The Power of AA/NA Meetings

Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog about opiate addiction. After taking some time off from posting on my blog, I am glad to once again be back at it with posting. Between work, my addiction, and just life in general, I have been quite busy and unable to post as often as I would normally like. I also thought there was enough posts already in such a short period of time that it will give everyone a chance to read through my blog without feeling overwhelmed by so many posts. Today, I would like to dedicate this post to the topic of AA/NA meetings and their role in recovering from an addiction.

Both AA and NA (especially AA) have been around for quite some time and have resulted in numerous other groups/meetings that deal with other addictions to emerge. Today, there groups/meetings that deal specifically with things such as cocaine addiction, overeating, anger management, road rage, and much more in addition to the traditional groups/meetings for dependency on drugs and alcohol. Some people have claimed that these meetings were one of the biggest reasons for them being able to achieve sobriety and that without them, they wouldn't be where they are today. For this post, I would like to go over a brief description/history of both NA/AA meetings, what these meetings are like, how successful and valuable they can be, and my own thoughts on them.

A typical AA meeting

I would like to state early on in this post that despite being almost 6 months clean off of my drug of choice (Oxycodone 30 mg pills), I have never attended an AA or NA meeting in my life. I have been part of an outpatient program which requires me to meet frequently with a drug consular and doctor. This program provides me with both support and the opportunity to get Suboxone. While Opiate Replacement Therapy isn't for everyone, I can honestly say that I would most likely not have been able to get and stay clean without it. My hope is that in a few months from now, I will begin tapering off of the Suboxone and eventually be clean off of all opiates period. I am currently prescribed 4 mg of the Suboxone strips once a day and have found this dose to work well for me. While it certainly hasn't been easy, it is possible.

I also want to state that I have nothing against AA/NA meetings and that the main reason behind me never attending one is due to a combination of fear and lack of interest. I am the type of person who shys away from trying new things and often feel uncomfortable talking about something so personal (my addiction) with strangers especially amongst a group of them. I also feel that as of right now, I do not need the meetings and that getting to them would be a bit of a hassle between work and life. Now, I know I probably sound like someone who is cocky and naive (and maybe I am) but that is how I feel. I hope to one day finally "man up" and attend a meeting but this is something I have been saying for months now.

Despite my experience of not attending meetings and feeling them to not be necessary for my particular case, I want to make clear that I have nothing against them and have nothing but the utter most respect for them. I have talked to numerous people who really enjoy going to the meetings and say how helpful/beneficial they have been in their battle against addiction. These same people talk about the friends they have made, the support networks they have developed, and the knowledge they have gained about addiction as a result of going to these meetings. My drug addiction consular and doctor have told me numerous times how helpful these meetings can be in one's battle with addiction. It may seem somewhat ironic and hypocritically of me to be writing this post as someone with virtually no experience with AA/NA meetings but my motive behind this post is to show others a tool that may help them with addiction and to provide them with as much information about meetings as I can. When I was initially considering attending an AA or NA meeting, there was a world of questions I was asking myself and I was really in need of obtaining some information about these very meetings so hopefully this post can help a few of you guys who are in a similar position. Anyways, lets get started on this topic with a brief overview of AA and NA.

About AA & NA



Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was created in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Arkon, Ohio with the primary purpose of the group being to help its members to get and stay sober from alcohol. The group would hold meetings frequently that would provide members the opportunity to gain support from other recovering alcoholics, learn more about both addiction and the members themselves, find ways to live a sober life, and the stories and struggles of other alcoholics. The basic backbone of AA is the Twelve Step Program, which is a set of steps/guidelines with the purpose of leading alcoholics to the road of recovery. The Twelve Traditions were later created in 1946 and are a set of traditions that the group strongly believes in. These Traditions recommend that "members and groups remain anonymous in public media, altruistically help other alcoholics and include all who wish to stop drinking. The Traditions also recommend that AA members acting on behalf of the fellowship steer clear of dogma, governing hierarchies and involvement in public issues." AA has also developed a book, often referred to as "the Big Book" which further illustrates the basic concepts and beliefs that AA stands for (the actual title of this book is called Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism).

