Outburst at Meeting
Outburst at Meeting
I was sharing my story today at the meeting, when some old timer with many years of sobriety blew up and stormed out, because I had mentioned drugs, oh and apparently I was sharing too long for him....LOL....... It's not like I was the first speaker to do that.............I calmly said, I'm almost done and then continued my share. This isn't the first time he's done something like that.
Tons of people came up to me at the end and told me they appreciated my story, so I'm not going to worry about it. I guess you can't please everyone.
Anyway, it was good. Glad I finally stepped up to the plate!!
Tons of people came up to me at the end and told me they appreciated my story, so I'm not going to worry about it. I guess you can't please everyone.
Anyway, it was good. Glad I finally stepped up to the plate!!
I jumped in a an "old timers" **** one day because we had a guestspeaker and he said Hi I'm Fred or whatever his name was and I am a recovered alcoholic. He had one of the greatest stories i have ever heard. He was young and very well spoken and all this Old Timer could think about was that the speaker said he was a recovered alcoholic. Does it matter? Recovered simply means we found something we lost . We recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body. I am not still recovering every day. I am learning and there's a big difference. Who cares how you announce who you are. He wasted his whole time and didn't even hear a word the man said. Spoke first about how the speaker wasn't recovered nor will he ever be and walked out. I couldn't take it. As he was leaving I yelled out keep your old fatass walking too. Now I don't regret saying it si much but I do regret where and and how it was said. The book says it many times. Maybe he needs to reread it. But people need to take the good and leave the bad and sometimes we don't have friends to talk to at that very moment or we need to get it out. I wouldn't worry a bit about it. Very well done. You did better than I did!!!
Nor should you worry about it IMHO.
Some groups are more accepting than others about drug issues. Ditto for some people as well. It sounds like this guy as an issue if you want to share about drugs and about sharing too long. Do not let one dude threaten your sobriety.
Some groups are more accepting than others about drug issues. Ditto for some people as well. It sounds like this guy as an issue if you want to share about drugs and about sharing too long. Do not let one dude threaten your sobriety.
There are certain alcoholics who have not learned about tolerance. Here are a few wonderful paragraphs by Dr. Bob, AAs cofounder, about tolerance. On Cultivating Tolerance -by Dr. Bob
1000 Post Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Midwest USA
Posts: 2,284
Sharing about drugs is very common at meetings I go to. My "drug of choice" was booze but I also smoked coke, snorted heroin, smoked pot ect... I feel the smoking crack is sometimes important to share because it enabled me to drink more & not sleep for 2-3days on a bender. It's ironic but alcohol got me in far worse legal trouble than illegal drugs.
We share our stories and problems as they relate to alcohol... Divorces, DUI's, Threatened or lost careers, illness.... and drugs.
Just as I don't want or need to hear a long drawn out discussion about lawyers courts and judges in your DUI experience... neither do I need a full description of your experience with drugs... but they both may relate to your experience with alcohol.
As long as we share about alcoholism and our experience, strength and hope in recovering from alcoholism... If it happened, OK, let's hear about it. DUI, Divorce, Loss of a Job... Drugs... What I am most interested in is... what is your experience in AA recovery.
Just as I don't want or need to hear a long drawn out discussion about lawyers courts and judges in your DUI experience... neither do I need a full description of your experience with drugs... but they both may relate to your experience with alcohol.
As long as we share about alcoholism and our experience, strength and hope in recovering from alcoholism... If it happened, OK, let's hear about it. DUI, Divorce, Loss of a Job... Drugs... What I am most interested in is... what is your experience in AA recovery.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 234
Ha. Oh the things that I've seen at these meetings. Don't worry about it. There are a lot of crazy old timers in AA. Don't take them seriously. I just write some of them off as just plain bonkers. If he gets mad, just tell him to take is ball and go home. Tee hee. Thanks for sharing your story.
I was sharing my story today at the meeting, when some old timer with many years of sobriety blew up and stormed out, because I had mentioned drugs, oh and apparently I was sharing too long for him....LOL....... It's not like I was the first speaker to do that.............I calmly said, I'm almost done and then continued my share. This isn't the first time he's done something like that.
Tons of people came up to me at the end and told me they appreciated my story, so I'm not going to worry about it. I guess you can't please everyone.
Anyway, it was good. Glad I finally stepped up to the plate!!
Tons of people came up to me at the end and told me they appreciated my story, so I'm not going to worry about it. I guess you can't please everyone.
