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. I attended Al-Anon meetings on Sundays at St. Matthew Episcopal Church. The meetings began at 11:45am, and were held until 1:00pm, which was contingent on the progress of each small group. I was in attendance beginning January 19th, with attendance on January 26th, and February 2nd. The groups first met in one room together, and then broke into smaller groups to process. The initial meeting room is a nursery room in the church. It had a lot of natural lighting from the windows, and was decorated in children’s religious artwork. The room was far too small for all of the attendees. There was an average of thirty-five attendees at each meeting. Many times people who came late had to stand outside the doorway and listen in, because the room was literally overflowing with people. There were never enough chairs, which forced some individuals to stand, until the large group, broke into small groups. The group itself was entirely made up of middle age, Caucasians. There was an average of about thirty-five attendees each week. The average age of the gr... ... middle of paper ... ...http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/6/5/348.full Gifford, S. (2011). Differences Between Outpatient and Inpatient Treatment Programs. Psych Central. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/differences-between-outpatient-and-inpatient-treatment-programs/0007531 Galanter, M., M.D. (2008). Spirituality, Evidence-Based Medicine, and Alcoholics Anonymous. PsychiatryOnline. Retrieved from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=100364 Peele, S., PhD. (2004, August). Is AA's loss psychology's gain? American Psychological Association. Vol. 35 NO. 7 pp. 86 Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug04/jn.aspx McGovern, M. P., PhD, & Carroll, K. M., PhD. (2003). Evidence- base Practices for Substance Use Disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. Retrieved from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~dcare/pdfs/fp/McGovernMark-Evidence-BasedPractices.pdf
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.
Alcoholism has been a fixture in our society since the first introduction of alcohol. Despite it being an equal opportunity disease, a large majority of not only the treatment, but also the research, has been about men. This lack of consideration of the different needs for men and women has led to many women going through recovery systems that do not address their experiences, and therefore do not allow them to take full advantage of that recovery system. This paper will attempt to look at the different experiences that men and women have in their journey through a substance addiction (particularly alcohol), from addiction through recovery. The main recovery method that will be discussed here is Alcoholics Anonymous. As an observation addition to this assignment, I sat in on an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Kerrville, TX. The meeting was on Thanksgiving Day at noon. I took detailed notes of the meeting, while keeping a watchful eye for any gendered interactions during the flow of the meeting.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been around for more than 75 years. The biggest controversy about AA is if it is effective or not. Some people find AA to be an effective aid to sobriety; others find AA to be damaging and can lead to increased drinking. AA meetings are groups of people with the desire to quit drinking that help one another achieve and maintain sobriety. These meetings may include readings from the Big Book, sharing stories, discussing the traditions and 12 steps, and celebrating members’ sobriety. Because AA is anonymous, many people feel that participating in a study would be a breach
I attended the Alcohol Anonymous (AA) twelve step meeting on Friday December fourth at 8:00 p.m. at the community center at Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. The people were middle aged men and women of different ethnic backgrounds. The meeting started in an arranged fashion. I sat in the back and was addressed by an elderly man who wanted to know who I was to and I replied that I was a student writing a paper for school. He was fine with my answer and departed. The meeting started with people presenting themselves. First, there was an open conversation that started was with the storytelling of one member’s endeavors with alcoholism. After this heartwarming account, other people in the group provided how the
The story common to alcoholics is one also shared by wives, family members, employers, and so forth. Thus Alcoholics Anonymous is not just a book for alcoholics but also for those who come into contact with them. The audience of
A major question that has been asked ever since the creation of AA, people have questioned Bill Wilson’s theory on Alcoholism; whether it’s a disease or a spiritual problem. In addition to the question of the origins of alcoholism another question is if the “Big Book” and 12 step program about alcohol or about finding God. This paper is about Alcoholics Anonymous and how the organization treats alcoholism as a disease that it impossible to cure unless the individual finds God. I believe that AA operates in a fashion similar to that of a cult because of what the book teaches and the message that AA members are instructed to carry out.
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...
Because I have grown disenchanted with the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and have been searching for a program in which I can participate without compromising my personal philosophies of recovery, I plan to seek out more meetings of Buddhist recovery. I appreciate the meditation portion of the meeting as it is more and more difficult to find time to experience the quiet in life and focus on one’s thoughts and behaviors. I also value the principles of non-harming, compassion and interdependence. I genuinely enjoyed attended Buddhist Recovery and would recommend it to anyone seeking an alternative process of recovery.
Not only does religion play an important role in the Alcoholic Anonymous program but so does service and unity among the members. I believe this unity enables the members to feel free to share their experiences with each other. I believe that the environment created due to group unity can be compared to the therapeutic environme...
Connecting is part of this wonderful Fellowship of men and women who share experiences, strengths and hope of a better, sober life. The philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous is that alcoholism is a disease and no one is “cured” even if they stop drinking. The members of this informal group focus on staying sober “one day at a time”. And, anyone who desires to stop drinking is welcomed into the
The AA meeting I attended took place at a church. The church that holds the meeting has a beginner AA meeting that meets Monday nights at 7 pm. However, I decided to go to the regularly meeting which takes place an hour later at 8 pm. I felt as though I would get more out of the regular meetings and get a sense of what regular AA members talk about. Before arriving at the meeting, I was a little anxious because I felt like as though I would be out of place, and I would be intruding on the members who come to the meetings for support. Also before attending, for some unknown reason, I imagined the meeting would to be similar to AA meeting featured in movies. Contrary to what I thought, the meeting was completely different. When I arrived at
Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy (NCBI.gov). (2005). A Treatment Improvment Protocol, 39(04-4006). Retrieved January 13, 2016, from
Alcoholics Anonymous is a nonprofit support group and the model it is based on has been transferred over to many other types of recovery programs. This model is known as the twelve-step program and was first published in 1939 (cite). The twelve-step program has gained mainstream acceptance as a viable option for substance abuse treatment. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings can be attended at no cost and the program states that its membership is open to anyone who has a desire to change (cite). The twelve-step program views addiction as a disease that an afflicted person is powerless against (cite). According to the twelve-step model once a person becomes an addict they must remain in recovery their entire lives (cite). The twelve-step program takes a faith-based approach that requires a belief in a higher power to recover from addiction (cite). This program has helped thousands of people recover from addiction by following its steps. Critics of the twelve-step program would argue that there...
Edited by Raymond J. Corsini. Encyclopedia of Psychology, Second Edition, Volume 1. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.