Today, AA is found all over the world, in various languages and cultures, with over 2 million members. The organization has seen its fair share of both praise and criticism, managing to be as relevant as ever today even over 75 years later. AA groups are self supported, meaning they tend to not accept outside help or money and rely on its members for its existence. Despite common misconceptions, the group does not associate itself with any particular religion or political party and everyone is allowed to join with the only requirement being "the desire to stop drinking". Those wishing to join AA simply attend any meeting of their choice without having to do sign up for anything, do any paperwork, or pay any fees. Donation baskets are often passed around during meetings similar to how they are passed around in church allowing members to make any contributions if they wish. The funds from these donation baskets are what ultimately supports the organization.

The growth of AA over the years

With the growth and success of AA, another group would later emerge that would go on to be known as Narcotics Anonymous (NA). This organization holds many of the same concepts and principles of AA but focuses more addictions to Narcotics such as cocaine, meth, opiates, and the like. While alcohol is technically a drug, there is somewhat of a difference of views between alcohol and other drugs such as the ones previously mentioned. NA itself has been quite successful over the years and is continuing to grow currently holding over 58,000 meetings in 131 different countries. Like AA, the backbone of NA is also the Twelve Steps and Traditions and NA meetings are considered to be quite similar to AA meetings. Along with the "Big Book", members of NA also use the text Narcotics Anonymous which is divided into 2 parts. The first part of this text discusses the basic concepts of NA emphasizing the Twelve Steps and Traditions. The second part of this part deals mostly with stories of recovering addicts.

There is a lot more information out there about both AA and NA that I simply can't touch upon all of it. However, I will list below this paragraph the websites of Both AA and NA for you guys if you wish to know more about these organizations. I have visited both websites and there is a lot of good stuff on them for those interested and feel AA or NA may be helpful in their road to recovery.

AA Website
NA Website

The Format of AA & NA Meetings

Now that you guys have a brief understanding and history of AA and NA, I would like to take a look at the meetings themselves. Under this section, I will provide you guys with information about how to find meetings, what they are like, the topics discussed, and much more.

Finding a meeting is basically the same for both AA and NA. There are numerous pamphlets that one can find online, in churches, shelters, community centers, doctors offices, rehabilitation centers, and at meetings themselves. These pamphlets usually list the date, time, location, type, and topic of each meeting and are pretty easy to read and grasp. One can also find this information on the AA and NA websites as well as calling the AA and NA hot line. Most rehabilitation centers are up to date with meetings and can also provide information about them as well. Both AA and NA meetings are held frequently and can be found nearly everywhere (you most likely won't have to drive more than 30 minutes to find one). There are meetings held every day of the week with some meetings meeting more than once a week. Meetings take place at all hours of the day, some as early as 8 a.m. and others as late as 10 p.m.

A typical list of AA/NA Meetings

Most meetings typically last anywhere from 1-2 hours and usually have at least one break during the meeting. One can come late or leave early for meetings without having to worry about being penalized. However, if arriving late or leaving early, please be sure to do so politely and quietly. Many members arrive 15-30 minutes before a meeting begins to engage in small talk with other members, ask questions to members or meeting facilitators, and to help set up the meetings. Meetings will often have food and beverages such as coffees, doughnuts, candies, or other small snacks. During breaks, members can use the bathrooms, smoke a cigarette, talk with others, ask questions, make phones calls, or do whatever else they may need to do.

Meetings usually start off with a welcoming statement that is often followed with a facilitator (sometimes referred to as "trusted servants") who reads passages from the Big Book. Sometimes members are allowed to volunteer to read these passages. After that, meetings can involve a speaker(s) who shares their stories or knowledge of addiction with other members. Members who have been involved with a particular meeting for an extended period of time can volunteer to become a speaker, who are assigned with going to meetings to talk about their experiences and knowledge of addiction with others. These speakers usually rotate and attend different meetings to help keep things "fresh" and to provide them the opportunity to have their stories heard by different meetings and members. After a speaker is finished speaking or if there is no speaker for the particular meeting, the facilitator will often allow members the opportunity to volunteer to speak about their experiences, knowledge, thoughts, or questions with others in the meeting. There is no minimum or maximum time limit for those speaking as one can simply say a few words or say as much as they want. However, members are usually urged to not speak for no more than 15 minutes at once (unless otherwise directed) to allow others the opportunity to speak.