Anyway, it was good. Glad I finally stepped up to the plate!!
Sounds like he forgot to work on his recovery.......
Good for you for sharing!
I understand how frustrating this must have been for you. I also attend meetings where rules about time ae strictly enforced. When I asked why, I was told when we were out there drinking, we didn't respect our time or anyone else's.
Guest
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: yorkshire
Posts: 6
what happens to those who feel and think they are
not permitted and somehow being stopped at every
meeting-they enter-from -
shareing there recovery how it happended-
shareing anything from big book that is relevent to how they got into recovery-
shareing about steps and how they took them-
shareing about there alcohol expierance-
what it cost them the war stories-
shareing about there feelings or talking about them-
talking about any life problem they have in recovery-
shareing about other drugs or ilnnesses-
shareing about pysical pain-
shareing about harms they did
shareing about mental pain health-
shareing the word god
or what it means to them
shareing any-( personal )stuff that related to
there drinking.
sahering about there childhood expierance-
there child hood enviroment
there parents addctions
how there childhood was.
shareing any problems they are haveing with comming to meetings
shareing too long and not shareing
shareing they are careving another drug that leads them back to booze
and other things like this-
what happens to those who feel and think that
some old times or secretorys
and some of the other recovering people
and some that have not long returned
in other words the majority-
what happens to those who feel and think
they are being stopped by the majority
from being allowed to do service
start a new meeting
share there war stories share the word god big book or something from it
and the steps they took that helpd them-
share what was happening for them prior to and dureing
the period they got into recovery-
and what they did to do that-
what happens to those that feel and think they are stopped from helping a new commer
or someone who has just came back from a relapse-
in other words what happens to those who feel and think they are being stopped by the majority
and feel and think if they do these things
they will scare a new commer away or kill
someone by doing these things and they feel and think this because
they are sure thats what they were told by
the majority-
and those who feel and think they cant
practise step 12 to the best of there ability at any given time.
incase they hurt kill or damage another in some way-
or inacase they are breaking rules and causeing grave error
and so there fore find it
just to difficult to do so dont anymore-
maby get tired of trying to do what they thought was
the right thing-cause they think and feel they are being told
thats wrong-
maby get tired of the feeling of conflict maby they were beat when they got there
and just dont need the hassle
maby all they wanted was peace -
but when they share and they think and feel it is wrong damaging
harmfull-they dont get peace when they share-
and maby when they dont share they think and feel it is damaging to others not to share-
and so they dont get peace when they dont share.
just wondered what happens.
not permitted and somehow being stopped at every
meeting-they enter-from -
shareing there recovery how it happended-
shareing anything from big book that is relevent to how they got into recovery-
shareing about steps and how they took them-
shareing about there alcohol expierance-
what it cost them the war stories-
shareing about there feelings or talking about them-
talking about any life problem they have in recovery-
shareing about other drugs or ilnnesses-
shareing about pysical pain-
shareing about harms they did
shareing about mental pain health-
shareing the word god
or what it means to them
shareing any-( personal )stuff that related to
there drinking.
sahering about there childhood expierance-
there child hood enviroment
there parents addctions
how there childhood was.
shareing any problems they are haveing with comming to meetings
shareing too long and not shareing
shareing they are careving another drug that leads them back to booze
and other things like this-
what happens to those who feel and think that
some old times or secretorys
and some of the other recovering people
and some that have not long returned
in other words the majority-
what happens to those who feel and think
they are being stopped by the majority
from being allowed to do service
start a new meeting
share there war stories share the word god big book or something from it
and the steps they took that helpd them-
share what was happening for them prior to and dureing
the period they got into recovery-
and what they did to do that-
what happens to those that feel and think they are stopped from helping a new commer
or someone who has just came back from a relapse-
in other words what happens to those who feel and think they are being stopped by the majority
and feel and think if they do these things
they will scare a new commer away or kill
someone by doing these things and they feel and think this because
they are sure thats what they were told by
the majority-
and those who feel and think they cant
practise step 12 to the best of there ability at any given time.
incase they hurt kill or damage another in some way-
or inacase they are breaking rules and causeing grave error
and so there fore find it
just to difficult to do so dont anymore-
maby get tired of trying to do what they thought was
the right thing-cause they think and feel they are being told
thats wrong-
maby get tired of the feeling of conflict maby they were beat when they got there
and just dont need the hassle
maby all they wanted was peace -
but when they share and they think and feel it is wrong damaging
harmfull-they dont get peace when they share-
and maby when they dont share they think and feel it is damaging to others not to share-
and so they dont get peace when they dont share.
just wondered what happens.
