Originally Posted by
ForMyKids 
Do you recommend having the first meeting be a Beginner Meeting and sharing (which is a large source of my intimidation and hesitancy) with others?
Or go (same day same time) to a bigger discussion to listen and get the idea of things.
Really, I don't see that it matters much. When I was new, I was very concerned about impressing ppl at the tables or, at the least NOT saying something "dumb." That had me sitting in the group worrying about what I was going to say more than listening and learning. Even at the beginner's meetings, you don't have to share every time you're there. In fact, I usually recommend my sponsees listen and pass when it's their "turn" so they don't get hung up on what they're going to say and can focus on what the experienced ppl are saying.
Personally, I like open talk meetings a lot as well. Usually the speaker is qualified to be up there, they've worked the steps and generally have a good message.....usually one I need to hear. It helps me to remember, most of the really important things I've learned came from someone's mouth other than mine so, at a meeting, I need to focus on what I hear, not what I'm going to say.
As far as what you referred to as the definition.....I think you got it just a little out of whack. AA uses as a definition of the real (aka chronic) alcoholic someone with the physical craving that develops once you start to drink and the mental compulsion to pick up the first one even when you've decided not to drink. The part you mentioned from p21 I misread the first time through the book.
He is seldom mildly intoxicated. He is always more or less insanely drunk.
I thought that meant an alcoholic was drunk all the time.....it doesn't. I'm a real alkie myself and I wasn't "insanely drunk" all the time. When I was drinking though, it was VERY rare that I'd have one or two, get a mild buzz, and leave it at that. In my drinking experience, if I was gonna start drinking, I was gonna "do it right" and get pretty well loaded. TO ME, having 3 quadruple Captain and Coke's was a "decent buzz" but it was around 5-7 that I liked to "maintain." To an ordinary (social) drinker, I probably appeared quite drunk. In my mind, that level felt "just right." And keep in mind, all those descriptions end with this comment:
This is by no means a comprehensive picture of the true alcoholic, as our behavior patterns vary. But this description should identify him roughly.
- not
exactly.
Also, since you're looking for advice on AA, it would probably help to toss some posts up where most of the AA ppl hang out here on SR - in the
12Step area. You'll find a lot of ppl there who've used the program successfully for many weeks, months, years and even a handful who've used it successfully for several decades. Lots and LOTS of wisdom down there if you want it.