I just saw it happen at my noon meeting.
A man showed up drunk and very upset. After he shared about what had happened, everyone was nice and said, "welcome back". Then 2 people took him into the other room and briefly talked to him. Then they all came back and sat down. Some people gave him a hug. He seemed to feel a little better after the meeting.

It was really moving. He was crying as he shared and said he didn't know where else to go because all he knows is he's safe in the rooms of AA. I think everyone's heart broke for him.

How sad...

You know I think that is a major way to blow a good opportunity for everyone involved whether drinking or not...

.......there's a lot of dry alcoholics attending meetings who aren't sober either. :)

What's next, a set of qualifying questions to determine if someone is properly sober physically, mentally, and spiritually?

.....no better place FOR a drunk than an AA meeting.

I have a couple friends who find it disrespectful but I'm workin' on them. ;)

There was a member of my group that was sober a long time, but went back to drinking, and has been showing up at meetings totally intoxicated.

This happened last night.

He came in half way through, and couldn't keep his balance...almost fell many times, and kept stopping himself from vomiting. It was pretty bad.

What I observed was people watching him. The men especially watched him.

At one point he left to smoke and came back in finding a new spot to sit. One man pointed him back to the original chair where his belongings were. I could see that these men had their eye on him, knew what was happening, and were going to take control.

I am glad, because it made me quite nervous.

Like I didn't know what to do.

It is sad to see someone that once held a secretary position, and was sober for months, maybe even a year, so intoxicated.

Maybe I needed to see this.

What a difference.

I think of him today, and hope he will be able to stop this. :(

There are no coincidences in my recovery today, either...
;)

I remember several decades back, the two women-they were big-dragging a guy out from a snowbank, partially underneath a car, dead drunk and into our AA club.

Last time I saw the guy he was sober, and definitely grateful, and he even confessed to having a vague recollection of me. I told him that we'd met before then related the story of our first encounter.

I'd been to about 2 years of AA meetings and hadn't seen anyone intoxicated. Then there was this huge noise outside the door one night and a guy showed up drunk with a couple of suitcases and a garbage dumpster.
He lived on the street.
He showed up 5 minutes before the meeting was over. Everyone was very polite and asked him to come back sober.
They showed him a lot of respect and care and unfortunately he didn't come back. I hope he does some day.

Yep. But the requirement for sobriety is so much more.

The disruption created by one drunk in an AA meeting pales in comparison to the disruption created by a sober person whining about their sick hamster.

I'll take the drunk anytime.

:c011: :c011:

Hahaha that is classic! Thanks for the laugh!

First AA meeting I attended I was drunk, no one turned me away and hope I can inspire someone whom is still drinking or a dry drunk....sure do not want another person to have to suffer.

Hmmm...
I operate my AA committment/responsibility with an open door policy
that means I'm there to open the door and let them all in.
:yup:

I've never seen anything like what's been described so far, but I do smell alcohol once in a while while I'm helping to clean up at the end of the meeting. Can't tell who it is, but it happens about once a week.

Every time I see someone go out I consider it a reminder of how cunning, baffling, and powerful alcohol is. It helps me to mind my own program a little closer.

According to the 3rd Tradition anyone is welcome at an AA meeting who has a desire to stop drinking. If someone is disruptive to the meeting itself they should probably be asked to leave. Though, we must be careful as to how we define "disruptive." There are TONS of annoying and mildly disruptive people at AA meetings. My HP sends them to meetings so that I might have an opportunity to practice patience and tolerance. For this I am very grateful.

I remember going to my first meeting and someone absolutely stunk of booze. I was so shocked. And i kept thinking it was weird to be drunk at an AA meeting. I mean, it was the last place I'd be hanging out with a buzz on. I think I even posted it about it here asking what the deal was. I was thinking it was a wierd place for all you people to encourage me to go.
Sorry- that was just a funny memory...

Re:Showing Up Drunk For A Meeting.....
 

It feels like this is elementary, but for a newbie, it is difficult. I hope everyone finds peace before the end of their lives.

SBS you might want to know this thread started in 2007.