You are neither too young nor too old to attend an AA meeting. If you feel that you have a drinking problem and want to attain sobriety, you are just the right age to attend and get started on the path to freedom from the bottle.
AA or Alcoholics Anonymous is a gathering of like-minded people – all of whom want salvation from the temptation to drink. Even if you are unsure of having a problem with drinking in the first place, you should still give AA meetings a try and see how you feel there.
Finding Local AA Meetings
It is not difficult at all to find meetings close to you. AA is worldwide. Every single state in the US, and most places across the globe in almost every country, holds these meetings on a weekly basis to help members move a step ahead towards gaining a grip on their life by avoiding liquor.
There are apps, directories and locators that you can use to find the meetings closest to you. These are listed by place, days of the week, and timings. Even if you do not find one near your residence, you can check out a few in nearby towns and attend those.
Meeting formats
AA started almost eight decades back. It is obvious the basic format of the initial meetings would evolve over time and make way for variety to be able to cater to different people.
Steps meetings are all about discussing the 12 steps or principles of AA.
Meditation meetings involve guided meditation while spiritual meetings are centred on the spiritual side of de-addiction.
Single-gender meetings are for those who prefer their own gender to disclose their life struggles to.
There are also gay and lesbian meetings for those who feel more comfortable with people of their own sexual orientation.
Then there are open and closed meetings. While the sole aim of these is to help the members to share their experiences, hopes and strengths to build an atmosphere of alcohol recovery, there are a few differences between these two formats.
Closed meetings
These meetings are ONLY for AA members that are alcoholics or have a fervent desire to stop drinking. The topics of discussion are the matters related to recovery from addiction.
Open meetings
These meetings welcome everyone, from alcoholics to non-alcoholics. These may also be attended by those who wish to know about AA’s alcohol recovery program. At times, these are attended by the family and friends of the alcoholic member too, so that they can create a supportive environment at the home front too, for the person to heal holistically.
Whatever the type of meeting, every single one will encourage you to use a Sobriety calculator so that you can track your journey from the last drink onwards down to the last second. Every single milestone in this journey is applauded and celebrated by everyone.
If you want more information on AA and the 12 steps recovery program, .
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