What happens at an AA Meeting

[Jessi]

I put this short video here in case some people that think they might be an Alcoholic

or have a problem with Alcohol. This explains what happens at a meeting etc.

When I have taken a sick alcoholic to his/her first meeting they are always full of questions

about what happens at the meeting, who will be there etc etc.

Please enjoy.

[big carl]

Yes there are many different type's of meetings. For my self when I first came in I wasn't to sure what was happening. But there was one thing I was positive of.

That was the complete acceptance of me. They didn't care that I looked like I had just climbed out of a dumpster and was shaking violently.

They just said welcome and keep coming back.

[gk10002000]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

[gerryBScot]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

Personally I find it insidious and deplorable for people who know nothing about the topic to post as if they are experts on the topic. If you had been to AA or GA you would know that what you claim about both, specifically that you must be believe in God, is untrue. If you watch the video you will see a sort caption which says: the only requirement for membership is desire to stop drinking. Can you see any mention of a requirement to believe in God there because I can't?

Undoubtedly one of my defining characteristics as a practising alky and active compulsive gambler was expertise on all subjects especially those matters about which I was ignorant. I readily offered advice and opinions on all manner of things. One of many things I have learned in recovery is to be able to say 'I don't know' when asked about stuff.

You might be in the right place.

[Jessi]

Yep, Tea or Coffee usually.

[Jessi]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

That is a very strange thing to say!!!!

AA has been working for me for over 35 years.

and I DO NOT Believe in GOD

and if anyone at a meeting would try & convert me they would just be told

to P!SS OFF.

Get my drift?

[Jessi]

I posted the video here to try and help people

who might be thinking about going to their first

AA meeting.

Then we get idiots come along and

make stupid statements.

Only been two of those so far, so I guess that is a plus.

[gk10002000]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

Personally I find it insidious and deplorable for people who know nothing about the topic to post as if they are experts on the topic. If you had been to AA or GA you would know that what you claim about both, specifically that you must be believe in God, is untrue. If you watch the video you will see a sort caption which says: the only requirement for membership is desire to stop drinking. Can you see any mention of a requirement to believe in God there because I can't?

Undoubtedly one of my defining characteristics as a practising alky and active compulsive gambler was expertise on all subjects especially those matters about which I was ignorant. I readily offered advice and opinions on all manner of things. One of many things I have learned in recovery is to be able to say 'I don't know' when asked about stuff.

You might be in the right place.

Sorry that you have gone off on a rant. You should seek more treatment. I have been to gambler stuff. It saddened me how they try to impress their organizational belief in God on people that have problems

Step 7 from gamblers anonymous: "7. Humbly asked God (of our understanding) to remove our shortcomings."

Step 11. "11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

The AA and GA statements are basically identical. Two of the steps deal directly with believing in God and they expect you to say that frequently. So don't say there is no God belief involved or expected.

[gk10002000]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

That is a very strange thing to say!!!!

AA has been working for me for over 35 years.

and I DO NOT Believe in GOD

and if anyone at a meeting would try & convert me they would just be told

to P!SS OFF.

Get my drift?

You don't have to believe in God. But two of the 12 steps that you are supposed to believe in and repeatedly state say that you do.

Step 7 from gamblers anonymous: "7. Humbly asked God (of our understanding) to remove our shortcomings."

Step 11. "11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

[thaiduncankk]

From what I remember, the AA will either repair your vehicle there and then, or tow it back to a reputable garage.

RAC is also an option.

[gerryBScot]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

Personally I find it insidious and deplorable for people who know nothing about the topic to post as if they are experts on the topic. If you had been to AA or GA you would know that what you claim about both, specifically that you must be believe in God, is untrue. If you watch the video you will see a sort caption which says: the only requirement for membership is desire to stop drinking. Can you see any mention of a requirement to believe in God there because I can't?