The "Big Book"

Sometimes in meetings, members will take part in a prayer. These prayers are not religious prayers like "Our Father" or "Hail Mary" but rather prayers that focus more on addiction than religious matters. Perhaps the most well known and used prayer is the Prayer of Serenity. Another topic often touched upon at meetings are the Twelve Steps and Traditions. These Steps and Traditions require time to truly understand and grasp, thus resulting in a single Step or Tradition being discussed for an entire meeting or even multiple meetings. Another part of meetings that can occur is when a facilitator asks the audience if there are any new members to the particular meeting or if there is anyone in the crowd who is attending their very first meeting. If you are one of these people and don't wish to draw attention upon yourself, you can simply keep quiet and members will not say or push anything on you. If you do decide to announce you are a newcomer or that this is your first meeting, members will usually allow you introduce yourself while also taking the time to introduce themselves to you. Sometimes, when a new member or someone attending their first meeting is there, the members will switch the topic of day to focus on introducing the newcomer to the meeting and what the group stands for. I have been told more times than I count by others that AA/NA members are very welcoming and kind to newcomers in hopes of making them feel comfortable and accepted.

Meetings for AA and NA tend to be on the more informal side and usually like to emphasize group discussion. Members are encouraged to participate in discussion by sharing their own stories, providing what works for them, and asking any questions they may have. If your someone like me who is on the shyer side and likes to just listen, you're free to just sit back and listen. Members of AA and NA will not push you to speak up and should have no problem with you just being there and listening. Sometimes a group will go around and allow members to introduce themselves and speak of anything that is on their mind. This is what you usually see in movies and on television when everyone sits in a circle and each member goes "Hi my name is...I am alcoholic (or addict)." If this does happen and it is your turn to speak, you can simply say "pass" or "I think I'll just listen today." You can also say something along the lines of "Hi my name is...I am an addict and I'll like to just listen today." Again, you should feel no pressure to have to talk a lot and very rarely do they have it so you have to get up on stage or in front of a lot of people. AA and NA groups try their best to make the atmosphere as laid back and easy going as possible. However if you do feel like opening up about yourselves and talking, then by all means go for it. Some of the better AA and NA meetings consist of active group discussion but again, NO PRESSURE!

I want to stress the no pressure part and not having to get up and give a lecture because this is one of the things that I feared most. My original idea of a AA/NA meeting was that it took place in a church with each member having to get up behind a podium and talk. This is totally not true. Despite me never actually attending a meeting, I have been told this more times than I can count as well as reading this on various websites including the AA and NA websites. Some people love to talk and are great at public speaking. Others (like myself) absolutely hate speaking in front of people and prefer to just sit back and enjoy the show.

 

Types of AA & NA Meetings

I would also like to talk about how certain meetings are labeled under different categories. Some meetings are for men only or women only while others are aimed at other demographics such as the gay community, African Americans, young people, veterans ,single parents, newcomers, among others. Meetings are also labeled based on the format of meeting itself. There are meetings labeled as open discussion meetings where the meeting focuses mainly on, you guessed it, group discussion. There are also meetings labeled as speaker meetings where most of the meeting will revolve around a speaker or group of speakers visiting the meeting. These people who speak at meetings such as these are often members of another group looking to share their stories. Another kind of format are 12 step meetings which emphasize the 12 steps and will often dedicate the particular meeting to one of the twelve steps. There are also handicap and nonsmoking meetings as well along with a variety of others. The most common labeled meetings are probably open and closed meetings. Open meetings are open to everyone, meaning alcoholic/addicts and those who do not suffer from addiction while closed meetings are usually meant for just alcoholic/addicts. However, based on what I have heard, most meetings will not discriminate between the two and will usually welcome all.

A final kind of meeting I would like to talk about are Al-Anon meetings which are meetings that welcome alcoholics/addicts and their families/friends. I have heard these meetings are becoming more and more popular and are great for not only the person suffering from addiction themselves, but also for their families and friends. These meetings allow the friends and family members of alcoholics/addicts the opportunity to learn more about addiction and how to aid their friend or family member in battling addiction.

A popular question asked by those who are unfamiliar with AA and NA is what exactly is the difference between the two and is someone who is addicted to drugs allowed to attend AA or vice versa. Based on what I have read and been told, there isn't really that much of a difference between the two and that most groups do not discriminate between addicts and alcoholics. After all, it is addiction we are all looking to beat, meaning we're all basically in the same, shitty boat. If for whatever reason a group shows some discrimination or resistance to accepting someone based on their type of addiction, you can do a couple of things. The first thing you can do is to simply stop going to that particular meeting and find another one. Like I said before, there are literally thousands of meetings worldwide that meet throughout the week. Another option is for you to simply say I am an alcoholic at AA even if you suffer from an addiction to drugs or vice versa. From what I am told, there is little difference between the groups and that attending an AA meeting if you're an addict or attending an NA meeting if your an alcoholic is better than not attending a meeting at all. If you do feel you are really being discriminated against or treated poorly, don't hesitate to speak to the group leader or to call AA/NA to report any problems. Like I said before, AA/NA usually try their best to be laid back and welcoming so hopefully you shouldn't have any problems.

