HELP finding meetings for younger people.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: new york, new york
Posts: 1
HELP finding meetings for younger people.
this is kind of a long shot, but i might as well give it a try:
i currently attend s.m.a.r.t. meetings (self-management and recovery training). they're a lot like AA or NA meetings, but instead of dealing with substance abuse in a spiritual way, they tend to look at it from a more psychological perspective. it's basically like group therapy. i've been to NA, stopped going, and recently switched to s.m.a.r.t., which i like a lot better.
the only problem is..i never see anyone around my age in these meetings (i'm twenty). they're sometimes many years older and often multiple decades. my therapist thinks it would be a good idea if i could find similar type meetings that are more geared towards younger individuals that i could additionally go to. she couldn't think of or find any though.
have you ever heard of this type of group or meeting? while i love s.m.a.r.t. & even NA, i think she's right and that it would help if i met people around my age who probably have more similar experiences. i'm in the NYC area if that helps.
i currently attend s.m.a.r.t. meetings (self-management and recovery training). they're a lot like AA or NA meetings, but instead of dealing with substance abuse in a spiritual way, they tend to look at it from a more psychological perspective. it's basically like group therapy. i've been to NA, stopped going, and recently switched to s.m.a.r.t., which i like a lot better.
the only problem is..i never see anyone around my age in these meetings (i'm twenty). they're sometimes many years older and often multiple decades. my therapist thinks it would be a good idea if i could find similar type meetings that are more geared towards younger individuals that i could additionally go to. she couldn't think of or find any though.
have you ever heard of this type of group or meeting? while i love s.m.a.r.t. & even NA, i think she's right and that it would help if i met people around my age who probably have more similar experiences. i'm in the NYC area if that helps.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LA - Lower Alabama
Posts: 5,068
In NYC you should be able to find lots of young people's meetings of AA. SMART I am not so sure about. AA membership probably outnumbers SMART's by 10,000:1.
Consider giving AA another try, you may need tofind a different group. Best of luck in your recovery.
Consider giving AA another try, you may need tofind a different group. Best of luck in your recovery.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 12,136
Hi and welcome,
Why not supplement your SMART meetings with AA or NA, in order to meet others closer to your age?
There are members here who are quite young too, and hopefully they will be along soon to share what works for them.
Why not supplement your SMART meetings with AA or NA, in order to meet others closer to your age?
There are members here who are quite young too, and hopefully they will be along soon to share what works for them.
let it grow!
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 15,540
nice to meet you, aidnea - my daughter is 23 and she goes to aa. we live in a big city too, and there are lots of young people meetings.
don't have any experience with smart, but i'm happy to hear that it is working for you.
keep posting and blessings, k
don't have any experience with smart, but i'm happy to hear that it is working for you.
keep posting and blessings, k
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: anomaly
Posts: 2,180
There's alon -teen.
I had the sametype of experinece ..sort of.
I started out in AA, I was only 22 at the time...I was the baby.
There where every few people in AA that was my age at that time.
An old timer suggested that I attended NA..not so much becuase of
contraversy, but becuase NA just had a younger crowd in my area.
It's a good thing them old folks in AA are spiritaul,
because i had a lot behaviors problems when i first got sober.lol
They don't get too spiritaul with their heads in the clouds tho.
They keep thier feet on the ground. Sometimes they put thier foot
down on me when I don't act right.lol
Then oneday a young, young person came into AA. She hung on to me
like a little sister becuase i was the closest person to her age.
She was only 16. That's when I found out about alon teen and suggested
that she attend those meetings. But she kept coming back to AA.
I guess she found a home.
I had the sametype of experinece ..sort of.
I started out in AA, I was only 22 at the time...I was the baby.
There where every few people in AA that was my age at that time.
An old timer suggested that I attended NA..not so much becuase of
contraversy, but becuase NA just had a younger crowd in my area.
It's a good thing them old folks in AA are spiritaul,
because i had a lot behaviors problems when i first got sober.lol
They don't get too spiritaul with their heads in the clouds tho.
They keep thier feet on the ground. Sometimes they put thier foot
down on me when I don't act right.lol
Then oneday a young, young person came into AA. She hung on to me
like a little sister becuase i was the closest person to her age.
She was only 16. That's when I found out about alon teen and suggested
that she attend those meetings. But she kept coming back to AA.
I guess she found a home.
