Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings

1. Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings - SOS For Alcoholics If there is anything that is a lifeline for an alcoholic on the mend, it is Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. Here is something which will not intimidate or discourage a person grappling with a drinking habit. In the company of like-minded people who are ready to share their personal experiences pertaining to their battle against alcoholism, an alcoholic will have a greater incentive to stick to his resolve of beating the habit. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are of two types - closed and open. In the former, participation is limited only to members. The idea behind having closed meetings is to protect the privacy of the members and also to make them feel more comfortable and secure in the company of people who they know will not be judgmental, as they would be in pretty much the same situation as themselves. Open meetings on the other hand are for anyone who is interested in Alcoholics Anonymous. It could be students, professionals, researchers, or anybody who wants to learn about Alcoholics Anonymous' recovery programs. But the primary objective of the meeting remains the same as that of closed meetings - effecting a recovery in alcoholics coping with their problem Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have a life-changing effect on people's lives. You will see people come for these meetings in the worst of shapes. Often you will see them look broken, dispirited, and weak in spirit when they stagger in for the first time. But the transformation that occurs in the same people after they have attended only a few of these meetings is sometimes nothing short of miraculous. You will see the same people looking for more hopeful and in charge of their lives. Gone will be the hopeless gaze and the unsteady gait. Instead, you will notice a firm resolve on their part to get on top of the situation. Just listening to the stories of former alcoholics, as well as those on their way out of the addiction is an enormous source of inspiration and motivation for these people. They see their situations and their lives reflected in what the speakers say at these meetings. Often mustering up the courage to turn up for one's first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting is the first major step in the direction of recovery. Finding a meeting is easy. One could call the nearest Alcoholics Anonymous Intergroup office or visit their site aa.org. Most cities have hundreds even thousands of meetings slated every week. So if you want to attend a meeting you easily can.

2. One should try and attend a meeting that is commensurate with one's objectives for attending. If it is merely to know more about the organization one should go to an open meeting. On the other hand, if you are sure that you have an alcohol-related problem, then you should go for a closed one. Then there are meetings held exclusively for men, women, or whatever special category it is that needs to have such a meeting. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings accommodate all; the sole motivation behind the meetings is to help people recover from alcoholism.