secretary

I am tempted to go to my local AA but they say closed meetings and then have stuff like this Monday - Easy Big Book Tuesday - The 12 Steps Wednesday - Mediation: Language of the Heart Thursday - 12 Step Study Friday - As Bill Sees It

What does that all mean? I'm terrified to walk into that.

ScottFromWI

It mainly just tells you what is going to be discussed that day at the meeting. ( big book discussions, step discussions, etc ). You don't have to say anything at any of them, you can just listen.

The difference between closed and open meetings is simply that open meetings are open to anyone - including family and friends of alcholics. Closed meetings are just for those that consider themselves to be alcoholics and seek help.

Call ahead to your local hotline...someone can explain to you exactly what the topics are about and you might even be able to go early and meet someone one on one before the meeting starts.

BadCompany

You'll do just fine. Those are just the general topics of the meetings on those days. All of them will be receptive for new people.

Jen73

Those are all different types of meetings.. I thought it was weird myself, but I went anyways. Don't let the Name fight you, just different meetings that they have. I went to a Big book meeting my first time. They read a story from the book and then you talk about how it relates to you. that is how the meeting I went too did. if you don't want to talk or read, all you tell them your first name and you pass.

They will understand... I been going to all types for 1 month now and I enjoy it.

Good luck

Carlotta

A lot of people are afraid walking in their first meeting and it can be a bit intimidating. The people you will meet there are folks just like you.

A closed meeting means that it is for alcoholics only. An open meeting is a meeting that friends and family members and people in the helping profession can attend too.
BB meetings are meetings where people read passages of the AA big book and comment on it.
Steps meetings (my favorites) are meetings where the program of AA (the steps) are discussed. If as a newcomer you walk in a small step meeting, chances are that they will make it a first step meeting
As Bill sees it is a meeting where a small "thought" of the day by AA founder Bill Wilson is read and then it opens up to a discussion meeting.
Speaker meetings Someone (or several people) will talk for about 20 minutes and share their story. We call it sharing our experience, strength and hope. The usual format is: how it was, what happened and how it is like now.
I am not too sure about meditation meetings. I never attended one. I take Zen classes and also meditate alone at home.

You can check out those links about what to expect at your first AA meeting

Your First AA Meeting. Understandably, You Want to Know What to Expect.

Your First AA Meeting<

secretary

How did you get up the nerve to walk into your first meeting?

Jen73

I took a big breath and just walked in and sat down. The more you go it get easier, you get to meet nice people and get to know peoples faces. The only difference is you are face to face their compare to here, you don't see us.

sg1970

You don't have to say anything at all or know what is going on. Some advise to only introduce yourself for a couple of months. They are very used to newcomers. Just go in and you will be taken care of.

awuh1

Prior to attending a first meeting fear is nearly universal.

In and after the meeting relief is nearly always the result.

Fly N Buy

Glad you here~

Good advice from others posted already.........
A closed meeting as defined by AA is ;

In support of A.A.'s singleness of purpose, attendance at
closed meetings is limited to persons who have a desire
to stop drinking. If you think you have a problem with
alcohol, you are welcome to attend this meeting. We ask
that when discussing our problems, we confine ourselves
to those problems as they relate to alcoholism.

Kris47

Hello Secretary,

Most all of us were terrified of our first meeting. Just make it a date and go. Sit and listen. Share if you like. Soon, you'll be able to answer this question for someone else. Let us know how it goes!

GracieLou

I called the AA hotline and they had someone call me back. We talked for a while and she picked me up and took me to a meeting.

You might try that. If they can't pick you up they may be able to meet you.

They only pair woman with woman and men with men.

SoberCAH

The treatment center people took me to it and told me to go in.

My first meeting seemed very foreign to me, which makes sense since bars were the only places I had frequented for many years.

There are different formats and topics for AA meetings, and I have been going to almost all types of them for many years now, and I haven't had a drink since I started going.

The people in AA meetings have drinking problems, so I felt pretty much at home.

There are so many meetings available that it is hard to find some which don't seem like a good fit for me.

Please cross that threshhold to your first meeting (which feels like it's 30 feet wide), go on in and keep coming back.

The answers to my drinking problems were certainly there.

Thanks for starting this thread and be sure to hang around here.

IOAA2

here is a good starter lising:

O OPEN SPEAKER (PUBLIC WELCOME)

C CLOSED (A.A. members only, or for those who have a drinking problem and “have a desire to stop drinking.”)

OD OPEN DISCUSSION

CD CLOSED DISCUSSION

CS CLOSED SPEAKER MEETING

SD SPEAKER DISCUSSION

BB BIG BOOK DISCUSSION

12 12 STEP MEETING

T 12 TRADITION MEETING

M MEN

W WOMEN

* BEGINNER’S MEETING (Approximately 1 1/2 hours before regular meeting time)

YP YOUNG PEOPLE

NS NO SMOKING at this meeting

G GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER

# Must Sign to Enter

H AT END OF ADDRESS INDICATES ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (May not be toilet accessible)

A number used in the code of a discussion meeting indicates the night of each month it is a speaker meeting.
All “O” (Open Public Welcome) listed meetings are speaker meetings.
Meetings are 11/2 hrs. unless otherwise indicated.
Please call Central Service for information on meetings interpreted for the deaf.

tomsteve

For me it wasn't nerve I needed but courage. Howi got that was getting it from my head to my heart that if I didn't get help alcohol was going to kill me.

The doors to the room of my first meeting were the hardest to open. They got easier after that.

secretary

Thanks for the support and knowledge. My next question is sort of silly but, what if you see someone you know? Is that awkward?

twal

No..I don't think so because you both are there to get sober.

heartcore

I agree with Gracie Lou, that if you are super-nervous you can call the AA hotline and they will send someone to pick you up and attend a meeting with you.

I live in a very small rural town. It is inevitable that I would see folks I knew in my first meetings, now it often seems that half the people I know in town are from the meetings

I just smiled at people I knew. I smiled at people I didn't know. I likely spent half the meeting smiling at people, because that's how I roll...

AA is, of course, anonymous - but not among ourselves. So - for example - seeing someone I know in a meeting, I can greet them and share with them, because we are both alcoholics and are there to support each other. BUT if I see someone from a meeting in the grocery store, you're not supposed to reveal how you know them. I usually give a wave, a smile (of course), and a head nod when I see folks in public, but don't go further unless they approach me. If they are with people I don't know from AA, I would never identify how I know them (ie. would not say "hey, are you going to the Friday AA meeting this week?")

Anonymity is the expressed ideal and agreement. People are just people, so they occasionally compromise it - mostly by mistake. I had someone post something AAish on my Facebook page this morning, and I will likely send them a note reminding them that this potentially breaks my anonymity. I think most folks make a conscious effort to respect this though.

You might be very surprised at who you run into at meetings! We are everywhere...

FreeOwl

In my experience, it winds up actually being kind of cool and welcoming.... over time, I've seen a lot of people I know pass through the rooms.

Turns out, a lot more people that we know struggle with addiction. To me, it feels empowering seeing people I know and realizing that I'm not alone and it's not just about some 'shady' group of people who can't manage their lives - but in fact all sorts of people from all walks of life who have been impacted by addiction in varying ways.

Kris47

Just go and have a good meeting!