that can become abusive and bring negative effects on a person’s body. Alcohol is a substance that can bring behavioral effects such as behavioral effects, physical changes, and social changes. A good solution to Alcohol abuse can be Alcohol anonymous, an organization that helps