Twelve steps meetings are thought to be a vital part of recovery for those battling addiction. While it has been proven to help those with addiction maintain sobriety, there are skeptics who feel that they aren’t as productive as advertised. Research on the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is controversial and is subject to widely divergent interpretations (Kaskutas, 2009). I was able to see firsthand how a meeting is conducted by attending the Back to Basics AA meeting in Columbus, GA. My paper will address some of my thoughts and feelings about the meeting, my overall experience, and how it has informed my practice as a counselor. The first thing that surprised me about the AA meeting was the attitudes and the amount of participation. Despite the benefit that can be derived from attending meetings and engaging in 12-Step activities, many individuals with SUDs are reluctant …show more content…
I got to do away with some of my judgment about those with addiction, and I also picked up some valuable information. What I think was most important for me to witness was the camaraderie and the high levels of support among the members, which seemed to be part of the foundation of the group. For that reason, I believe that this will be a resource I use with clients because the good outweighs the bad, and if you work the group it yields positive results. Study participants mentioned several qualities of the AA fellowship and the AA program as helpful, such as identifying with other alcoholics, sharing, talking, and telling stories; having a sponsor, and working the steps (Krentzman, Robinson, Moore, Kelly, Laudet, White, Strobbe, 2010). My only skepticism would come in the religion department. Referring a client with a different religious belief or no belief at all would be difficult because the group is based around it. However, this resource is vital part of follow-up care, and should be utilized when
Alcohol Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship worldwide consisting of over one hundred thousand men and women who are alcoholics, banded together in solving a common problem and in helping fellow alcohol users in their recovery from alcoholism. A.A.'s twelve steps are considered a list of principles which are spiritual in their nature, and if practiced as a way of life by members, can help significantly in expelling a member’s obsession to drink, and enable a holistic awareness. Step one is when the member admits they are powerless over the use of alcohol, resulting in an unmanageable life. No one wants to admit defeat, but admitting powerlessness over alcohol is the first step in becoming liberated. Step two is having a belief that the almighty power can restore their sanity. Step three is making the decision to turn their will and life over in the protection of the almighty God, which is the key to willingness of change as noted by the Twelve Steps of recovery. Step four is...
Alcoholism is as prevalent in my family, as blood is in our veins. When previously asked to observe 12-step groups, I ritualistically flocked to Alcoholics Anonymous, without consideration of the possibility that other groups had any potential to make an impact on me. I always pride myself in my ability to identify as an individual that is not ensnared in alcoholism, but unfortunately am an individual that was highly tormented by alcoholism. Through observation of the group and how it processed, as well as identifying how I felt as a new attendee, I was able to understand why self-help, support groups are so vital for individuals in recovery. I finally realized, I too am in recovery.
Alcoholics Anonymous is best known of the 12-step fellowships. Anyone with the desire to quit drinking or using substances is welcome to attend meetings. Individuals learn how to be sober through the support of other members and the 12 steps. In most suburban and urban areas, meeting can be fund every day and around the clock; they are even available online and are structured for confidentiality and anonymity. Family members and other support are often welcome. The 12-step model has been adopted worldwide. Specific groups may focus on specific addictions and include specific populations. The size of meetings ranges from small to large. There are also meetings to address the special needs of family and significant others, such as Al-Anon for
This expirience has definitely enhance my learning in nursing. After visiting this NA meeting I feel I understand a lot more how they work and especially how they can be of a great help to some struggling with addiction. As Nurses we can work in substance abuse clinics where we will encounter many patients with this problem and in order for us to help any patient in their recovery; we need to be informed first of the different resources available to them in the community. With what I have learned from this experience I will most definitely encourage any of my patients to join any of these self-help groups in their journey to recovery. I will also recommend their relatives or friends to joint a group as well, such as Al-Anon, which is a similar
...meeting was one of awe and some relief. This meeting made me realize that I should really appreciate the things that I have in life because there are others out there who are way off worse. What I learned from the meeting is that the problem is not how much you drink; it’s what happens when you drink. Getting clean and sober is for those who want it, not those who need it. The key step for addicts is to maintain a motivated way of thinking once you start feeling good about yourself from making amends. I believe 12-step sober support groups can be extremely beneficial to the person attempting abstinence. The premise is that one addict can best help another and that by helping another you actually help yourself. AA is a fundamental example of how groups support sobriety in individuals as long as they are willing to follow a program and commit to changing their habits.
Within this paper there will be an examination of core Biblical principles through exploring Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12 STEPS for treating individuals battling addictive behaviors and dependence. Also discussed in great detail and scriptural support is the importance of fostering healthy relationships, maintaining a strong sense of self-awareness, developing the ability to know one’s existing problems, and the value of having a dependency on God. The author will integrate a Biblical Worldview and examine the implications of incorporating a 12 STEP program and MI into counseling and the best avenue to utilize them with Non- and Christians alike. This paper closes with the writer’s personal reflections, considerations and revelations from the research done for this paper.
