Alcohol Anonymous Meeting

Daniella Levy
11/19/12
MH31
Ethnography

On Sunday November 18th, I attended my first alcohol anonymous open meeting at Gerritsen Beach. The church was called St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the session started at 7pm. I was actually very nervous going by myself, so I asked my best friend to come with me for support. This meeting occurred in the basement of the church. My best friend and I began walking down the stairs into the basement, and we already saw people sitting around in a circle. We grabbed our chairs, and sat with them, and for another few minutes, the place began to fill up quickly. I noticed there was a person in the middle of the room, who we later found out, was the chairperson. She was very nice, and dressed very proper. She began with reading the Alcohol Anonymous
preamble, a group prayer, and then the shorter version of the Serenity Prayer. It was nice to see that everybody participated, but I did not because I don’t have a problem with alcohol. After the prayers, the chairperson asked all of us to introduce ourselves, and asked if there were any newcomers in the group. My best friend and I raised our hands, and we introduced ourselves with just our names and sat back down. It was very interesting hearing facts about other people. One person that caught my eye was a newcomer who just recently became addicted to alcohol, who was only 22. His name was Eric, and he stated that if he continues to drink, and spend his only money on alcohol, he would be kicked out of his parents’ house. Everyone was moved by his story, and some people even gave him encouragers, and quick advice. After everyone introduced themselves, and said a few facts about them, I noticed that everyone ended their stories with “…and I am an alcoholic.” I thought it was nice that they said this, because the first step of any problem is always admitting you have one. So it was nice to see that everyone admitted that they have a problem, and are coming to share stories and receive help. The chairperson stood up from her seat, and explained what we will be doing during this session. She explained that she would be reading a little bit from the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and later on she asked if anyone had any experiences or hope and strength related to these steps. A lot of people began speaking about their experiences with alcohol and relating it back to the step. Afterwards, they just all began speaking about their experience with alcohol, whether they believe they need help or not, and how they can be guided in the right direction. I actually placed myself into an alcoholic’s shoes, and felt empathy towards them. A lot of them were seeking help, and had nowhere else to turn, so it was comforting to know that these Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are here to help many people. I remember a few people who spoke their heart out at the meeting. There was a woman whose name was Anna and she discussed how she is 3 months pregnant, and her alcohol problem is taking over her life, and she doesn’t know how to stop. Everyone explained that she needs to stop drinking because her unborn baby will be at risk later in life, and then a few people started crying. It became very emotional, and I almost had tears in my eyes. There was another person whose name was Josh. He was a thirty year old, and his parents both died in a tragic car accident. He began drinking after this situation, and explained that’s the only way he knew how to cope with his emotions. The chairperson explained that drinking is not the solution to problems, and we must talk it out to relieve all the emotions we have bottled up. I was very moved by Josh’s story, and felt empathy towards him too. After everyone shared their stories, the chairperson said it was time for the Lord’s Prayer, and everyone stood up in a circle, held hands, and began reciting the prayer. I went along with it, but did not recite the prayer because I didn’t feel comfortable. After the prayer ended, the meeting was over. The chairperson ended with a few encouraging statements, and said “I hope to see you all again next week.” It became a social gathering after the meeting was over, and people began speaking with one another. A few people approached me and my best friend and asked us a few questions as to why we were here. I stated that it was for my mental health class, and it was also to experience an AA meeting. I had a few different emotions during the whole meeting.
When I first came to the church, I was very nervous because it was a new environment for me, and I didn’t know anyone there. During the session, I became a little more comfortable. At the end of the meeting, everyone made me feel comfortable, and it was nice to hear everyone’s stories. What did surprise me though was that there were a lot of different ages. There were even some people who were close to my age, and people who were in their sixties. It showed me that anyone can have this problem, and even the older people may not know how to cope with this addiction. If I had clients who have alcohol problems, I would strongly encourage them to attend at least one Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. One benefit is that everything said at the meeting, stays at the meeting, and no one judges you at all because they are all going through similar problems. I would encourage my client to share his or her stories, and to let out all the emotions she or he has. Alcoholics Anonymous is also free, and everyone is welcome to attend. They value anonymity and also provide sponsors who can help guide alcoholics through the right
path.