Undoubtedly one of my defining characteristics as a practising alky and active compulsive gambler was expertise on all subjects especially those matters about which I was ignorant. I readily offered advice and opinions on all manner of things. One of many things I have learned in recovery is to be able to say 'I don't know' when asked about stuff.

You might be in the right place.

Sorry that you have gone off on a rant. You should seek more treatment. I have been to gambler stuff. It saddened me how they try to impress their organizational belief in God on people that have problems

Step 7 from gamblers anonymous: "7. Humbly asked God (of our understanding) to remove our shortcomings."

Step 11. "11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

The AA and GA statements are basically identical. Two of the steps deal directly with believing in God and they expect you to say that frequently. So don't say there is no God belief involved or expected.

The bit in brackets (of our understanding) or 'God as we understood him' means just that; it is so controlling, manipulative and devious it lets you define your concept of God/higher power as you wish. But this whole area would be too challenging for you, right?! This can only mean it is a religious movement, you like it black and white, straight up, no grey areas. Jessi, above, has posted he has been in AA for 35 years - well done, brother, which interestingly provoked a few scoffs - but more importantly he asserts he doesn't believe in God. Hello?! Are you there?! He's been in AA for 35 years and he doesn't believe in the fairy in the sky. As far as AA is concerned he's not alone, either. Just more evidence of the dangers in speaking out of your nether regions. There is no rant intended. You're welcome to your views. I really don't care what you think about AA or what anyone else does. But if you come on here, post ill-informed nonsense about stuff you don't know anything about, dressed up as reasonable comment, you're potentially harming people who might be interested in coming to an AA meeting - and I will challenge your nonsense. Upwards and onwards to you all, especially those of us who got to the other side of the river where life can be amazing.

[gk10002000]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

Personally I find it insidious and deplorable for people who know nothing about the topic to post as if they are experts on the topic. If you had been to AA or GA you would know that what you claim about both, specifically that you must be believe in God, is untrue. If you watch the video you will see a sort caption which says: the only requirement for membership is desire to stop drinking. Can you see any mention of a requirement to believe in God there because I can't?

Undoubtedly one of my defining characteristics as a practising alky and active compulsive gambler was expertise on all subjects especially those matters about which I was ignorant. I readily offered advice and opinions on all manner of things. One of many things I have learned in recovery is to be able to say 'I don't know' when asked about stuff.

You might be in the right place.

Sorry that you have gone off on a rant. You should seek more treatment. I have been to gambler stuff. It saddened me how they try to impress their organizational belief in God on people that have problems

Step 7 from gamblers anonymous: "7. Humbly asked God (of our understanding) to remove our shortcomings."

Step 11. "11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

The AA and GA statements are basically identical. Two of the steps deal directly with believing in God and they expect you to say that frequently. So don't say there is no God belief involved or expected.

The bit in brackets (of our understanding) or 'God as we understood him' means just that; it is so controlling, manipulative and devious it lets you define your concept of God/higher power as you wish. But this whole area would be too challenging for you, right?! This can only mean it is a religious movement, you like it black and white, straight up, no grey areas. Jessi, above, has posted he has been in AA for 35 years - well done, brother, which interestingly provoked a few scoffs - but more importantly he asserts he doesn't believe in God. Hello?! Are you there?! He's been in AA for 35 years and he doesn't believe in the fairy in the sky. As far as AA is concerned he's not alone, either. Just more evidence of the dangers in speaking out of your nether regions. There is no rant intended. You're welcome to your views. I really don't care what you think about AA or what anyone else does. But if you come on here, post ill-informed nonsense about stuff you don't know anything about, dressed up as reasonable comment, you're potentially harming people who might be interested in coming to an AA meeting - and I will challenge your nonsense. Upwards and onwards to you all, especially those of us who got to the other side of the river where life can be amazing.

see, now you are just being argumentative. You assert that your view is not nonsense but everybody else's is. I am not speaking about nether religions and never mentioned any such thing. you did. You are going off on tangents and rambling. I clearly and simply listed two of AA's 12 steps. If that bothers you, so be it. By the way, AA's success rate is not documented as very successful by any respected study or agency. It of course has helped many people. But percentage wise and statistically speaking it is barely significant, and other professional therapies are at least as good. I refer you to Scientific American. As far as for Jessi, well as others have posted, 35 years of therapy seems like not a very long lasting treatment.

