...Many view addiction as a choice but with research it is a chronic disease. The purpose of an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting is to show alcoholics/ addicts that there is a life after recovery and through addiction. The meeting also helps the individuals stay on the road to recovery with support from others with the same disease. Alcoholic Anonymous meetings offer guidance and support to people that are on the road to recovery, made a mistake and relapsed, and people who have been in recovery for many years. When addicted to any substance a person's recovery process is a lifetime journey. The journey will never end because every day they are dealing with the struggle of co-dependency on a substance. The role of AA in an alcoholic/addict's recovery...
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...In my version of a beautiful prison, prisons would be modeled after rehabilitation centers, where the main focus would be getting the inmates prepared for life back in society. There are multiple styles of rehab centers that could be used. One of the most well known models is the Alcoholics Anonymous model. This is a 12 step model that is used to battle nearly every type of addiction. The idea is that once the person is able to accomplish all twelve steps, they will be recovered and ready to enter back into society. Although it is hard to estimate the success rate because of the anonymous nature of the program, AA did a study in 2014 that found 14% of the 6,000 people surveyed had stayed sober for over 20 years (americanaddictioncenters.org). There are other options, however, such as the Minnesota Model, also known as the abstinence model. This is a similar approach as the AA model, however it is more focused on the individual. It focuses on the steps that are more of a concern to the person. For example, if the addict is having a larger impact on their family, the program will address the family aspect of treatment more than some of the other steps. There is a third popular...
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...November 2011 What Can AA Do for Problem Drinkers? Does Alcoholics Anonymous work? Many people have family members and/or loved ones that have a drinking problem. So what should they do to get help? There are many different abstinence programs; Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as AA, is one of the programs. An analysis of the AA program reveals that the program can be very effective, but only if the alcoholic wants help and gets the help they need. AA celebrated their 76th anniversary this year. They counted two million members participating in 115,000 groups worldwide, half of them in the U.S. AA started its first meeting in Akron, Ohio, in 1935. Bill Wilson, a businessman, and Bob Smith, a physician, started the association. They were both alcoholics. Bill Wilson achieved sobriety mainly through his association with a Christian movement. Smith was inspired by Wilson, and also stopped drinking (Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work 1). They were determined to help other alcoholics, so the men published “The Big Book”. “The Big Book” explained their philosophy, methods, and principles. One method that became very famous, and still is famous, is the 12-step method. The 12 steps are what a recovering person must go through initially and repeat in order for the process to work. For newcomers, the steps are often grouped into three major categories: trust God, clean house, and help others (Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work 1). The 12-steps is about one getting honest with oneself...
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...Lily Turner Professor Carlson 4/19/15 Discourse Analysis Daily Devotion There are many people that judge the effectiveness of alcoholics Anonymous. The research on this matter is controversial and subject to a wide variety of interpretation. Within A.A., there are several aids available to alcoholics, both social and textual. However, the sociocultural dynamic in the group holds a higher significance than the suggested A.A. readings. One of the most celebrated textual materials offered to alcoholics would be the “Big Book”, consisting of Alcoholic’s stories and their solutions. Another text that holds great value is the “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions” this describes a twelve-step program and how it should be implemented in every day life of an Alcoholic. These texts have been in existence for almost seventy-five years and have helped many addicts across the world. However, there was a time where alcoholics did not have such resources. The first A.A. meeting was held in New York in the early 1930’s underneath the Oxford Group, which was a religious movement. The Oxford Group practiced a recipe of self-improvement through honesty, making amends, prayer and meditation. Cases of Alcoholism that were proven medically “hopeless” were referred to the Oxford Group. Possibly the most recognized case of Alcoholism and author of the “Big Book”, was a Wall Street stockbroker, Bill Wilson. His professional success was ruined by his chronic Alcoholism. Landing in hospital...
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...I attended an alcoholics anonymous meeting in Whitefish Bay, WI with my classmate. We previously tried to attend a meeting in September, but were unfortunately turned away due to it being a closed meeting. The leader of the meeting was kind enough to let us know when the next open meeting would be, which was October 8th. I nervously returned to the church that night and didn’t know what to expect once we arrived, which caused some anxiety for me. We entered a cozy room and were greeted right away and took an open seat. When the meeting began, there were six other participants and the facilitator as well as Liz and I. The meeting started out by going around the circle stating our names and our birthday or how old we were and a fun fact about ourselves. When it came to my turn to give my name, I stated my name and age and stated that I was a pharmacy student. A couple of people were surprised when they heard what I actually did for a living. The meeting began by reading the preamble and the twelve steps to recovery of an alcoholic. This was very interesting to me as I was not aware of the focus they put on God, although he is referred to as simply a “higher power” by many of the participants. The topic of today’s AA meeting was gratitude. A few of the attendees chose to speak about their experiences and why they were grateful. One particular member’s brief story had an especially meaningful impact on me. Her name was ND. I decided that I wanted to talk to her one-on-one...
