Ten people attended the open Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) meeting held in Miami FL, United States. Eight of the total attendants were men while three were women. Additionally, two of them were newcomers, who had participated in the meeting for less than three months. After explaining to the chair that I was a nursing student, he allowed me to stay, and I learned a lot about alcoholism. They were discussing resentment and hope, and everyone contributed by telling a story or offering some advice. The members were confident because their privacy was guaranteed by all the members of the group. Most of them had a troubled past, where their drinking behaviors negatively affected their personal lives. For instance, one recounted how he had lost his family because of his addiction to alcohol, which made him beat his wife after losing control. However, the others offered him hope by explaining that they had similar experiences, but their family accepted them after quitting the behavior. Alcoholic Anonymous meetings offer hope and are essential in helping people who want to refrain from their drinking habits and lead a normal life.
The meetings help members stay strong and committed to their recovery. Additionally, the newcomers, who are at risk of relapsing due to the anxiety of the recovery process, get help from those who have managed to abstain. When measuring the quality and effectiveness of the seminars, factors such as recovery rate and period are used to determine whether members should continue attending or not (Karriker-Jaffe, Klinger, Witbrodt, & Kaskutas, 2017). The program’s main aim is to help members recover by applying a holistic program, which they must follow throughout the period.
From my observation, the discussion complied with all the 12 steps that successful meetings adopt. The members were honest and admitted that they were powerless over alcohol before they joined the program. They insisted that they had spiritual faith that they would fully recover one day. The Chairperson advised the newcomers that it was essential to surrender their old behaviors and focus on beginning a new life. Additionally, those who had been attending the meeting for more than three months advised others that they should adopt humility, integrity, maintenance, acceptance, forgiveness, willingness, making contact, and service strategies if they needed to recover within a short time. A group that helps people improve within a short period is considered successful. Therefore, it is evident that community resource is crucial in assisting alcohol addicts in our community.
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After listening to their testimonies, one can conclude that the seminar was useful because the program had a positive impact on members. Many of them were determined to change and help others in society, who had lost hope in life because of their addiction. The members confirmed that there exists a strong relationship between meeting attendance and alcohol abstinence. Additionally, they agreed that they felt relieved when they came together and shared their experiences. However, they stressed that combining the program with counseling and medication helped shorten the recovery period. The chairperson, who was also the sponsor, said that the program had helped many people, and the chances of relapsing are minimal. Those who do not change after the required period are usually affected by external factors such as family and career. During the discussion, I noticed that everyone was sober and willing to change. Therefore, the meeting was useful because it helped them want to quit drinking alcohol.
