Going to Your First 12-Step Meeting

当你参加12步或者时，你能期待什么匿名戒酒互助社会议？如果你从未参加过一个，你可能有恐惧和保留。通常，您唯一的曝光是通过电影或电视节目中所示的所看到的。现实是什么？

常见的神话

您可能思考的这些事情发生在12步会议上，但可以通过神话而不是典型的出现。

• You will be surrounded by "helpful" alcoholics.
• You have to stand up and say, "I am an alcoholic."
• 你必须告诉所有围绕我对酒精成瘾的秘密。
• 你必须参加团体拥抱。
• You have to pray.
• 你正在加入邪教。
• You might see people you recognize.

第一次会议

What is the reality for most meetings? The meeting might be held in a building connected with a church or a community center. You arrive to find most of the people you see are there for the酗酒者匿名meeting. Outside of the room are a few folks making coffee and talking.

Inside the room, there are people sitting here and there; some talking together, some sitting alone. You take a seat by the door (just in case you want to make a quick exit) and as people passed by, some say hello, some nod, some stop and introduce themselves, and some keep to themselves.

After about 10 minutes, there are 50 people who are seated in a semi-circle of chairs. One person sits in the middle of the circle. She is the meeting chairperson for that particular day.

How It Works

The meeting begins with the chairperson reading the AA Preamble, then leading a group prayer, the宁静祈祷(short version), which about 80% of the people recite. Afterward, different members of the meeting read brief AA literature, "How It Works," the "Twelve Traditions" and "The Promises."

主席询问是否有任何新人或第一分钟，参加愿意由他们的名字介绍自己的会议。一些举手。您可能也可能不是其中之一，因为这是一个选择而不是强制性的。

Step Study Meeting

The meeting might be aStep Meeting。主席宣布他们将讨论哪一步。步骤章节从书中读取后，Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions主席询问是否有人有任何经验，实力或希望与他们希望分享的一步。

分享

在会议期间，人们只是开始说话。每个人都会通过介绍自己，“你好，我的名字是（名字），我是酗酒者。”就像电影一样，每个人都回应，“你好（名字）！”在他们完成他们的房间里的“故事”之后，感谢他们。然后下一个人可以说话。

After everyone completes sharing, the chairperson asks if there are any AA-related announcements. In some cases, she announces that it is time for the Lord's Prayer, and everyone stands in a large circle, holding hands, and recites the prayer. You do not have to participate in the prayer. Once the prayer is over, the meeting ends.

After the Meeting

人们聚集，谈论，现在有一个社交空气。有些人可能会向你介绍，并可能提出问题。如果您不想社交，您可以自由离开。

Other Formats

不同的会议有不同的做事方式，但在大多数情况下，它们以类似的方式运行。也就是说，有各种各样的人口各种会议，无论是商业管理人员，女性，年轻的成年人，飞行员还是医疗专业人士，每个人都会有自己的感觉。

In some meetings, people are randomly called on, the thinking is, that it prevents the same people from constantly sharing, overriding the more shy, quieter people. In other meetings, at the end of the prayer, everyone may say a popular AA slogan, such as, "meeting makers make it."

一些会议是纯粹的讨论会议，主题是随机的，更符合其中一个成员可能拥有的兴趣。演讲者的会议将有一个人选择谈论他们的经历，力量和希望在他们的康复方面。

One member, Barb M., relates that the thing she was most relieved about was the non-imposing feel that she got when she first began attending meetings.

“没有人用他或她的宗教口号轰炸我，没有人纠缠在一起握手并祈祷，如果我坐在后面或坐在前面，喝咖啡或没有喝咖啡，有助于清理或在会议结束前跑掉了。“你可能确实遇到了你认识的人或承认你的人。

唯一的规则是常见方面的规则，可能包括：

• 尽量准时。
• 禁止抽烟。
• 股票期间没有跨谈话
• 有法院凭证签署at the end of a meeting

The Helping Hand of AA

If you aren't sure if you are an alcoholic, findan "open" meetingto attend in your area. Many non-alcoholics may attend these and no one assumes because you are there that you are alcoholic.

Barb M.说她等待了很多会议，然后决定将自己作为酗酒者介绍并接受她的第一筹码。

把他们的号码放在这本书中的人这样做是因为他们真的想帮助。任何人都不需要这样做，但它与AA的传统保持在酗酒呼吁帮助时，AA的帮助手将在那里。

如何找到会议

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.

中央办公室，互动或在全球范围内的服务号码可供选择AA世界服务网站。In larger cities, "where and when" booklets that list AA meetings throughout the week often exist.

During the COVID-19 crisis, AA is also offering virtual meetings, phone calls, and emails.