Hi me,
I fully concur with all of the above. L'm often appalled at what I hear others have experienced in a place that has been nothing but welcoming and life-saving for me.
This might sound contradictory to some of the above but what worked for me initially was something somewhat different. At first I went to meetings where no one would know me. I would slip in, listen intently, and then slip out.
I didn't want attention, didn't want conversation, didn't want religion - I just wanted the madness to stop. I'm introverted by nature and was scared to talk with anyone. I brought magazines or books to read during breaks, kept to myself, but really listened.
Eventually - slowly - my walls came down, but I had to ease into it. I went to all sorts of meetings and continue to do so today. I'm so glad I stuck it out.
Thanks for the great thread.
Mike