Attending an A.A meeting for anyone may be hard. According to, “Psychiatry and Wellness”, “Practically nobody looks forward to going to their first AA meeting.” Alcoholics or recovering addicts may feel the same way I felt when attending their first A.A meeting. Some alcoholics may feel worse than I did. Some alcoholics may feel ashamed to attend an A.A meetings. Some alcoholics may be scared or have fear to go to an A.A meeting because they do not know what to expect. The thought of attending an A.A meeting may be worse than actually attending an A.A
Coming into the substance abuse meeting the student nurse was scared and nervous. She was scared of the reaction of the consumers and feared all the stereotypes she heard about typical alcoholics. Innervison gave the student nurse a new outlook on these types of consumers. She no longer looked at them as people who were just drunks and wanted to use AA as an excuse to make it seem like they are getting help. She never really looked at alcoholism as a true addiction; it seemed like more of an excuse to escape life’s problems. Sitting in and listening to these consumers gave the student nurse a dose of reality. The student nurse now understands alcoholism better and AA helped her realize recovery is truly a process that takes one day and one step at a time.
Vontae and I attended the alcoholic anonymous meeting at the YANA club at northeast Jackson on Wednesday at 8 o’clock. It was a big turn out to this meeting because the whole room was packed full of men and women. The meeting style was very administrated by one leader in the group. It was a book night which meant they had to read out of the AA handbook that was written by some doctors. I thought this was very interesting because I never knew this was a thing because this was my very first support group meeting of any sort. I really wanted to go to something a little more interesting, but you either had to pay or they were close meetings. This book lesson was very interesting because the leader of the group called the person to read and
This fall semester on the first week of school, my teacher pushed me away from my comfort zone. She assigned the class to attend a 12 step meeting followed by a written paper on our experience. I attended a DUI and Drug Counseling meeting in Libertyville. On my way there, I forecasted the meeting in a small, cold, classroom filled with elderly people gathered around in a circle talking about their everyday battle with alcohol. I’ve heard of 12 step meetings, but I have never been to one or encountered someone who has attended to one. I wondered if people attended voluntarily or if it was court ordered. I wondered if they were going to be praying. I wondered a lot of things which made me really nervous. My expectations were somewhat erroneous.
Therapy Analysis The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy of my work as a co-therapist during the fifth session with the simulated couple Katy and Michelle. I will discuss our therapy agenda and the goals we hope to attain during the session. It is prudent to begin by giving a brief outline of the couple’s present problem and the patterns of dysfunction that I have identified within their relationship. In my opinion, it is the therapist’s job to recognize patterns and behaviors that disrupt the intimate bond between the partners.
I attended the “11th Step” meeting at the Newman Congregational Church. The 11th Step uses meditation as a form of recovery. This was an open Alcoholics Anonymous meeting that takes place every Tuesday night. It was very difficult to find a meeting that was convenient for my schedule. They frequently took place at night when I had class, or on weekend mornings when I had to work. I originally sought help from a previous professor in finding a support group, however, Courtney and I ended up finding this particular one on our own through searching the internet. Although it was difficult for me to find a group that was convenient, I believe this particular time is the most accessible to those who had attended this meeting. The experience was overall very positive even though I was hesitant to attend at first, I did not realize how influential AA was to a recovering alcoholic before attending this meeting.
Motivational interviewing began as a way of helping individuals suffering from alcohol addiction. Miller noted how different methods were helpfu...
He spoke of a time he would get mad at other for no reason and he spoke to his sponsor about it and would ask was he wrong for doing as such. and the sponsor respond it's because those people reminded him of his self. The overall challenges of arranging this meeting was more difficult compared to first time I attended a group. Reason why was due too many groups within the Polk county region are closed to visitors sit in’s. Another challenge that came upon was during the observation to actually witness again on how a substance can control someone life completely and ruin everything in their lives and it was heart breaking to witness. As before during the first group I attended with a family friend the emotions and stories were beyond thought of but to witness it again it actually affected me more than before. Overall attending this group was another eye opener for me again. As observing them I witness something bigger then all of us and that was the beauty of life. Being able to lose it all over a addiction but regain your life again for a second chance that's special to witness's their fight for
The staff are volunteers and do not necessarily need any educational background to join the team. The program is a community effort, helping each other fight off their substance abuse. Using unconventional methods has both advantages and disadvantages. One advantage of being a volunteer-ran agency is the personal connections attendees can form with the staff. Pat, a volunteer we spoke with, connects with other alcoholics seeking sobriety on a personal level. He facilitates discussions and understands the audience much more than a trained educator would, as he has been through similar experiences. To successfully facilitate meetings, Pat uses personal stories of resilience to convey to current alcoholics that they can also overcome their addiction. Pat tells us that he has “been clean for 27 years, not 27 minutes.” He also helps by leading by example, and proving that alcoholism can be stopped. Although not stated when asked, this learning method is similar to observational learning from the Social Cognitive Theory. Members observe and listen to Pat’s testimony weekly and see that he has successfully abandoned his old lifestyle. Ultimately, they will believe that they also can stop drinking and change their risky behaviors. Disadvantages of not implementing a theory can result in the inability of addressing all the factors – interpersonal, community, environmental – that influence an alcoholic’s behavior. For instance, an individual may be struggling with alcohol because there are many liquor stores in his or her neighborhood. The person’s need of an intervention addressing this factor will remain unmet as the AA program focuses solely on the individual and is not able to address other factors that play a role in an alcoholic’s life. Another disadvantage of the program is that progress can only be measured until the very end, when the person completely surrenders