Chrisy

I found some listings of NA meetings in Chandler but they have codes that I don't know what they mean. (TD) ( O TD W) (O TD M) I know it seems like a stupid question, but a teacher told me that no question is stupid.

Thanks for any help in helping figure out what NA meetings I would be welcome at.

Thank you for all your support, will let you know what the pain management doctors says and does.

Love and Blessings to all
Chrisy

Lost3000

Have you tried google? I'm curious too!

Sapling

TD is probably Topic/Discussion...They are like AA meetings....Here's a good overview.

Types of AA Meetings

Meetings can be categorized by their topic and format, who attends them, and the facilities in which they are held. It is also useful to consider the unofficial distinctions of small versus large meetings and smoking versus non-smoking.

Open versus closed
Mixed, men only, women only, young peoples'
Speaker, Big Book, Step Study or Discussion
Clubhouse or church
Small or large
Smoking versus non-smoking
Meetings may be "Open" (to anyone) or "Closed"(for alcoholics only). Many groups pay no attention to this distinction, and it is not uncommon for regular participants in a meeting to be uncertain whether their meeting is officially open or closed. Family and friends of the alcoholic, along with observers and students of various kinds are welcome at the open meetings. Closed meetings are reserved for those who consider themselves to be alcoholics or who are investigating that possibility for themselves. Newcomers are always welcome at closed meetings regardless of whether they have made up their minds about themselves.

Meetings may be "mixed"(male and female), men only, or women only. Meeting schedules indicate by codes(usually MO or WO) if a meeting is restricted.

AA meetings are also characterized according to their format:

Discussion meetings
Big Book Study meetings
Step Study meetings
Speaker meetings
Discussion meetings
The discussion leader introduces a topic with some brief comments and then throws the meeting open, recognizing those who indicate their desire to share by raising their hands.
Those who raise their hands and are recognized by the discussion leader normally introduce themselves by saying "My name is so-and-so and I am an alcoholic." Some people say "I am a grateful recovering alcoholic," "I am powerless over alcohol," or some other variation. Although it is generally expected, it is not required that those who wish to share identify themselves as being alcoholic.
Sharing usually begins with some reference to the topic mentioned by the discussion leader or to comments by a previous speaker, but each member who speaks is free to change the subject or to introduce an entirely new topic if they need to do so. It is expected that anyone having a particularly hard time, especially if they are thinking seriously about drinking, will bring this up regardless of whatever the original topic or subsequent comments may have been.
Certain conventions guide the content and format of sharing in meetings, although these may be and sometimes are ignored. They include:
Length around 3 minutes or less.
Personal experience, feelings, struggles valued over opinions, theory.
Avoidance of direct advice and "cross talk," i.e. telling another member what to think or how to behave.
Some relation to alcohol or to conflicts in living that can be related to the Twelve Steps.
In general a "single share" convention is followed in which no member speaks at length more than once during a given meeting, although exceptions to this are not uncommon depending upon the group and circumstances.
Identification and empathy with the experiences of others who have shared. This is expressed by sharing one's own personal experiences of a similar nature.
Occasionally the meeting "goes around the room" and everyone has the opportunity to speak if desired, or the discussion leader may call on individual members and invite them to share. Those who do not wish to speak simply say "Thanks, I'll pass" or "I'll just listen tonight." This is always accepted and pressure is never exerted to speak.
b. Meetings usually wrap up on time and are closed in a manner chosen by the particular group. A basket is usually passed around the room for voluntary contributions to defray expenses. No contribution is required, and first-timers are often advised not to contribute. The usual donation is one dollar. It is common for the chairperson to read or remind everyone of the Twelfth Tradition(the principle of anonymity) and to invite the group to stand, join hands in a circle, and recite the Lord's Prayer or the Serenity Prayer.

Big Book and Step Study Meetings
These meetings are devoted to the study of the "Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous" or to the "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions"("12 and 12") written by Bill Wilson, a co-founder of AA. Participants commonly bring their own copy of the appropriate book, but there are usually extra copies available at the meeting for those who did not bring a copy.
The typical meeting will involve reading some portion of the "Big Book" or the "Twelve and Twelve" and then commenting upon it from the individual member's experience and perspective. The discussion leader may read a selected passage and then invite comments, or members may take turns reading a paragraph or two from a chosen section of the work, followed by a general discussion of the topics covered.
As in the discussion meeting, sharing that consists of personal experience and applications of the text is valued over purely theoretical and impersonal analysis.
Also as in the discussion meeting, "cross talk" is kept to a minimum. The usual etiquette is for members to remain silent until the speaker has finished.
Speaker meetings

A speaker is selected in advance who agrees to "tell their story" of drinking and recovery to the group. Speakers are usually those with a year or more of sobriety who have previously been asked and agreed to talk.
A common format is to devote the entire meeting after the usual opening readings to the speaker's story. When the story is finished the meeting is wrapped up without formal discussion.
Some meetings are combined "speaker-discussion meetings" in which a chosen speaker talks for a quarter or a half an hour, followed by a group discussion of the themes raised in accordance with the usual conventions of a discussion meeting.

