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Old 02-14-2011, 06:38 AM
  # 30 (permalink)  
meditation
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In either an open or closed meeting it is for alcoholics to share only, and I believe they read the rules, traditions before each meeting. I go to a variety of meetings and I've never yet had a family member share. In the time allotted to the meetings I've been to it's barely enough time to allow alcoholics that want to share to share, these are meetings with at least 60 people.
I don't think you were singled out personally, I think the person was trying to inform you to not share. I go to both AA and NA meetings and the AA crowd gets upset when anyone shares about anything that is an issue besides alcoholism, so alcoholics are not supposed to share in these meetings about drugs, medications that sort of thing.
I think it is something that I try to respect when I go to AA, I substitute alcohol for my real issues which were pills. I don't ever talk about pills or drugs. NA is a bit more openminded because they believe alcohol is a drug and so a person can talk about both substances but never is family allowed to speak at either of these meetings. I think Alanon or Naranon is the best place if you want to share, these guys are polite usually if a person accidently shares but if it goes on they WILL talk with you which they have done maybe in not so tactful a manner but this is how it works. If an alcoholic were to try to share at an Alanon meeting about only alcohol instead of codependence recovery I think the outcome would be the same, they would be talked with privately after or before the meeting. I've been told to not even share about stuff like BP ( bipolar) even when the entire room was discussing it. I was also told early on that I needed to listen to the shares to get a feel for things when I was in early recovery.

Don't take this personal, the woman was probably voted by several members to speak with you and they would speak with anyone that chose to share that wasn't an alcoholic. Don't worry about it, just find the "right" spot for your recovery which is the focus, his recovery is his and yours is yours.
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