The problem is many alcoholics are also drug addicts. So the other evening at a meeting many alcoholics were sharing on cravings and whatnot that were introduced from a various and sundry source: dr prescribed meds for ADD, Red Bull energy drinks, and etc types of shares for example.
An alcoholic who is working a program of recovery knows what to do about being tempted, and if they worked the 12 steps as outlined in the Big Book they will find that at some point that will be automatic, that isn't propoganda, Ego feeding rhetoric, that is the truth.
Sitting in a meeting sharing that I am craving ( Oh, I am a recovered addict as well) does what?????
It never solved a problem for me, that is just my experience. Never has that done anything for me.
I dunno but it seemed like one he was angry and made a statement, that made all the previous shares about drugs and etoh cravings seem like a bad thing and possibly made those folks feel unwelcome. I think maybe he cross talked to them.
That very well may be the case. Oldtimers can be spiritually sick too.
I get so confused about how to really help someone because it seems the rules are so prohibitive.
I am not a big fan of meetings with rules either and I wasn't there at your group that day. If the person who shared about craving was new, then the meeting should have flowed to how the steps can remove that(my opinion), if the person had some time and was using the rooms to "vent" then I would have done what the old timer did and told them to lock it up.
The minute we do crosstalk we are allowing our ego's to run rampant
Disagree 100000000000000%!
In the right place and time, cross talk is absolutely the most loving thing that can be done, some stuff can't wait until the meeting is over and the biggest ego deflating thing we can do is set aside the meeting
Etiquette and address the issue at hand.
Let's just say that crosstalk as it applies to giving advice or sharing about or to another member; can this ever be helpful in an A.A. meeting? Does it annoy other members and/or kill the spirit of recovery? Or does it just depend on what the group conscience is and the situation?
Those are good group inventory questions Patrick