First meeting jitters
Restoring myself to sanity
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,018
First meeting jitters
I found a Naranon meeting, it's an hour's drive away from where I live but I don't care, I have made up my mind that my husbands drug abuse will no longer hyjack my life..
What can I expect at the meeting? I don't know why I'm nervous, I mean everyone is there for the same purpose. Someone please give me some advice to calm my nerves..
What can I expect at the meeting? I don't know why I'm nervous, I mean everyone is there for the same purpose. Someone please give me some advice to calm my nerves..
Administrator
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: a better place
Posts: 4,047
Hi there...I am so glad you have found a meeting and committed to attend. What will you find? Lots of wonderful folks who welcome you with open arms! It's like SR Live...great understanding folks like here, but live and in person with free hugs if you want them 
Meeting formats vary a little, so it is hard to say exactly what you will find. In my Naranon group, we alternate leading the meeting. The last Thursday of each month is a step meeting (starting with step 1 in January and going through the 12 steps) where we read from Naranon step literature and talk about it. The other meetings are topic meetings...Things like expectations, resentment, letting go, anger...During the meeting we read passages from Courage to Change, an Alanon book of daily readings, and we share our experiences about the topics. No one "has to" share....often newcomers feel most comfortable just listening for a bit, and we try to focus on ourselves rather than stories of the addict. We leave the last 15 minutes for questions or for anyone who would like to to bring a problem or issue to the group. This is a time when sometimes the focus will shift to a person's particular circumstances, if he or she is seeking ideas. It is similar to when someone here posts a question asking for feedback. When our meeting closes, many of us usually hang around for a bit, just talking and catching up. I'm not a super social person, but I have found that I've made close and lasting friendships through Naranon.
Believe me, you aren't alone. Many people, definitely me, have been very nervous about the first meeting. I was lucky enough to be at a week long family program where they took us to a couple of Alanon meetings, so the uncertainty and fear was alleviated a bit. But I was still nervous when I came home and had to find a group on my own. Now I look back and wonder why I was so fearful.
Let us know how the meeting goes, okay? And please, if for some reason you don't like this particualr group (sometimes it just isn't a fit...folks whose circumstances are different, or a format you don't care for, etc) give it a few tries or try another Naranon or Alanon group...It is so worth it!
Meeting formats vary a little, so it is hard to say exactly what you will find. In my Naranon group, we alternate leading the meeting. The last Thursday of each month is a step meeting (starting with step 1 in January and going through the 12 steps) where we read from Naranon step literature and talk about it. The other meetings are topic meetings...Things like expectations, resentment, letting go, anger...During the meeting we read passages from Courage to Change, an Alanon book of daily readings, and we share our experiences about the topics. No one "has to" share....often newcomers feel most comfortable just listening for a bit, and we try to focus on ourselves rather than stories of the addict. We leave the last 15 minutes for questions or for anyone who would like to to bring a problem or issue to the group. This is a time when sometimes the focus will shift to a person's particular circumstances, if he or she is seeking ideas. It is similar to when someone here posts a question asking for feedback. When our meeting closes, many of us usually hang around for a bit, just talking and catching up. I'm not a super social person, but I have found that I've made close and lasting friendships through Naranon.
Believe me, you aren't alone. Many people, definitely me, have been very nervous about the first meeting. I was lucky enough to be at a week long family program where they took us to a couple of Alanon meetings, so the uncertainty and fear was alleviated a bit. But I was still nervous when I came home and had to find a group on my own. Now I look back and wonder why I was so fearful.
Let us know how the meeting goes, okay? And please, if for some reason you don't like this particualr group (sometimes it just isn't a fit...folks whose circumstances are different, or a format you don't care for, etc) give it a few tries or try another Naranon or Alanon group...It is so worth it!
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