BSPGirl

Friend of mine told me she wasn't allowed to share in an AA meeting cuz she wasn't sober for 24 or more hrs. Is this true? I didn't think there were rules like that in AA but I could be wrong.

Marte

Aristo

Haven't heard of that one before ! I was asked to share on my first meeting !

Shakur

Hi,
If drunk and high people were allowed to share at 12 Step Meetings, anarachy would reign, and no one would come (not to recover, at least), thus the 24 hour guideline. There are no rules in AA/NA, however, and occasionally a "wet" person does share. Its really a matter of who is leading the meeting.

Be Well,
Joe

CarolD

As stated in the AA Traditions...

Four—Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.

Some groups are stricter than others on sharing.

BSPGirl

That was what I was thinking too, that it depends on the AA group and all.

Marte

debsjsu

Recovery meetings are for people to share ESH to people who are struggling to get sober or stay sober. If you have a bunch of drunk people in there shooting the bull then there is no "recovery message" being shared. It is obvious that a drunk who is drunk at the time or has been drunk in the last 24 hours probably dosn't have much sobriety or "recovery" under his/her belt... And Shakur is right this is only a guideline not a rule... I have heard it said more in NA than I have in AA. We do encourage newcommers to introduce themselves and to ask questions if they have them in our group.. Just not to take over the meeting with a lot of jibberish... Does that help??? I have NEVER heard of anyone being banned.. My book tells me I can't ban anyone from the rooms of AA. I do not have that authority... Love to all Debs

Peter

The 24 hr "rule" has been around for ages.

If you have ever had the misfortune of listening to a "drunkalog" at a meeting you will understand why that rule is there.

tramp

i have never done a drunkalog at a meeting. i have however gone to a meeting the day after a drunk. i was confronted about it by an old timer, he accused me of having brass.
a little ruffled i pointed out to him that this was the best place i could be, and asked if he would prefer i be more like his sponsees and remain wandering about town drunk for weeks.
he apologized after the meeting and we never spoke about it again.
circumstances have alot to do with a groups decisins as well.
the crusty old timer was one of my favorites, but he was out of line, like we all get sometimes.

paulmh

Hiya BSP, nice to see you back.

This issue of procedure, why does it matter? We're all drunks here, and we've all been a pain in the a$$ in drink sometimes - why wouldn't it be the case that in meetings sometimes we just have to say, enough is enough? We ain't saints. Contrary to popular belief. At least we don't beat up unruly drunks. Any more.

Grasshopper

Im in agreement with Carol.Its up to the group conscience......Ya,just never know,how things work out.Example,One of the groups i went to allowed drinking drunks,to our meetings.A friend of mine was loaded to the hilts in her first meeting.Although drunk,she must have heard something,for she went and got her desire chip,that night,and has been sober ,ever,since,that night.That was back in the late 80,s.

debsjsu

Anyone is allowed to come into our meetings even if you are drunk at the time you can come in ( can't bring the alcohol in with you) but you can come in drunk.. However if you are drunk you are ask NOT to speak except to introduce yourself... I don't think that needs any explination as to why, does it??? But I have seen a few who came in drunk and kept comming back and got sober... we don't exclude anyone and we don't "kick" anyone out... I just don't think I have ever heard of that??? Different groups are different though. I do know that when I have gone on vacation and visited groups in different states they have different styles of meetings and I have been amazed at the differences I have seen in AA in various parts of the US.. I was really niave in the beginning I thought it was the same everywhere but it isn't..... So I guess it all depends on where you are.. I personally wouldn't trade my home group for any in the world... They are my second (sometimes First) family... Love to all Debs

Islandchild

Never heard of that one, although in some cases, it may be a good idea. Each person that comes to AA is different and needs different things. I told people it was my first meeting and introduced myself, and then just listened. Some people come into AA talking non-stop, yet others are so afraid. There are no "rules" - just suggestions.

BSPGirl

Well yeah at SMART Online meetings they ask the intoxicated ppl to not interupt the flow of a meeting and all but they might pick up stuff anyway. There's a lot of debate over drunk/high ppl in meetings there too, but imo if you're sober and coherent, you can share, just my opinion tho.

Marte

Taiman

I went to AA many moons ago. I was sober when I got there and I was sober when I left and I am still sober, closing in on 14 years (will power rules!)

When I attended AA, I never came across a meeting where a person couldn't share in a discussion meeting. As previously mentioned tradition 4 allows groups a lot of leeway in setting their own format and rules, as long as it doesn't encroach on AA as a whole.