tomsteve

i will add that all of us are professional ex drunks. i didnt live in a doorway in the cass corridor, live under a bridge in grand rapids, graduate summa *** laude,didnt even attend colege for that matter, work a prestigious job or make lots of money. but i relate with everyone in AA that did. they have helped me solve my problems and i have helped them with the simple program of AA and a big chunk of humble pie.

OklaBH

Carol--I love it! That is perfect!

sugarbear1

I think they all relocate to the Washington DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia area and attend meetings in their shorts and t-shirts, sometimes in their suits, over here. LOL

I'm sure they are also in your meetings. AA was started by a self-made millionaire who lost it all in the stock market and while drinking, a proctologist with a successful medical practice, and a lawyer (AA #3). We gather together to recover from our common problem. It's not a business meeting, that is for certain!

If the judge hadn't self-identified, or the doctor, or the lawyer, the policeman or the teacher, then no one would know what their profession were. Call your local intergroup office (search aa city state) and ask if they know of "professionals meetings" in your area or an Alano Club with more "professionals" in them. I bet it's the same meeting list you have access to. Some of us just hit lower bottoms. We're there. I know this, I've listened to many speakers from Texas who have identified their profession on recorded meeting tapes!

Maybe it's time to talk to people before and after the meeting and to get to know who they are. Then you'll find those "hidden professionals!"

Sugah

I think you'd find that in relating, rather than comparing, you'll find our stories are essentially the same. Maybe we have different details. The person who goes to the weekend-long family reunion and stays sober can offer his or her experience on what it might be like to be surrounded by your colleagues who are all drinking. If you focus on the feelings and thinking of alcoholism, not the details, you'll find what you need.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

Sapling

That's where I got my start.

sugarbear1

I was making a joke, sapling. Not sure what your profession was, your profile currently says none, so not sure if you are retired or what.

Professionals are in all meetings. It's about recovery when I'm at a meeting.

awuh1

Just by way of historic accuracy... Bill W. was never even close to being a millionaire. Likewise, Dr. Bobs practice was never anything close to being "successful” prior to his getting sober.

It is true however, that within the first 100 AA members there were a disproportionate number of professionals, who were, like nearly all others in early AA, "low bottom" drunks.

laurie6781

You know for my whole first year I was so busy trying to stay sober, working, my
steps with my sponsor ie. that I didn't even know what Hugh (my sponsor's hubby)
did and I interacted with him almost as much as Bev. He had a Phd in Theology. he
had a Phd in engineering (not sure which) and he was currently an electrical con-
tractor with his company and employees doing a government job on a plant in
Palmdale. There were doctors, lawyers, mechanics, secretaries, homeless, etc

It took me years to see all the different professions. I do understand what you
are saying. In L.A. it was go to meetings in Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and Malibu.
Where I live now, it is go to meetings at Sanoma Ranch and White Sands Misslle
Range.

I believe as you 'branch' out and start attending meetings in more 'upper crust
areas you may find what you are looking after being a 'regular' for a while.

Standing up in a meeting and sharing that you are looking for other "nurses,
doctors, paramedics, teachers, etc" to go to coffee with after the meeting
might or might not bring results. You won't know until you try.

J M H O

Welcome to recovery!!

Love and hugs,

NYCDoglvr

I think it depends on the location of meetings. I live in Manhattan and the meetings I attend only have professionals. If I go to meetings in the Bronx or Queens I'm sure there are plenty of meetings where most people had a very low bottom.

seanie1888

I met a rich business man, a teacher, a doctor and my cousin at my first meeting and then I gave up on aa, maybe I should have

Sapling

No..That's where I started my drinking career...In Fairfax Virginia. At the age of 12.

OklaBH

This "professional" person is going to bed and will read a book because she has a job to go to tomorrow (thank God)---- others can go to 15 meetings a day on the governments dime and call it recovery. Good night.

KDL

CactusJill- I completely understand the reason for your original post. I posted something very similar a bit ago.

I am attending meetings, and have begun to meet some people more similar in life situations to me. It's nice to be able to relate to people like that. I GET that we all are alcoholics, and we need each other for support and to learn from experiences. At the same time, it's nice to have others to discuss other issues in our lives that we must face more specific to our circumstance.

