risydawn

I'm a newbie to all of this. I quit drinking almost 5 weeks ago and until coming here last night I have gotten no help from anyone. I posted about myself last night, and it's on page 2 or 3 now. And you're all wonderful by the way. Great supportive people.

I have a window opened looking at AA meetings in my area right now. Does "Closed" meetings mean that new people can't come? I guess it's obvious to everyone else. The vodka has affected my brain a lot.

BadCompany

Closed meetings are for alcoholics only. Open meetings allow friends and family to attend. You'll be welcome at a closed meeting.

soberlicious

"closed" means alcoholics only...or rather anyone with a desire to quit drinking...as opposed to "open" meetings, which are open to the general public per se.

CarolD

I'm really pleased you are interested in AA....

Please read both of these links....

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-about-aa.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ower-post.html

The verybest way to discover what we are about..is go check out several different meetings..

risydawn

Okay, that's good. Thanks!!

alaskasunshine

Hey, let us know how that goes! Are you in the "October 2011" class?

PaperDolls

Just wanted to say "Welcome!" risy. Glad you found us!!

MemphisBlues

A closed meeting means that you will be safe, surrounded only by others with a desire to stop drinking and drugging and willing to share with a new comer -- you -- their experience and success and failures.

And if you walk into the right room, you'll find something more, sober people celebrating sobriety and living life on life's terms.

Let us know how your first meeting goes!

And keep coming back.

risydawn

Thanks everyone! Coming to the board makes me feel not so alone in this. I'm going to try to go next week sometime.. and I'm a little nervous about it.

And thank you for the info, Carol.

Alaska..what's the October class?

eJoshua

Hey risydawn -

Good luck with the meeting, don't be afraid to post here with how it went.

The October class is a thread on here of people that are all trying to quit this October. You would be welcome as a "member", even though you already have a month down.

risydawn

Great! I'll check it out. I've seen it on the message board.

Boleo

This is not always the case. Some closed meetings are confined to alcohol issues only. They will get upset if you identify yourself as an addict and will really hit the roof if you start talking about narcotics.

sugarbear1

Boleo, some do, some meetings don't stick to their primary purpose. I'd stick to talking about alcohol.

MemphisBlues

Personally, if I wanted to stop drinking and failed, I wouldn't wait until next week to go to a meeting. I would find one now. And one in the afternoon. And one at noon and one in the evening and I would go. Now.

If you really want it, it's there for you and a few other million hapless drunks who stumbled into the rooms for the first time.