[metisdead]

Troll posts and replies have been removed.

[gerryBScot]

That's a pretty cheap shot at Jessi but as in everything else it says more about you than it does about Jessi: it really brings your own ignorance of the fellowships into sharp focus. I have little doubt though that Jessi is big enough and ugly enough and is probably having a laugh at your nonsense.

My point is you do not know what you are talking about which was self-evident in your original assertion. If you have been in the rooms and know AAs and GAs you would not make such absurd assertions because you would have met many folk who avowedly don't believe in God. Let me assure you AA and GA are not beyond criticism but like anything it behoves the critic to get it right.

I do not have any issue with any alternative approaches to recovery. I have never made any criticism of them and am unlikely to do so. If it works, go for it and good luck. AA and GA don't need to concern themselves with 'success' or otherwise because their funding is exclusively what members contribute. It is frighteningly democratic in this respect. If members walk, the meeting folds.

If you have a reference for a Scientific American article on or critique of AA/GA, please post a link to it. I am interested in this kind of literature and all I can say is I'll read it and give you my reaction.

[big carl]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

You remind me of a previous poster who knew absolutely nothing about AA yet kept posting on and on and on about it.

God is just a word. In AA if you don't believe in God just use the power of a group many do. If you do believe in a God we could care less what you believe about God that is up to you.

All we really care about is helping you get off the bottle. If God scares you out you really don't have much of a problem.

Do what I did. I just kept on belting them back until I didn't care what I had to do.

Or you could go to a treatment center they get lots of people who really don't want to stop but say they do to gain the approval of some one or their employer. They have people who actually do make it and don't believe in God.

[big carl]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

Personally I find it insidious and deplorable for people who know nothing about the topic to post as if they are experts on the topic. If you had been to AA or GA you would know that what you claim about both, specifically that you must be believe in God, is untrue. If you watch the video you will see a sort caption which says: the only requirement for membership is desire to stop drinking. Can you see any mention of a requirement to believe in God there because I can't?

Undoubtedly one of my defining characteristics as a practising alky and active compulsive gambler was expertise on all subjects especially those matters about which I was ignorant. I readily offered advice and opinions on all manner of things. One of many things I have learned in recovery is to be able to say 'I don't know' when asked about stuff.

You might be in the right place.

Sorry that you have gone off on a rant. You should seek more treatment. I have been to gambler stuff. It saddened me how they try to impress their organizational belief in God on people that have problems

Step 7 from gamblers anonymous: "7. Humbly asked God (of our understanding) to remove our shortcomings."

Step 11. "11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

The AA and GA statements are basically identical. Two of the steps deal directly with believing in God and they expect you to say that frequently. So don't say there is no God belief involved or expected.

Now what are you on about. It says God as you understand him. If your understanding of him is he is a nonentity that is what it asks you to do.

Problem solved you have followed the instructions to the letter.

[Johnniey]

AA or Gambler's Anonymous, while can be helpful, have an underlying goal of making you believe in God. In fact it is one of the tenets. I myself find that deplorable, to insidiously slide in any connection or belief in God in order to seek treatment.

Aside from your incorrect statements, which I can't be bothered correcting, if you don't like the GA program don't go, find another way. The program is based on a higher power doing what you can't do yourself. If you don't believe in a higher power you are one egotistical individual.

AA and God have totally transformed my life and I am eternally grateful. By the way, the meetings I go to never mention the word God. The steps in Thai don't use the word "pra jao".