Silly Rabbit
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 956
hey aidnea,
i know what you mean about the lack of young people in meetings sometimes. i'm 22, and with 15 months of sobriety, i was in AA just after my 21st b-day. the meetings i went to were mostly old timers, but i found one group with a couple cool, younger women to hang out with and i made it my home group.
the spiritual approach to alcoholism works for me, so i don't know about s.m.a.r.t., but even if you're not into God, you can go to AA. all you need is a desire to stop drinking.
when i moved to charlotte, AA became like, young people central. it was nuts, i'd never had so many cool sober kids my age to hang out with... it really made the difference in my life. there's nothing like knowing you can catch a certain show or whatever because you've got your sober kids to roll with.
i don't know if that helps at all, because i didn't list any young people's meetings in NYC, but if you go to the aa website (i think it's alcoholicsanonymous.org) they'll have a meeting list in your area, or at least the phone number of the intergroup office in your area.
good luck, keep posting, and if you ever want to talk about being young and sober (sounds like a soap opera, hahaha), you can pm me anytime.
take it easy!
em
i know what you mean about the lack of young people in meetings sometimes. i'm 22, and with 15 months of sobriety, i was in AA just after my 21st b-day. the meetings i went to were mostly old timers, but i found one group with a couple cool, younger women to hang out with and i made it my home group.
the spiritual approach to alcoholism works for me, so i don't know about s.m.a.r.t., but even if you're not into God, you can go to AA. all you need is a desire to stop drinking.
when i moved to charlotte, AA became like, young people central. it was nuts, i'd never had so many cool sober kids my age to hang out with... it really made the difference in my life. there's nothing like knowing you can catch a certain show or whatever because you've got your sober kids to roll with.
i don't know if that helps at all, because i didn't list any young people's meetings in NYC, but if you go to the aa website (i think it's alcoholicsanonymous.org) they'll have a meeting list in your area, or at least the phone number of the intergroup office in your area.
good luck, keep posting, and if you ever want to talk about being young and sober (sounds like a soap opera, hahaha), you can pm me anytime.
take it easy!
em
Old & Sober Member of AA
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Nursing Home in Brick, New Jersey
Posts: 5,174
My very first home group was a young people's meeting, and I was 48...but, the age difference didn't matter to me...I was just happy to be sober and being with other recovering alcoholics. Keep checking around for young people's groups AA and/or NA...I'm sure you'll find them.
I pulled off your wings ...
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: United Kingdom (Im already there in mind)
Posts: 475
Originally Posted by aidnea6 
this is kind of a long shot, but i might as well give it a try:
i currently attend s.m.a.r.t. meetings (self-management and recovery training). they're a lot like AA or NA meetings, but instead of dealing with substance abuse in a spiritual way, they tend to look at it from a more psychological perspective. it's basically like group therapy. i've been to NA, stopped going, and recently switched to s.m.a.r.t., which i like a lot better.
the only problem is..i never see anyone around my age in these meetings (i'm twenty). they're sometimes many years older and often multiple decades. my therapist thinks it would be a good idea if i could find similar type meetings that are more geared towards younger individuals that i could additionally go to. she couldn't think of or find any though.
have you ever heard of this type of group or meeting? while i love s.m.a.r.t. & even NA, i think she's right and that it would help if i met people around my age who probably have more similar experiences. i'm in the NYC area if that helps.
i currently attend s.m.a.r.t. meetings (self-management and recovery training). they're a lot like AA or NA meetings, but instead of dealing with substance abuse in a spiritual way, they tend to look at it from a more psychological perspective. it's basically like group therapy. i've been to NA, stopped going, and recently switched to s.m.a.r.t., which i like a lot better.
the only problem is..i never see anyone around my age in these meetings (i'm twenty). they're sometimes many years older and often multiple decades. my therapist thinks it would be a good idea if i could find similar type meetings that are more geared towards younger individuals that i could additionally go to. she couldn't think of or find any though.
have you ever heard of this type of group or meeting? while i love s.m.a.r.t. & even NA, i think she's right and that it would help if i met people around my age who probably have more similar experiences. i'm in the NYC area if that helps.
hello im jen I am an addict
Im 26 and live in nyc as well.... its true what your saying i need some people more of my age around... if you want to you can tell me which one u go to and i can go there... i just started going to meetings to i dont have a home base yet
PM me and let me know
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