is it the time of year?
 

Went to an AA meeting today. There was a lot of people there, but also a lot of empty seats. The place was standing room only in the past two weeks, but not today. A lady shared that she is aware of a lot of people that have relapsed recently, more than usual. Another guy probably in his late 20's said that a friend of his died a few weeks ago. Another member shared the same thing. Then all of a sudden half the room jumped up. Turned out a new guy was on the floor looking like he was in serious trouble. I know CPR but another guy was already doing it but I stuck around anyway. A lot of people stayed but most left for some reason but I felt I should stay in case there was anything I could do, although I knew there wasn't. I guess I just wanted to stick around to make sure the guy was ok. Someone called 911 and the paramedics showed up. I heard them say his vitals were fine. Turned out the guy is a diabetic and they said his weight might of contributed to what happened. One member said he just fell off his seat (he is a really big guy), but I thought maybe he had a seizure. I walked up to one guy I know and he said see John, that's what happens when you drink. They put the guy on a gurney and took him away. Everybody held hands after he was taken away and said a prayer. The whole thing seemed so surreal. John

That sounds really scary. I hope that guy's OK.

This is a rough time of year for a lot of people. Some meetings are busier than others. I usually notice attendance picking up after the holidays though.

yeah, it's that time of the year again.
Same thing happens at the gym.

I hope he is alright. The holiday season is hard for a lot of people.

It is a time of year thing I think. In terms of chronic disease, a lot of people overeat and overdrink on holidays and exacerbate conditions like heart problems.

The holidays and the emotional side of it (expectations etc) often trigger mental illness exacerbations - I am seeing this now at work.

Also, in a lot of areas, the holidays also fall with the change in weather which does not help!

Sounds like a bummer of a meeting.