bark4sark88

So I'm just curious if anyone else feels this way...

A lot of the open AA meetings I go to around 8 or 9 PM have med students who also attend them. I've found that meetings earlier in the day don't have non-alcoholic visitors, but due to my schedule with school, studying, and work I usually have to go to a meeting later in the day.

While I appreciate medical students going to AA meetings to get a better understanding of alcoholism, I have to admit when I find out they are in the meeting I don't feel nearly as comfortable as I do when I know everyone in the room is sharing the same problem as me.
One of the main reasons I enjoy AA meetings so much is that I know I can be completely open with my problems, my fears, feelings, etc. and know that I won't be judged or looked-down upon. I know that most med students who attend the meetings are at least empathetic with our situations and I would hope they don't look down at us, but I still get uncomfortable feelings occasionally. It may also be that I am 22 and in college as well, so many of these students are only 2-4 years older than me, maybe these feelings could be due at least partly because of my age...

Just curious if anyone else has had those feelings before?

eJoshua

I haven't experienced that, but the obvious solution to your problem would be to begin attending closed meetings instead.

bark4sark88

Yes Josh, but I have an extremely busy schedule which does not allow me to pick any meeting to go to during the day. I wasn't asking for a solution, just asking if anyone else has those feelings. It isn't a major deal, I was just curious.

eJoshua

I see. I guess I can imagine that would be difficult. I'm sure I wouldn't feel as comfortable sharing.

ACT10Npack

I only been to a few but I know that human nature that we will judge each other. Does not matter if they have a problem or not.

But don't really understand why medical students would go to an AA meeting anyway. People with alcohol problems has the same issues minus the alcohol abuse/addiction.

OorWullie

What exactly does 'closed' meetings mean? can I just turn up if I have a problem?

ACT10Npack

Closed meeting means that only people with alcohol problem/abuse/alcoholics can only be in the meeting. But non alcoholic people can still get in because there is no ID that says your are or aren't one.

Taking5

A closed meeting means you have to have a desire to stop drinking/using.

I have experienced exactly what bark4sark88 is talking about. I often - but not always - go to a 630am meeting for this reason. Even though it is an open meeting, there are less visitors and less court appointed folks (nothing against court appointees, I was one once) and more focused on recovery.

PaperDolls

I've never been bothered by visitors at an open meeting. AA is not some sort of secret society thus, open meetings.

Visitors at an open meeting are there for various reasons often because they have been affected by an alcoholic in their life. I'm happy to see people attempt to have a better understanding of the disease rather than just believe all the stereotypes and stigma.

feralheart

It doesn't really bother me for some reason, at least at the particular ones I attend. I was thinking about if my women's meeting were open though, and that would feel really weird to me and I can't really put my finger on why. It just feels important to have this group of alcoholic women together and I'd feel a little weird knowing a couple women there were just observers, but in my general meetings it never even crosses my mind that non-alcoholics are there, I just don't care.

sugarbear1

call your area office or intergroup office & find closed meetings.

Zebra1275

I've been going to AA for a couple of years and I've yet to go to an open meeting. I don't mind sharing my experience, strength and hope with a bunch of drunks but I want to remain anonymous to the general public.