Oops ewo I forgot to answer your question about aa meetings. Yes i have been to quite a few and to be honest they are all very different. Even if they are at the same venue , as soon as it's on a different day/at a different time it will be different.
I had been warned of this before I went to my first meeting and it's important to know because if you don't like the first one you go to it doesn't mean you won't ever find any other that will be helpful.
I personally tend to like meetings with a lot of women although I have never seen any reason to opt for a women only meeting. The reason I like the meetings with a lot of women is because although in my profile pic I look like a rabbit I am in fact a woman !
Of course it's all the same disease or whatever you want to call it but it's like anything else in life some people you get on better with than others.
All the meetings I've been to have names and so you should get some idea of what they're about, before you go. I went to one yesterday called Keeping it simple, I think the name speaks for itself and each person who shares is limited to 4 minutes. It was all simple down to earth stuff and I liked that. Oh and it was funny too!
Some meetings you get someone talking for (what seems to me like) hours and hours about their drinking past and I really don't find that very inspiring.
Horses for courses!