I find I have better luck at noon meetings, and women's meetings. In my experience women open up more in those meetings. I have seen women share professions and experiences in a women's meeting, but those very same women say nothing in larger mixed forum meetings. Myself included.

I also suspect that professionals with a certain level of means my access help privately through therapy or outpatient services. I do that to. (I need ALL of the support I can get.) In the private groups, I met almost exclusively professionals, or people with long term marriages and employment.

Best of luck to you. All we can do is be open, and keep learning!

CactusJill

Thanks to all that responded. Yes, I believe that the important part is that we are all alcoholics. I enjoy my meetings, and I learn a lot. I am definitely not knocking anyone, or their journey, and I think we can learn a lot from each person. However, as KDL said, I think it is also important for some of us, myself included, to feel that we have someone in our corner who is doing something similar professionally because the struggles we experience in our professions may be a little different. For me, it is going to conferences and tenure. For my bf, a recovering addict, it is working in a restaurant environment where some of the other workers do drugs. It can be different.

But I will definitely take some of the suggestions! Thanks so much, everyone.

Veritas1

Find a group that meets near a University.

DesertEyes

Hello CactusJill, and pleased to "meet" you

One of the principles of AA that has helped me the most is that of "identification". Basically, I learn a lot more from peeps who have overcome the hardships I am currently dealing with. In some cases, a persons profession has a direct impact on their recovery. i.e.: A surgeon. Sometimes it's where they come from i.e.: A male prostitute. That's where the whole concept of "Special Purpose" meetings originated, and now we have "closed" meetings, "men's meetings", "young people meetings", etc.

As far as where to find a specific profession, the suggestions in this thread are good. Go to the neighborhoods where people in that profession live, or work.

Some professions prefer "private" meetings where they can talk about issues specific to recovery while holding a particular job. Here in Las Vegas we have meetings just for Physicians. You will see them at regular meets too, but they won't identify as docs. We have meets for recovering "entertainers", and for awhile there was a meet for recovering "trophy wives" but I don't know if it's still going. I once sponsored a cop, and a Navy seal. Yup, they have their own meets but they also go to open meets. I didn't know about their job until _after_ they asked me to sponsor them. I had to _earn_ their trust first.

Over in D.C. I know of a meet for Shrinks, I heard about it from two shrinks at an open meet.

In my experience, the best way to find out somebody's profession is, like others have said, by participating in activities outside the meets. Coffee, conventions, and so on. When people get to know _you_ they will feel more comfortable opening up.

Mike

Jitterbugg

I never ask people what they do for a living and rarely have I heard people specifically mention what they do for a living.

sugarbear1

We have more professionals at the early morning meetings -- 6 am or 7 am, some also attend evening meetings. No matter what, they make the time to get to meetings even with their busy schedules.

CactusJill, they are there, they just aren't saying anything about that part of their lives.

miamifella

I also found that in most meeting you do not see professionals. Heck, its hard enough to find people without tatoos and peircings! I went to a few dozen meetings and found that the only place you see professionals are in the meetings that are not listed on the official schedule. Of course, finding out about those meetings is more a matter of luck than anything else.

It did get to the point where I wanted to hear more from people who had obligations toward others. When I finally started working in a profession where I had to advise and care for others, I wished I could hear from others sharing the joys and frustrations of that. It was being responsible in that way that I think really made my recovery possible.

I never heard of a group doing announcements before meetings like Sappling suggested--and in meetings I never heard anyone ever make a personal announcement. I know that 12-step programs want people at meetings to share solutions, not talk about their problems. But I think it is a good idea to let people ask for things that will help them.

liv1ce

One of the things that always amazed me at an AA meeting was the level of intelligence and sensitivity I saw in almost all the individuals who attended. It was truly enlightening to see a "common street drunk" dry out to be a surprisingly intelligent, perceptive and witty person educated or not. There was also the homeless beggar who had been functioning at a much higher level before the slide into hell. I saw myself in every one of them and hoped I could be as good.