One final thing I would like to touch upon about AA/NA meetings is the common misconception that these groups focus heavily on religion. I believed in this at first and can see how many others would too. After all, most of these meetings take place in churches, involve prayers, and talk of a higher power. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. The higher power these groups talk about can be anything you wish it to be. It can be god, the group itself, your mother, your dog, or hell even a doorknob. The purpose of the higher power is for the alcoholic/addict to admit that there is something more powerful than themselves. It took me awhile to really understand this until my drug addiction consular explained it to me. He said that I was overpowered by my drug of choice (the Oxycodone 30 mg pills) and that I was unable to quit on my own without seeking help. He said if this wasn't true, I wouldn't be where I was in the first place and wouldn't even be having this conversation with him. For me anyways, that really hit home and gave me a better understanding of what the group meant by a "higher power" so once again, please don't think these groups are just a bunch of religious fanatics because they certainly aren't. AA/NA groups have a wide variety of members who come from different cultures, races, religions, and backgrounds so you'll most likely meet and see a lot of different people. I have even heard of atheists attending AA/NA meetings so if that doesn't prove my point, I don't know what will.

I really hope to attend a meeting soon (unfortunately I have been saying that for awhile now) as I would like to really give the experience a chance. At meetings you'll hear a lot of stories and tips from people of all backgrounds. Like I always say, addiction doesn't discriminate. You'll hear the good, the bad, and the ugly meaning you'll hear stories of someone who has been clean for decades and is living a wonderful, enjoyable life. You'll also hear stories of people who have lost everything (sometimes their homes, money, and even family) to their addiction. Most people tell me the experience can be both quite inspiring and humbling but most importantly, helpful. I know I had a lot of questions about meetings (I still do) so I'm going provide a couple links below this paragraph that might be able to answer some of your questions. They talk about a variety of things and can probably answer a lot of the questions you may currently have. Here they are:

http://www.bma-wellness.com/papers/First_AA_Meeting.html
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/meetings/a/blclosed.htm
http://www.na.org/?ID=bulletins-bull15-r
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/meetings/a/aa040208a.htm
http://video.about.com/alcoholism/What-to-Expect-at-AA-Meetings.htm
http://www.new-life-in-recovery.com/aameeting.html
http://www.thefix.com/content/meeting-minds
http://www.azcentral.com/health/news/articles/0131dayofAA0131.html?&wired
http://www.na.org/?ID=NAMeetings-WhatHappensAtAnNAMeeting
http://www.nzna.org/drugproblem/firstmeeting.shtml
http://www.peninsulana.org/02%20New%20To%20NA/New_To_NA.html
http://www.healthboards.com/boards/addiction-recovery/9667-what-na-meetings-really-like.html
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/newcomers-recovery/85520-questions-about-na-aa-meetings.html
http://www.aa.org/lang/en/subpage.cfm?page=287

The Effectiveness of AA & NA Meetings

This next section I would like to talk about exactly how effective AA and NA meetings are for those who attend them. Based on what I have heard from other addicts, my drug addiction doctor, and my drug addiction consular, they are supposed to be really helpful. In fact, to this day I haven't heard of anyone who said they walked away from a meeting not learning something or having a bad experience. The one thing I have been told is that you may have to check out a few different meetings before you find one that you really like or feel comfortable in so if your first meeting doesn't go as you had planned, don't give up and give another one a shot. Just like everything else in life, there are great meetings, average meetings, and crappy meetings but my gut feeling is that most tend to fall on the good side. These people don't judge, know what it is like to be addicted to something, and share a goal with you (getting and staying clean). This is quite different than when all you have to talk to is a friend, family member, doctor, or consular who has never suffered from addiction themselves. I think I can speak for most of us when I say it takes another addict to know what an addict is going through and feeling.

