Alanon Group Meetings Essay

Introduction

Alanon group meetings are intriguing and unlike any other group meetings that are based on the premise of ensuring anonymity in eradicating alcoholism in families. These meetings are similar to other Alcoholic Anonymous groups in several ways, but they also have major differences. For instance, they are fundamentally different because they are made or set up for people who have been affected by alcoholics and not by the alcoholics themselves. Ideally, they are made of people from families or with friends who are alcoholics and have been affected by their alcoholism. There are several types of meetings and I attended three of these meetings, as prescribed, without prior invitation and notice. This idea alongside the fact that these meetings are completely anonymous made it easy for me to attend at any time.

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Reception

First, the reception at these meetings was positive and welcoming. The people at the meeting were welcoming and accommodative. Almost everyone at the meeting was happy and had a smiling face in the meetings. The people who I assumed were in charge of the meetings were actively welcoming anyone who came in. There was one person who was involved in showing people the places to sit without being overbearing or bothering the people coming in. The people who came in were also anxious and I could tell t eh new members from the rest. There was no signing in or saying anything for any new members. The atmosphere was always welcoming and it was easy to expect positivity from the group. There was also some literature in terms of written materials that were presented at the group for people to read but were on sale. Finally, each meeting was led by a volunteer who shared a story or account of their interaction with alcoholism through a member of their family or a friend.

Meeting Day 1 (Date, time and Place)

This was the first Alanon Group Meeting I attended. I expected that there would be a few people in a circle for the meeting as I have always pictured it in my mind. However, this was not the case as I found a large group of people, all of which were smiling. In many cases, these meetings are sombre and quiet with an air of desperation and other negative challenges. However, this was not the case in the Alanon group meetings. Rather, there was an air of upbeat mood and everyone was ready for the meeting. For this meeting, I understood that it was an open meeting and everyone was allowed in. An individual at the entrance was happily welcoming the people who were coming in and answering any questions that anyone had. He also could refer an individual who needed more information than he could provide. In this meeting, one of the volunteers led the meeting and started with giving his story of how he has been affected by alcoholism. He later engaged members by asking for more volunteers to share their stories and this became the rent for a few minutes. One of the volunteers then mentioned on the way he felt had helped his brother who was the alcoholic. The group appreciated him with a clap and the volunteer leading the meeting used this cue to ask for more suggestions.

Meeting Day 2 (Date, time and Place)

The second meeting had relatively fewer people. It appeared to be better or closely moderated and the person leading or guiding the development of the meeting was a member of the Alanon group. In this meeting, it became clear that it was not full because it was not a general meeting. Rather, it was a closed group meeting it was specially prepared for people whose lives had been bothered and affected directly by an alcoholic. Coming into the meeting saw an individual ask questions that were meant to filter out the people who were not supposed to be at the meeting. If an individual simply wanted information and was not directly affected by alcoholism, they were kindly provided with other dates and venues where they cud attend open meetings. This information was provided with respect to the person and where was most convenient for them. Inside the meeting, it was evident that eh person leading the meeting was informed and had an objective to reach. He carefully guided the conversation, tapping into people' feelings and deciding what to say and what to avoid. For instance, in relaying some of the possible aspects that could help an individual to heal, it was clear that he deliberately avoided religious words and suggestions, although he hinted at some of them.

Meeting Day 3 (Date, time and Place)

The third meeting I intended to attend was not possible as I was told it would be a restricted meeting, as it was held in a juvenile facility. However, I attended a teens meeting, that was held by the group's teen branch, Alateen. This was a fun filled meeting and it was even loosely moderated. It was easy to be a part of the group even if you did not understand what it was about. It was meant for teens who had been affected by someone else's drinking. In this group, the aspect that stood out for me was that while some teens came here for the fun and felt that they could not get anything out of it, from the sharing of others and the easy- go moderation, they realized that they also needed to share and listen more keenly. The mood became serious after some time of jokes and jives. At some point, it was clear that they were not in the group for the fun alone.

Another Person's Experiences

I believe anyone who has been affected by the drinking problems of another person would find the Alanon group meetings highly educative and beneficial. Indeed, it would be easy to blend into the group since there are no limitations in the general group and further the hosts and meeting moderators are highly accommodative even to people they have not seen before. Another person would be highly welcome and if they were trying to receive help, this would be the best forum for them.

What I Learned From These Experiences

From these experiences, I learned that in a group setting, it is possible to have people who are not serious and directly interested in the content. However, the moderation of the group proceedings and the reception that they find will have a meaning and accommodate them into the meeting to find their purpose. Indeed, I also realized that in anonymous groups meetings, it is the reception that will create the first impression, even before the content of the meeting is made clear.