Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting Experience Essay

I decided to front a meeting based first (and almost solely) on convenience of the location. So I decided to attend a meeting right here in Batavia. The Batavia 12 & 12 at the devoted Trinity Church peck on 6th & Wood St. They hold meeting on Mondays most 1100am. The main focus is to follow the 12 steps in order and work on them in a more(prenominal) traditional fashion. They do have the big book, but follow it more in a step by step focus. except karma decided to rear its head and raise it a Closed Meeting, meaning that it is not as open to the public to sit on and they single allow members who ar coming with a problem related to alcohol. So at first I was turned away but, I was lucky enough to know a soulfulness (local firefighter) who attends the church, and talked the host into permit me sit in on a meeting. So with the awkwardness of prevailting into the door out of the way, it was cartridge holder for the meeting. Obviously due to the location itself, it came as n o surprise that the meeting consisted of roughly around 15-20 people, including the person in charge of the meeting and myself. All the chairs were set up like a classroom.I ordain be honest the atmosphere of the meeting was actually much more mono-tone than I was lead to believe. not that an A.A. meeting is always upbeat or depressing but, it seems like this was a mix between. Some were pot competent their coffee, others just sitting and fiddling with their hands. One man however, seemed to be uncomfortable with me. I guessed it was because I was the crank to the meeting, and the youngest looking guy in the room. He kept staring at me and glancing at me from his chair at the front. past the meeting got underway. Everyone started with a sort of, hello and how are you, type of matter. Everyone went around saying their name, how great they have been attending the meetings and, mostthing interesting related to how they have been work on staying sober. One man curtly talked abo ut how he almost broke his sober strike at a local party, some other was a bit worried that with Halloween coming up, how he would be able to stay away from temptation. nigh everyone seemed to have a similar type of intro, which in retrospect would explain for the less than stellar atmosphere. Then the gentlemen who had been staring at me spoke up as they were beginning to discuss the step they were currently working on with their group, Step 6 if I recall. He wished to draw attention as to why I was not called on to speak up, and introduce myself like the rest.Although the host attempted to specify, I decided to aim the opportunity to just speak up myself. I explained that I was not here as an sousing seeking to get help, but that I was a student at the University up the hill. Immediately he asked what business I had attending this closed meeting and I explained why I was here and my major(ip) of study and the details of the assignment. Everyone else seemed to find the assignme nt interesting and was ok with my presence one gentleman welcomed me to this enriching give. However the aforementioned man obviously did not wish to be, as he put it, spied on by a student. (I say student but his wording was a bit ruder) At this point I did not say much more, as everyone else started to try and calm the gentleman down and another pulled him aside, talked to him for a minute, then everyone sat back down and basically continued the meeting at normal. One thing of note, as they began discussing Step 6, one thing that was thrown in by some of the attendees, was the concept that God, should be able to help remove not just the defects of character towards oneself, but towards others. To me this meant that one should be able to act nice towards others despite any preconceived notions of flaws. At the end of the meeting, as I was paseo out, the same gentleman who seemed to have issues with my presence stopped me as I was out the door and pulled me aside.At first I was pr epping myself for some sort of tongue lashing but, instead was greeted with an apology, and he explained that he was having some issues with his own sobriety, that the week was just off for him. I told him I understand, wished him luck with his program and went on my merry way. Overall the meeting was what I expected, on the part of how they discussed God and his involvement of the Steps, and the general carriage of most of the group, as I have come to understand it at least. However, I think from this experience I have gained a crucial piece of information that, although I was aware of it, had no true(a) first hand understanding of it People idolise judgment from those who are designed to judge them.A simple statement, and in many respects obvious but, what I mean is that people tend to fear judgment from those who should not judge them, and expect criticism and judgment rom those who are meant to. Anyone who has succumbed to alcoholism or drug use, knows what to expect from the ir immediate peers, but I was not expecting how much they would, or in the case of the gentleman I encountered, fear someone who is making a career of judging them. Thisexperience has helped me get around understand why some many in recovery wish for anonymity, or try to get help from people they know, or are quick to stop recovery if they are feeling looked down upon. I can see more clearly now why we as helping professionals mustiness do everything in our power to not put judgment or criticism on those who are in need of help.