Alcoholic Anonymous Experience

Assignment: Self-help Group Meeting (AA Reflective Essay)

Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the people involved.

Alcoholics

“The sad fact is only a small portion of them come off alcohol, but we do what we can”. Those were the words that I remember well from one of the GPs that I was attached to. They will go through a long cycle of abstinence and relapse phases again and again, sometimes for years. More dauntingly, the GP estimates only around 10% of his alcoholic patients have successfully stopped drinking permanently.

Do alcoholics only have themselves to blame? Here is the general opinion - We drink a lot, but we can control it, so why can’t the “alcoholics” do the same? Moreover, being told by their doctors that their livers are failing and they would be facing many other medical issues would be enough motivation to stop drinking. These were also my perceptions on alcoholics before I learnt about AA, but I would be proven wrong.

The Meeting

When I arrived, I was greeted by Talia, the secretary for that meeting. The secretary acts as the chairperson and provides introduction to new members. I was then introduced to some of the members. They were very friendly enjoyed making sentimental jokes like, “don’t worry, we don’t bite” and “we are without alcohol, so have no fear”. The session then began with the newcomers introducing themselves and the recitation of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is here that I began to see what AA was capable of. The difference between the newcomers and the long time members was significant, even at first glance. This might be an over-generalised remark, but the newcomers all seemed to be in low mood, and I got the impression that they did not really want to be there. The longer members were the opposite, confident and high spirited.

The session then progressed with the first sharing of experience. As I understood it, this is always done by the secretary. Talia then nominated the next few people to...