An AA meeting in Gainesville, FL Paper Example

In Gainesville, FL, the AA meeting usually takes place at the centers in a big meeting room. One in particular that I attended began in the afternoon. Members started coming in early and sat down on chairs that were arranged circularly. Immediately everyone arrived, the counselor started giving us directions while reading from the big book of the Alcohol Anonymous. While, each group, consist of various format, this one, in particular, was a step meeting that contained 'Twelve Traditions' and 'Twelve Steps.' One thing that was noticeable is that the traditions of the AA meeting were autonomous which meant that the group runs the group. They also made choices about how the meeting will begin, the format used and the readings conducted at the beginning of the session.

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It was also noticeable that our meeting had a secretary whose role was to open, set the room, turn on the lights, prepare coffee, chose the topic to be used as well as the leader for the meeting. The name given to such person after inquiring were called the 'trusted servant' because they are never paid for such services. When a member was chosen, it was then considered as a privilege. Inside the room, I realized that people sat here and there on the semi-circular arranged sits, some sitting alone while some talking. Since my seat was by the door, I realized that some people said hi, some never, others introduced themselves and some just ignored. After 10 minutes, approximately 50 people had already arrived. The view of the meeting was that the 'trusted servant' sat in the middle since she was the chairperson of that specific day.

As the meeting continued, the topic that was to be discussed was addressed. Since this was a step meeting, members were not allowed to share their stories and how they longed to become sober. In this meeting, it was amazing to realize that members were obedient when they were asked not to share anything, ask questions until the session was over unless it was in a different format. Whenever a member had something to say, I realized that they whispered their query to the member seated near them. When someone was new, they usually made mistakes and said their issue publicly, but since it was a step meeting, none is allowed to share their experience as it was considered an outside issue.

As part of the treatment, I noticed that members were urged to keep quiet and listen to the information that shared. This stage of the meeting was also known as the recovery procedure because this is where they were taught the steps that they would use to guide their lives. When the meeting began, the chairperson started by asking if there were any new members so that they would be advised on how to behave. After the meeting people late gather and share the lessons learned, introduce each other and how their social lives have changed ever since they began these meetings. I noticed, some members left immediately, some introduced themselves again while others just stared and listened to people experience. I learned how people become alcoholics unknowingly and how they end up embarking on the drinking journey without the urge of stopping.

This type of meeting has a positive impact to my life in a way that when I realize that I have friends that cannot control their drinking problem; this would have been a great place to take place to take them. As part of treatment, the meeting puts some senses to someone to make them realize that their actions are affecting a lot of people. When it comes to finances, one is prepared to think how much they would have saved if they drank responsibility. One thing I noticed is that this program does not force anyone or tell members to quit drinking, but the lessons they offer makes one think twice concerning their drinking habits. This is because no one was forced to attend the meeting. Based on how I observed things in the session, I realized that most members chose to participate in the meeting because they wanted change.

Conclusion

The exciting part about this meeting is that besides the rules of telling members to maintain their silence while it was in progress, no one was told anything else. I remember during the meeting, one member woke up and left thinking that she had gone to the washroom, but after 20 minutes the lady had not returned. When the meeting ended, I approached the chairperson to inquire more if the lady who left was ok and she explained that this was a decision made the reception. Some of the members usually go before the session ended whenever they feel bored or pissed off with their behavior. The good thing about this meeting is that the lessons you get make you go back because they will haunt your mind after realizing the truth.