Hey!
Excuse the massive essay coming your way
I came into recovery, and AA in August this year. I have a lot of support in place. I am managing well, back into some part time work, and enjoying rediscovering who I am.
I will be post this in another thread; Does anyone have experience of what AA's guidelines are, who it is best to speak to if I have a situation with this, what advice is given to newcomers as it's a bit of a grey area. I have worked out a few things myself. It is more for future ref for other newcomers and AA members.
What can I do to protect myself re some potential slanderous sharing from another newcomer?
I haven't shared yet in a meeting. I am using other methods with myself/higher power/sponser, listening and haven't felt ready to.
Although I haven't shared a lot with my sponser regards anyone else just about me, and now for this reason I am now going to be really careful what I say. I realised that sharing with anyone breaks anonymity 1 way or another. I don't think it is ok to say it is the way it is.
The amount of times I have heard already ''yellow card and all that but btw...'' I have even done it a couple of times myself in response to give a bit more information to understand the situation. Actually I don't want to do that or need to. I want to be an example. I have faith the situation can resolve by other means, no one actually needs to know anything. As long as I am honest and working to my higher intention. It also helps I have a higher power so naturally I less likely want to control the situation. Also I am not reliant, I don't need to be a victim or tell everyone my life story in 1 go or blame anyone else.
I have decided to keep it simple and focus on the work without breaking anyone's anonymity. You never know when a family member or anyone is going to walk into the rooms.
As it turns out a couple of things came back to me when I walked in because of an Ex Mum had shared about her son and myself. Secondly the Ex is now in the rooms. I don't really trust all of his motives hence the advice I am seeking. I have advised him and he has said he wont but he doesn't care.
I am prepared and have been take responsibility for my past mistakes, and this is all part of it. However this person is quite deluded, border line stalker and thinks they know me and actually they really don't and never did. Which why sometimes I worry a bit. I have handed it over.
(This is for my own personal info I don't share with others) that I also can see as I grow and become stronger how working with other self help methods like Nlp instead of sharing methods are helpful less reliant and do not breach anonymity. I need to have a programme and for this time AA is a really helpful tool. I feel blessed and greatful. There will be good and bad days, I enjoy a lot of it and work with what works and keep with the positives. The area of anonymity is something I feel quite strongly about and the serious side is that I may have to take action to protect myself. I am quite emotionally strong, however another person might not be. He is not going to the same meetings. I asked for several that he wont be going to.
Perhaps it takes a psychic change with other psychic changes and intention, self work to really abide to this, and a lot of people don't. I think the guidelines need to be clearer. It is pretty impossible for some to share without breaking some kind of anonymity.
I am at the start of my Journey and have a lot to learn. I am excited. Grateful to be here and sober.
Nice to meet you