All four of these stories I found very interesting and entertaining and over the next few pages I talk about each one and what I thought about them. The Thoughts of…
Neither John, Gwen, nor Miguel began taking drugs with the intension of harming others. Nor were they aggressive or abusive by nature. Yet their long-term substance abuse harmed others, including family members, friends, and the communities in which they lived. John’s substance abuse had negative consequences for his family and community. During his senior year of high school, however, he began smoking marijuana and drinking with his buddies.…
Narcotics Anonymous Meeting On Tuesday September twentieth, I attended my first narcotics anonymous (NA) meeting to observe the process of how a NA meeting is conducted and what it entails. I expected the NA meeting to be held in an authorized medical building or church. It was not. Recovery and Beyond functions out of a small, run down residence off West Mahoney Avenue in Mesa.…
Addiction is a disease where the recovery process can be life long and addicts get the support of people who assists them with building relationships, and strength. Although, the recovery process is hard, it is rewarding. The client, with the self-determination, focus on the resources, capabilities, and paying attention to stages of readiness, tries to accomplish the goals (Wormer & Davis, 2013, p. 445).…
The 12 step meeting that I attended was an over eaters anonymous. When I arrived, I was greeted openly and the people were very friendly. I had to announced who I was and the purpose of me being there. I was surprise that I was accepted as part of the group. The group had given several pamphlets and invited me to attend their weekly meetings.…
The Alcoholic Anonymous is a program targeted to help individuals on their road to recovery from alcoholism. Founded in 1935, the program has since then changed the stigmas associated with alcoholism and substance abuse, and has allowed individuals to join the meetings with dignity. This paper focuses on a first hand account of a nursing student’s experience at an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting. This paper also focuses on the effects of substance abuse on the mental health of people and the Twelve-Step programs associated with helping people overcome substance abuse. The data and information in this paper was derived from my attendance of the meeting as well as professional literature.…
I observed an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group in Paterson, NJ, which is a self-help group that helps alcoholics in the recovery and treatment phase. It’s an open group for anyone who wants to change their drinking habits. They have the meeting every Friday at 7:30 pm. There’s no specific qualifications to attend this group. No age limit, specific race, or education is required to become a member.…
There is a reason why Alcoholics Anonymous meetings always end with American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr’s world-renowned devotion, The Serenity Prayer. The shortened version of the prayer goes as follows: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference”. Whether a person is religious or not, this orison rings true with a yearning to find tranquility that everyone can relate to, particularly soldiers. In life, if we do not learn to let go of haunting actions and experiences bygone, or at least accept them and learn from them, we generate a world of anger and misery to dwell in. In Ron Kovic’s autobiography “Born on the Fourth of July”, the readers bear witness…
Saul’s Loss of Moral Compass and Progression into Alcoholism Often, one progresses into substance abuse as a result of facing various challenges and experiences. This is in through Richard Wagamese’s novel Indian Horse. This is a story about an Ojibway boy named Saul who faces many bumpy roads in life and as a result, loses his sensibility. When Saul was haunted by the ghosts of his past such as the loss of his family, the loss of his identity, and the trauma from residential school experiences, he lost his moral compass, which resulted in being affected by alcoholism.…
Alcoholism is defined as an addiction to the indulgence of alcoholic liquor and the compelling behaviour which results from alcohol dependency. In the novel Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese the reasoning behind repression of alcohol abuse are evident through characters Eldon Starlight. The reason for his alcoholism is traumatic and its effects both himself and those around him which causes greater harshness. Eldon begins drinking after he was forced to leave his home as his mother chose her abusive husband over him. Meanwhile Eldon’s alcoholism arises after he kills his only friend to ensure his own survival.…
Walking up to the doors of the first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting I can honestly say I was feeling so many different emotions. I had no idea what to expect and how I would feel about the whole experience. I was curious about the format and the actual process. I was nervous about how I would be received, and about how I would react to hearing everyone’s stories. I was also a little embarrassed to be seen walking into an AA meeting, which was something I was very surprised about.…
If he wasn’t drinking in the first place who’s to say he might not have the stress of the new job he has now which he’s bringing onto the family. I see the main character in a life struggle that most average human beings find themselves in, the struggle of caring for family. I believe that he is a hard worker and that he wants to provide for his family, but he just can’t deal with the battles that have been thrown his way. He knows that his family is falling apart and isn’t happy but he needs to take action and cope with the stress better. While lying in bed with his wife we understand that she just found out she was pregnant yet again, of course my mind jumps ahead to picture how they our going to be able to be…
Addiction support meetings have multiple benefits beyond helping a person move toward a healthier, more stable and productive life without the misuse of substances. Historically speaking, in the case of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, the idea that one alcoholic speaking with another is enough of a good start for progress toward recovery. As a matter of fact, that is how it is described in AA literature (Big Book, 2001). Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio. Its primary purpose is to help alcoholics stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.…
On September 18th, I observed an Alcoholics Anonymous Group at Trinity United Methodist Church in Atlanta. The name of this group is called John F.’s 12 Steps Study, which is an open discussion meeting for anyone to participant in and it does have attendees examine one of the 12 steps in the program. According to Alcoholics Anonymous’ national website, “Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self- supporting… [no requirements and]…Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2016, para. 1).…
I’ve worked my entire adult life helping others. Starting when I was just 19 years old I began working at a group home people with developmental disabilities and chronic mental health issues. The clients in these homes were often placed straight from secure psychiatric units and had unpleasant, and at times, criminal histories. This is the environment where I first found my strengths. I could easily engage with people without regard for their sordid history and help them work through their own thoughts.…