Similarity's not the differences, let not your gaze be distracted 

If it's an Open meeting, try "Hi, my name is Allie, and I'm glad to be here." Open meetings are open to non-alcoholics.

If it is a Closed meeting, then it is for alcoholics only, and you probably ought not be in there. You might just wait in the car for your peer to finish her meeting.

Some Closed AA meetings are fine with an addict (who does not view him or her self as alcoholic) sitting in on the meeting, but first he or she asks for a Group Conscience to see if anyone objects. 

The schedule book, or a call to the Intergroup Office will tell you if the meetings are Closed or Open.



-- Edited by LeeU on Tuesday 19th of May 2009 03:58:51 PM

Each time i begin to think differently, I try and remember two things;

1. "Thinking as alcohol as different from other drugs has caused a great many addicts to relapse". (and)
"Alcohol is a drug and I am an addict with the dis-ease of addiction who must abstain from all drugs in order to recover " (Basic Text).
My own story, both in addiction and in recovery bear witness to the truth in those statements !!

2. Where I come from, there was no NA when I first decided to carry on with staying clean after 4 and a half months in a treatment centre. Id read the NA Basic Text when in treatment and wanted all of it. But i was disappointed NA meetings diddnt exist in my city.
There was AA however, and no matter that they labelled me lunatic, eviladdict, etc. I am still greatful they were there.

When asked to share I said ,'My name is Raman and I am an addict".

In retrospect, that was like a rehersal for what I needed to do when NA got going in my town. I experienced a feeling of freedom from active addiction in AA classrooms and for five years, each day, I was in a meeting.
I did service from the group to the higest level, took sponsees, had a sponsor , attended Conventions, gatherings and Conferences and stayed close to those AA's. That was my way of showing gratitude for what was given to me freely.Yes id been a bozo in my addiction and yes I was possibly going to get drunk or lose manageality in my life if i did not stay close to other recovering people.
Then Na megan to grow, there were addicts in AA. who like me felt that many add addicts who never had drunk alcoholwere missing recovery because they couldnt identify with the alky in AA.
"Their identifiction was at the level of symptoms rather than at the level of feelings, where empathy becomes a healing force for all addicted people" (Basic Text).

Im sharing that as an oblique Ally and is not intended to ask you do the same,,,no,,, each one of us is autonomous, thats the beauty of the 12 Step Tradition Worldwide !!!