Environmental Observations

Environmental Observations I was able to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at Calvary Lutheran Parish House in Dover, PA on a Sunday afternoon. The location was easy to find and close to my house. When I arrived, I noticed a group of people smoking near the building and walked over to them and inquired about if I had the right location of the meeting. A gentleman told me to go down the stairs and then I would be in the room that the meeting took place. I walked over to the steps and had to duck my head to keep from hitting my head while walking down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs there was a small room with rows of chairs and a few chairs around the outside of the rows of chairs. The furniture looked worn and the room seemed to have been used for AA meetings over many years. The chairs were medal with different pillows on the seats to make them more comfortable. There was a coffee machine in the back of the room by the door and a small restroom. The room was a little cold in temperature. There were about thirty people in the room and almost all the chairs were used. The environment was welcoming and rural; however the new members might be thrown off by the lack of diversity and demographics. I was worried about being in a group with someone I knew due to being in my hometown. My fears came
true as I did encounter someone I knew in the meeting.
Discussion Observations The meeting begun by reading the preamble, 12 steps, public information, asked if any new members wanted to identify themselves and then the meeting opened up for discussion for a topic. I choose not to identify myself and just to observe the interactions between the members. The leader chose a more experienced member to pick a topic when no one seemed willing to begin the discussion. He chose to speak on patience and how that was difficult in life. Many of the members choose to discuss the topic of patience. It was interesting to see how the members connected alcoholism to the lack of patience in many cases. The topic brought many different people into the discussion and the members bounced ideas and thoughts off each other. The discussion was not dominated by one single person. Each person raised their hand and the leader would point to them. At one point a man who was nine days sober shared his struggles and how he was looking forward to hearing how everyone overcomes their addictions. The group clap for him and his achievement of staying sober nine days and encouraged him to keep coming back. Many of the members talked about the encouragement of a sponsor who they meet with weekly that offers them hoping and advice when they need it. I thought that the discussion style of the group allowed for more people to be involved and speak up. I did notice that not everyone shared on the topic and many members left without saying anything in the group.
Technique and Skills of Group A technique used within this AA meeting was peer to peer interactions. It can be beneficial for groups to be led by those who previously have struggled with alcoholism. Peer to peer interactions encourage productive discussion, maintain respect for participants and their boundaries and keep the group on-topic. Another technique is problem solving within the discussion. Member can learn social skills and working well with others in a social setting. Many members shared advice that they have used to overcome temptations or name negative thought patterns. The group can easily incorporate Cognitive Behavior Therapy into the skills and techniques that are discussed in the group. The AA groups use a 12 step model that provides purpose and direction for members as they seek to achieve change.
Leadership Observations The leader of this group was an alcoholic who was recovering. It seemed that she had been coming to the meetings for some time, but that this meeting was one for her first times leading. Another member commented that it was nice to see her leading as she started the group. She seemed to know exactly how the meeting should run and had different people read the principles of AA in an orderly fashion. She paid attention to whoever was speaking and added her own experiences on patience when discussion slowed down. The nature of this group was open discussion so it seemed like most people participated equally on experiences. The members seemed to know and care for each other.
Personal Observations and Experience I found myself enjoying hearing the struggles and progress that the different members had experienced. I could see that the members were trying to take steps to change their addiction and have been coming to AA for years. The members have built relationships with people who are going down the same journey. There is a sense of family that I felt from the group even with from technique of says hi and thank you after an individual has spoken. It seemed that the members also come to the meetings more than once a week to work through their additions. I do wonder if AA would be more affective with a counselor leading it with techniques and skills for the members to work on. I do see the value in the way that AA is set up with members who have been alcoholics leading and sharing their personal struggles, but the therapy could be even better for everyone. The sense of family and wanting each other to grow and change is the most valuable piece that I see within AA groups. The members feel connected to each other because their struggles have similar themes. I did feel pressure to share that I was observing, but I felt that it was not necessary because I did know someone in the AA meeting.
I did not want to appear above struggle and chose not to share that I was observing. I would have shared that I was observing if someone had asked me if I was an alcoholic. I felt like the sense of family and commonality of their struggle did make me feel like an outsider. I truly do not understand the struggles of being an alcoholic and so I appreciate the friendship and care that the members had for each other. They were seeking help to work through an addiction which is an important step in recovering from their
addiction.