Source..... Your First AA Meeting<

sugarbear1

There's usually a key attached somewhere on the page!

Lost3000

I got it. Sapling's right. TD is topic discussion.

O = open meeting
W = women's
M = men's

smacked

(TD) ( O TD W) (O TD M)

The last two are open meetings, one for women, one for men.

All three are topic discussion meetings.

smacked

Here's all the codes:

Meeting Codes: O=Open to all interested in NA C=Closed for addicts only or those who think they have a problem Sp=Speaker
WC=Wheelchair Access D=Discussion St=Step Study Tr=Tradition Study S/D=Speaker followed by discussion LS=Literature Study
SWG=Step Working Guide TD=Topic Discussion TS=Basic Text Study VAR=Variable Format H&W= It Works How & WhyText Study
Cndl=Candlelight Meeting CPC=Chairpersons Choice NSP = No Smoking Premises

Chrisy

Thank you for your answer, it does help. I am thinking I will try and go to the saturday noon meeting here in the next town of Chandler. The others are at night and I have bad vision so I like not to drive at night. Hopefully by Saturday I will feel like a living human being again. Once I go I might meet someone who would drive me to the night meetings.

Sapling

Little different than AA on my schedule...But close.

sugarbear1

click on the "Legend" Call your area for a clarification of anything you don't understand here!

BL Bilingual

R / V Rotating / Varied Format

C Closed (Addicts Only)

O OPEN

QA Questions & Answers

RA Restricted Access

CL Candle Light

SP / ES Spanish / Espanol

G Gay / Lesbian Oriented

SS Step Study

H Handicap Accessible

TD Topic/Discussion

J Just For Today

T / TK Ticket

L Longer Than 1 Hour

TS Tradition Study

LS Literature Study

W Women Oriented

SW Step Working Guide Study

SB Smoke Break

M Men Oriented (probably a men's only meeting, not "men" as a topic!)

Y Youth Oriented

IW It Works


ME Meditation

D Discussion / Participation

IP IP Study

CF Camp Fire

CT 12 Concepts

SK Smoking

BT Basic Text

N Newcomer

OD Outdoors

S/SM Speaker Meeting

Sapling

They usually do announcements in the begining....They ask if anyone has any...You could raise your hand and say you are looking for a ride to night meetings...Somebody might be able to help you out. Stick with the females as a good rule of thumb.

DayTrader

SR has a great area for all NA-related questions: http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-step-support/

Chrisy

Thanks for all the good answers and the link. I clicked on it.

Took a shower and am getting ready to see the pain management doctor and taking every med. I have for us to discuss. I have a feeling it will be a choice between pain and pain pills to stop the pain. I just feel that there has to be a better way to help pain relief then get people dependent on these opiate drugs and other additive drugs.

My stomach is very upset, and I am not hungry on day 3, but forced myself to eat a banana and water and a sugar free fudge bar. I wonder when one feels like eating again?

I am so happy I found this forum.

Thank you to all.

Love and Blessings
Chrisy

eJoshua

Hope your appt goes well, Chrisy.

problemhouston

Here are the codes taken from the World NA Website:

Meeting Format Codes

CPT 12 Concepts
BT Basic Text
BEG Beginner/Newcomer
CAN Candlelight
CW Children Welcome
DISC Discussion/Participation
GL LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender)
IP IP Study
IW It Works Study
JFT Just For Today Study
LIT Literature Study
LC Living Clean
M Men
MED Meditation
NS Non-Smoking
QA Questions & Answers
RA Restricted Access
SMOK Smoking
SPK Speaker
STEP Step
SWG Step Working Guide Study
TOP Topic
TRAD Tradition
VAR Format Varies
W Women
Y Young People

Dee74

welcome to SR problemhouston

D

problemhouston

Thanks for welcoming me Dee. Newbie to this site as well as NA.