I've been to AA meetings where we are asked to limit our sharing to alcholism. I think it's fair enough. It's an alcoholics anonymous meeting, not NA or GA. Other AA meetings I've been to are fine with people sharing about whatever addiction they are struggling with. We are also often reminded to 'share the time'. Most OA meetings I've been to use a timer and give people a signal when they have a minute left.
I just follow the lead of others - if people are sharing about drug or whatever, then I feel ok about doing the same. If no one else does, then I don't either.
I just follow the lead of others - if people are sharing about drug or whatever, then I feel ok about doing the same. If no one else does, then I don't either.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 133
I take it as a compliment when old timers do that and react that way. For me, it was one of the best ways for me to remind myself that someday - I will be like that - old timer - and I have to at least shorten my story.
In my area there are plenty of AA meetings and very few NA meetings. One young lady, last week, shared about how she didn't feel right self-identifying as an alcoholic when crack and heroin were her real DOCs. One of our oldest old-timers piped up (lots of our meetings allow alittle bit of cross talk, especially from the venerable elders) telling her not to spearate herself from us. We all have the same condition. Good on him. If AAs aren't tolerant, who will be? We've seen the view from the bottom.
As far as war stories go, for me they do two things; let the new comer know they aren't terribly unique and keep our memories green. It helps a new person to understand that, even though we look fantastcally put together now, we were all pretty much shambling wrecks at one point and could very easily go back there again. We take nothing for granted, if we want to stay healthy. The newcomer's stories also remind me that, yes, it really was that bad and I don;t ever have to be in that place again.
As far as war stories go, for me they do two things; let the new comer know they aren't terribly unique and keep our memories green. It helps a new person to understand that, even though we look fantastcally put together now, we were all pretty much shambling wrecks at one point and could very easily go back there again. We take nothing for granted, if we want to stay healthy. The newcomer's stories also remind me that, yes, it really was that bad and I don;t ever have to be in that place again.
I was sharing my story today at the meeting, when some old timer with many years of sobriety blew up and stormed out, because I had mentioned drugs, oh and apparently I was sharing too long for him....LOL....... It's not like I was the first speaker to do that.............I calmly said, I'm almost done and then continued my share. This isn't the first time he's done something like that.
Tons of people came up to me at the end and told me they appreciated my story, so I'm not going to worry about it. I guess you can't please everyone.
Anyway, it was good. Glad I finally stepped up to the plate!!
Tons of people came up to me at the end and told me they appreciated my story, so I'm not going to worry about it. I guess you can't please everyone.
Anyway, it was good. Glad I finally stepped up to the plate!!
Remember, sometimes that alcoholic who's still suffering is in the meeting, has a lot of time since their last drink, and hasn't yet really experienced recovery.
That said, I DO try to keep what I'm saying on point with what was read, don't go off into telling my story or dumping my problems on everyone there, and rarely talk over 5 minutes.........out of respect for the other ppl there.
Well, there are several guys like that at the meetings I got sober in. One guy has 35+/- year and the other has 45+/-. You couldn't give me what they have.....I wouldn't want it.
Remember, sometimes that alcoholic who's still suffering is in the meeting, has a lot of time since their last drink, and hasn't yet really experienced recovery.
That said, I DO try to keep what I'm saying on point with what was read, don't go off into telling my story or dumping my problems on everyone there, and rarely talk over 5 minutes.........out of respect for the other ppl there.
Remember, sometimes that alcoholic who's still suffering is in the meeting, has a lot of time since their last drink, and hasn't yet really experienced recovery.
That said, I DO try to keep what I'm saying on point with what was read, don't go off into telling my story or dumping my problems on everyone there, and rarely talk over 5 minutes.........out of respect for the other ppl there.
When they wrote the book years ago they knew they couldn't cover all the things in life that would ever happen in the future so they left this wonderful statement.... " More will be revealed." Know one ever knew that man made drugs were going to become so popular and I think today if Bill were to rewrite the book there would definitiely be more outlining about the two going together . God knows my thing was to drink to get off morphine and then try to shoot pills so I wouldn't drink so much. Your gonna find one of those people in every meeting and the bad thing is he probably missed out on something good that couldv'e saved his life down the road or even that day.
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