Reflection Paper On An Aa Meeting

Superior Essays
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. Although I was somewhat anxious about going, I feel that these experiences have really opened my eyes to something I knew very little about. The first meeting I attended was an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in freehold borough. It was held in a room called the …show more content…
However, there were things that I did not like. Although, maybe they were things I just did not fully understand because I have never had an issue with drugs or alcohol. First, the meetings seemed a little too religious. Even though it was only said a few times, the serenity prayer and other prayers were recited. I think this might turn some people off, especially those that are not religious at all. I also did not really understand each person introducing themselves as an alcoholic/addict. To me this seemed like they were only identifying themselves as this one fact about them, when in reality each person is so much more than their addiction. There was also a lot more talk of using the drugs and alcohol than I expected. Listening to the stories I heard more about what they did and how they felt on the substance than their recovery process and how they are working through it. I would think for some this could make attending a meeting difficult. Some people need to completely separate themselves from the drug and alcohol culture. Sitting in a room listening to people talk about their past use might trigger feelings for them to want to use again. I think that more emphasis needs to be on the recovery process and not the use. Another thing I thought about was how the twelve-step program might not work for everyone. It might only work for a certain kind of person. Also, I don’t know if it necessarily gets to the root of the problem of why someone was using in the first place. I also think that maybe some involved are replacing one addiction for another. Instead of being addicted to drugs or alcohol, they are now addicted to AA or

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