I cannot imagine the amount of courage it takes for someone to walk into an AA meeting for the first time, admitting that they have a problem. Sitting outside of the Portland Recovery Community Center (on Feb. 15th at 17:32) was extremely intimidating and frightening experience as is, let alone if I was entering the meeting acknowledging that I was an alcoholic and that I needed help. I can see how individuals enter their first meeting with a loss of face due to the fear of humiliation and social embarrassment. I was kicking myself in the butt for not doing more research about the typical AA meeting (having no idea what to expect in the minutes to follow) as I anxiously walked through the door. I think I rambled off ten questions at the poor
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According to the office of Applied Studies, an estimated 1.4 million teens have a substance abuse problem, with only 10% receiving the treatment needed (Office of Applied Studies, 2002). The recognition has been made that youth tend to be underrepresented, with only 2% of organizations members being under the age of 21 (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2007). A research study conducted by Owen and Slaymaker (2003) compared the involvement of adult and adolescence patients from Hazelden inpatient treatment, who attended AA in the community. Their research showed that the average adult (ranging from the age of 21-73) had a greater number of months attending AA, a greater number of months with a sponsor and were more likely to remain abstinence for a longer period, when compared to the teens (ages ranging from 14-20). Research done by Kelly and Myers (2007) had similar outcomes, reporting that although communities encouraged teen involvement/participation in AA programs, they were one third less likely to be involved, outside of their formal treatment, in 12-step programs and the dropout rate from meeting attendance is higher, when compared to adults. The study conducted concluded that attendance predicts sobriety, by two- to three-folds, and that those who remained abstinent were likely to attend twice as many meeting per week (Kelly and Myers,
According to the office of Applied Studies, an estimated 1.4 million teens have a substance abuse problem, with only 10% receiving the treatment needed (Office of Applied Studies, 2002). The recognition has been made that youth tend to be underrepresented, with only 2% of organizations members being under the age of 21 (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2007). A research study conducted by Owen and Slaymaker (2003) compared the involvement of adult and adolescence patients from Hazelden inpatient treatment, who attended AA in the community. Their research showed that the average adult (ranging from the age of 21-73) had a greater number of months attending AA, a greater number of months with a sponsor and were more likely to remain abstinence for a longer period, when compared to the teens (ages ranging from 14-20). Research done by Kelly and Myers (2007) had similar outcomes, reporting that although communities encouraged teen involvement/participation in AA programs, they were one third less likely to be involved, outside of their formal treatment, in 12-step programs and the dropout rate from meeting attendance is higher, when compared to adults. The study conducted concluded that attendance predicts sobriety, by two- to three-folds, and that those who remained abstinent were likely to attend twice as many meeting per week (Kelly and Myers,