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...FR Alcoholic Anonymous Group Paper PC6505 Alcoholic Anonymous Group The purpose of this paper is to describe the nature and purpose of an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group and its members. The paper will discuss the AA group’s philosophical orientation to human development. While using the writer’s knowledge of therapeutic factors, the paper will analyze the group process and its stage of development. The paper will also discuss the approach of the leader, often called ‘trusted servants” or “secretary”. Finally, the paper will discuss the use of the reconstructive inventory steps of 4-10 and how the writer would work with a client who was seeing her in individual or family counseling. Alcoholics Anonymous has a well-defined recovery program that AA members have been following since the founding of the group (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). In 1939, the group published its basic textbook, Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). The Big Book explained AA’s philosophy and methods, the core of which is the now well-known Twelve Steps of recovery (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). The Twelve Steps are the core of the recovery program, which are based on the trial-and-error experience of early members of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). The Twelve Steps are not simply a set of tasks to be carried out (personal communication, September 30, 2014). They are a guide for living and being in the world, and, for many individuals, they become a way of...
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...Twelve Step Program Unk Author1 1 Kaplan University Abstract This paper is about the twelve step program and the lasting affect it has on individuals who suffer from addiction. The twelve step program is a treatment program that holds people accountable for their actions to overcome their addiction and head down the road to recovery. This paper also explains an organization that I want to observe who implement the twelve step program among other things like a phase based treatment program. A phase based treatment program, is a structured program set up for individuals who recently were released from prison or jail. The program is intense and structured leaving the offenders accountable for their own actions, progress, and success. Once the offender has completed all their phases successfully they are up for graduation, where participation in their alumni is encouraged. Twelve Step Program Twelve step programs or self-help groups are designed to help in the treatment and recovery of addiction and are highly effective with a lasting success rate. The main focus of self-help groups are to bring people together who suffer from addiction and provide an emotional support system along with valuable information. Self-help groups are great for individuals to be able to relate to something or someone, because they may not get that opportunity out in their personal life. They get pressured into using, pressured into stopping, given ultimatums, etc. and all they really...
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...prayer, self-discipline gained through meditation, and the active assistance and intervention of fellow AA members, they ultimately achieve a state of peace in the absence of alcohol consumption. (Harvard) Some personal characteristics that I expected to experience were angry, annoyed, cold-hearted, dark, embarrassed, harsh, and impatient group members, but instead, all I met was members who were nice, self-aware, sweet, affectionate, loving, and goal-focused. Overall the group interaction was wonderful. Everyone interacted except one person that seems to be sleeping. Everyone was engaging with each other and willing to participate. They expressed their opinions when they disagreed and agreed about something. There are 12 steps of alcoholic anonymous and the first step is “admitting we are powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable” (). When you come to that first step you are in your first stage of recovery. If you are battling an alcohol addiction then takes the first step before it’s too late. If you have family and friends that care about you, then think about how they will feel if something bad happens to you. As you see the AA 12 step program is a wonderful program to be a part of. This program support recovery and will get you on the right step to healing. ...
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...Alcoholics Anonymous or A. A. is "an internal fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is a non-professional, self-supporting, multiracial, a political and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem" (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2018, Online). Founded in 1935 by Bill Watson and Dr. Bob Smith, AA functions to help those with self-identified drinking problems. It defines its primary purpose as "to carry its message of recovery to the alcoholic seeking help" (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2018, Online). A.A. seeks to fulfill this promise by providing free meetings that allow alcoholics to seek help with their drinking problem...
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...My first experience at an alcoholics anonymous meeting was very interesting and in a way uplifting. At All Saints Lutheran Church the home group called “The Young People’s Group” there were people who had come from all walks of life. The group meeting that I thought would have been rather small slowly became larger and larger over the course of the night. I was unaware that the AA meetings had been setup with a set of codes or rules for those who struggle every day to fight this addiction. They allowed people who were new or if it was their first meeting to introduce themselves and tell their story to the fight of addiction related to alcohol. I was really impressed with the fact that the AA groups have an awards system for reaching sobriety for a certain period of time whether it was 1 month or 15 years. After the awards were given out for those who had reached a certain amount of sobriety the chapter meeting moved on to the struggles that those people in attendance were having throughout the week or weeks. A gentlemen by the name of Dave opened up the meeting with a story of him in another AA meeting. He was very upset with the reaction of a man who had been driving home on the way from work. While this particular man was driving home he described the flashing of a draft beer sign. All the gentleman could think of was the fact that his lips have been not wetted from a drop of alcohol since the previous day and he was struggling with that. Dave insisted to tell us that this angered...
