Hi Bella,
about twelve years or so ago, I went to a weekly group run by an alcohol consultant at a university hospital. I was very young, but already steaming down the path to alcoholism, and coming out of a massive depressive period - the therapist had sensed that there was a lake of booze at the bottom of it all and sent me to the consultant. I was as green as the grass too, didn't know much about anything, and least of all about myself.
Once a week we would gather together in a room and just shoot the breeze about how our weeks had been. Big mix of people, ages, races, DOCs. I was still drinking (not too bad then - one-two day benders just) and I lied about it. There was very little alcohol-related content, and, looking back, I wonder if it really mostly served as a checking-in function.
The consultant I remember as very impressive, though - tough-minded and no-******** compassionate. He sent me to AA to check out a couple of meetings. I was still drinking and lied about it there too.
Which tells you something about me but not so much about non-AA groups. Good luck finding a group that suits you, though,
NL.