Another important piece of advice I have been given is that after attending a particular meeting that you enjoy for awhile, try to look and find a sponsor. A sponsor is someone who is also battling an addiction and is willing to help you in your road to recovery. Your sponsor is someone you can ask questions to, obtain advice/tips from, and call or talk to if you feel the urge to use again. The one thing I was told about getting a sponsor is to make sure it is someone you feel comfortable around and to try to pick someone who at least a year of sobriety under their belt. Again, I have no experience myself with these meetings, let alone asking someone to be my sponsor, but I am told it is quite simple. After introducing yourself to someone at a meeting and once you feel comfortable enough around them, simply ask them if they would mind being your sponsor and if you could exchange numbers and/or e-mails. Most people will have no problem doing this and many will even feel flattered that you asked them. It takes a little courage but is something that I feel can go a long way. I just want to state again, make sure it is someone you feel comfortable around, has been sober for quite some time, and is someone who won't lead you down the wrong path in the future. I say this because, remember, at some point this person was an alcoholic or addict themself so be careful. You want to end up with someone who can help you, not someone that you can get drunk or high with.

There is a lot of information out there about how effective AA and NA meetings truly are yet there really isn't a final answer. In fact, the topic is very debatable. I wish I could tell you guys that going to AA and NA will solve all your problems, but like I have said before about there being no miracle drug to accomplish this, AA/NA meetings aren't the perfect solution. Some studies and programs have claimed these meetings to be extremely beneficial while others have shown little to no improvement for those suffering from addiction. I can throw a bunch of studies and figures at you guys but in the end, it's just a bunch of numbers to look at. In my opinion, I think AA/NA meetings can really help someone suffering from addiction but just like Suboxone or Methadone, they are simply a tool in helping one achieve sobriety. At the end of day, it is the person who must chose between a life of addiction or a life of sobriety. It is defiantly not an easy choice despite the fact that we all know which path is the better way to go. If you asked me my thoughts on the topic, I'd tell you to give a meeting a shot as I think it will certainly do more good than harm and probably won't hurt.

I'm not going to lie to guys, I have never been to a meeting and don't want to sugarcoat things so take this post in whatever fashion as you wish. I hope to provide you guys with the best information that I can provide and answer some of the questions you may have about AA and NA meetings. I know I had a lot of questions myself when I first begun my road to recovery. Anyhow, I will provide you guys with some links below that talk about how effective AA/NA meetings can be. These links provide studies, charts, graphs, and other numbers that might paint a better picture of the effectiveness of AA/NA than I can over a computer screen. Here are these links below:

http://hamsnetwork.org/effective.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3140338/
http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/1587/1/Estimates-of-AAs-Effectiveness/Page1.html
http://www.thefix.com/content/the-real-statistics-of-aa7301

 Conclusion

 

 

Well guys, I hope you found this post helpful and that I was maybe even able to make you think about attending an AA/NA meeting in the near future. Despite never being to one before, I get a sense of how helpful and even enjoyable these meetings can really be. Being on the Suboxone (4mg once a day) and remaining clean for almost 6 months has really helped me in being able to get my life back together. I feel great and most importantly, am happy. I know one day I will have to come off of the Suboxone and face the withdrawals, mental agony, and life without opiates sooner or later. I think this where AA/NA may come in handy for me (although I must say, attending a meeting now while on the Suboxone would probably do me world of good as well) as I will no longer have a drug (an opiate itself) in Suboxone to turn to instead of my drug of choice. I will be forced to travel this road to recovery naturally and will have to find other tools to help me remain clean. Maybe a meeting is one of these tools. Scratch that, it will probably have to be...I'll end this post like my others by wishing you all nothing but good fortune, luck, and happiness in your battle against addiction and your road to sobriety. It's been awhile since I've gotten to say this so hear it goes....Keep seeing the light my friends, it's out there.

 

Best wishes,

 

Seeingthelight

P.S.

If this is your first time reading my blog and you would like to read some of my other posts about opiate addiction, feel free to click on any of the below links. Each post has its own topic that I focus on with topics such as Suboxone, Methadone, Opiate Withdrawals, Sleep During Opiate Withdrawal, Quotes About Addiction, and much more.

Welcome Post (1st Post)
My Experience With Suboxone
The Dreaded Opiate Withdrawals
Why We Got Addicted To Opiates
Suboxone Vs Methadone
The Vivitrol Shot
Addiction And Our Bodies
A Soldier's Addiction
Cold Turkey Or Opiate Replacement Therapy
Some Good Quotes About Addiction
Getting Some Sleep During Opiate Withdrawal