What to Expect at AA and NA Meetings: A Guide for Newcomers

Meetings typically last 60 to can alcohol affect the gallbladder 90 minutes, although some may be shorter or longer. You can often check the meetings posted schedule to learn more. Individuals living in North America can find a local A.A. Meeting via the Alcoholics Anonymous website. Alternatively, it also allows site visitors to select a specific state or region, providing all meeting locations in that area.

I have been to meetings with as few as five people and as many as sixty. Not everyone is going to talk, but some will. Join our supportive sober community where each day becomes a step towards personal growth and lasting positive change. As the meeting progresses, you’ll naturally get a better idea of the types of people attending it—and whether or not they’re a group you want to share your recovery with. You might even decide—when determining what the right AA meeting for you is—that you’d prefer one of these formats to in-person meetings.

1. Both AA and NA meetings often center around the 12 steps, which are a series of principles guiding individuals in their recovery journey.
2. We also discuss who can join Alcoholics Anonymous and what research has found about the effectiveness of attending these meetings when overcoming alcohol misuse or abuse.
3. Members who determine the format of their meetings.
4. In other meetings, at the end of the prayer, everyone may say a popular AA slogan, such as, “meeting makers make it.”
5. An AA meeting refers to an Alcoholics Anonymous support group meeting.

Other Formats

They say we are a composite of the people we spend the most time with and this goes double for recovery. Still, finding a meeting is only the first step toward finding the right meeting for you. Once everyone who wants to share is finished, the meeting wraps up with another group prayer. All in all, an AA meeting takes around an hour. The get-togethers can be fantastic outlets for those working on recovery, with groups of others in similar situations offering support through comradery, advice, or even just active listening.

It’s also important to note that whether A.A. Works depends, in part, on finding a meeting that’s a good fit. For example, an intercity group of cymbalta alcohol A.A.

Principles of Alcoholics Anonymous

Your primary care physician or mental health professional can help you find a local 12-step meeting. You can also search for a meeting in your area the old-school way by looking up AA in the white pages of your local telephone book and calling the number for information on meetings in your area. Often, the next step is to read a passage from the Big Book and reinforcement about the importance of member privacy and anonymity.

Virtual meetings can actually be quite useful for those with tight schedules, transportation issues, or physical disabilities. Still, many experts advise that in-person meetings should at least be tried when a person first begins the 12 Step program. The chairperson then opens up the steve harwell liver disease meeting. It might be a Step Study meeting, where the focus and discussion revolve around one of the 12 Steps. More likely, it will be an open meeting, where members can talk about anything recovery-related that’s on their mind. Meeting Guide syncs with area, district, intergroup/central offices and international general service office websites, relaying meeting information from more than 400 A.A.

Speak With Someone Who Understands

Eventually, everyone takes a seat on one of the chairs arranged in a semi-circle. The meeting starts when the group leader—called the chairperson—goes through a number of readings, including the AA Preamble and the Serenity Prayer. Other members of the group will then recite other passages from the AA Big Book, including the 12 Traditions and the 12 Promises.

The opportunity to share and talk in response to the speaker is vital as part of the recovery process. Well, that depends on what you consider the meeting to be. There is normally a period before and after each meeting where people chat and perhaps have coffee, but from the time of the facilitator’s welcome to the end is typically about an hour. It can be frustrating to wait for a meeting to start if you are on a tight schedule but remember that it will normally start at the designated time. Try not to be dismayed–every meeting attended is still a step in the right direction, whether or not you feel particularly connected to the group. Still, to make your search as successful as possible, there are a few things to keep in mind that might make a meeting experience better (or worse) for you.

Both AA and NA emphasize anonymity and confidentiality—what’s said in meetings stays in meetings. Members share their personal journeys, including their struggles with addiction, what led them to seek help, and how they’ve maintained their sobriety. These stories are a cornerstone of both programs, providing inspiration and hope.

Outcomes were also improved for individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health issues. Meetings are opened by the chair, with some meetings then calling for recitation of the Serenity Prayer or a moment of silence. New attendees are then encouraged to introduce themselves, though they don’t have to if they aren’t comfortable doing so. The facilitator will monitor the time and the only real thing that leads to meeting times being less than or more than an hour is the number of people who speak after the share.