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...Biography of Bill Wilson Co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous Alcohol has been abused and been problematic in the history of the world. Before Alcoholics Anonymous it was believed that alcoholism and addiction was a mental illness and failure of willpower (Cheever 253). There was never any real hope for alcoholics till Bill Wilson discovered that one alcoholic simply talking to another alcoholic could help them both stay sober. This soon became a self help program that now has over a hundred thousand groups and over two million members worldwide. Bill Wilson’s program became what we know today as Alcoholics Anonymous or simply A.A.. Bill Wilson wrote the book, Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered From Alcoholism, and co-founded the 12 step program with Dr. Bob Smith. In 1999 Time Magazine listed him as “Bill W.: The Healer” in the Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century (Time Magazine 153). Bill Griffith Wilson was born November 26th, 1895 in East Dorset Vermont, to Gilman and Emily Wilson. He was born the night before Thanksgiving behind the bar at his parents home and business Mount Aeolus Inn and Tavern. He had a sister, Dorothy Wilson who was four years younger than him. In the spring of 1906 his mother took both children on a picnic to Emerald Lake in Vermont to tell them that their father was not coming home from a business trip and that they were going to get divorced. After the divorce Emily Wilson left her...
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...regular meeting of the ____________________________ Group of Alcoholics Anonymous. My name is _____________. I am an alcoholic and your Secretary. 2. This is an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. We are glad you are all here - especially newcomers. In keeping with our singleness of purpose and our Third Tradition which states that "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking," we ask that all who participate confine their discussion to their problems with alcohol. 3. Let us open the meeting with a moment of silence to do with as you wish, followed by the Serenity Prayer. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. 4. Definition of Alcoholics Anonymous: Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. We are self supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any cause. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. 5. Is there anyone present who...
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...After attending the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, it exceeded many of my expectations; however it disproved others and left me slightly astonished. In my imagination, with the help of television and movies, painted a picture in my mind of what an AA meeting would be like. It portrayed a room filled with people that obviously looked like addicts; unkempt appearances, borderline offensive hygiene, and at least one person seemingly drunk while swaying back and forth in his/her chair, balancing on the line between falling forward to the ground and staying in the seat. My imagination laughed at me as I entered the room. One look around made me realize that I was wrong. The majority of the members were clean, well kept, and looked healthier than some of my school classmates. After walking through the door and soaking it all in, I found a seat near the back where I assumed the new members usually sat. Upon finding my spot, I was immediately welcomed by an older gentleman, whom was eager to invite me in and listen to my story. I explained to him that I was a student just here to observe and he was pleasantly surprised by this and continued to ask me questions about school, counseling, and my future in counseling. However soon enough, the meeting got underway. It was an open discussion that began with the storytelling of one member’s lifelong battle. This was followed by comments from the audience about how they could relate and included a glimpse of their own story which allowed me to...
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...Today is Friday September the 18th and I’m attending my third AA meeting. I have to admit I really have been looking forward to coming to these meetings. When I read the syllabus and realized I had to attend group meetings, I was concerned and fearful that this was going to be difficult for me to complete due to my work schedule and other obligations. After attending my second meeting, I was so excited and picked up the phone and called my daughter and told her how much I learned about human behavior and how life events affects people so differently. Today’s meeting was led by a female, she started the meeting in Rebo’s tradition. I knew the meeting was going to be different from my other two, because throughout the room there was books...
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...The group that I attended was a Residence Council meeting at a local nursing home. This meeting is held monthly at the nursing home. The purpose of this group is to discuss any issues or concerns that the residents have with any aspect of their interactions in the nursing home. The Residence Council meets monthly to examine any issues or concerns that may have developed or to identify activities that they really enjoyed as well as to brainstorm other activities that they would like to participate in. The composition of the group I attended was made up of the residence, the social worker, activities person, dietary person and myself. The group is led by a president who is one of the residents. The group follows parliamentary procedure as they run their meetings. The Residence Council approved through voting that myself, the dietary representative, activities representative and the social worker would be allowed to attend the meeting. This motion was quickly made and seconded, which approved our attendance to their meeting. These meetings are closed meetings, however the council does make exceptions as they did in my case and will vote on the ability of others to attend their meetings. Once the meeting has been called to order the president calls for a reading of the minutes of the previous meeting which are considered and approved by the residents if they feel that they accurately reflect the events of the past meeting. The president of the Residence Council is assisted...
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