My Experience at an Alcohol Anonymous Meeting

As many people would admit, life is a series of ups and downs. Nothing comes easy in life and anyone willing to achieve the impossible has to put the best foot forward. This statement can accurately sum up my experience at a recent alcoholic anonymous meeting. Many people have succumbed to death due to alcohol abuse. The ability to master your urges is as hard as it gets and this explains the reason many people fall deeper into the addiction. Generally, alcohol addictions are well-hidden problems. Most alcoholics don't come out of their hidden closets hence their alcoholic battles are masked with busy schedules and long hours in the bar. Hence, most people live in denial and tend to keep their addictions a well-hidden secret. In the fight against alcohol, the blame game is a no-go-zone. Each individual has to take up his or her burden and face it head-on. This is the reason alcoholic anonymous meetings are a necessity whenever individuals are fighting alcoholic addictions.

 I am a 57-year-old combat veteran. Attending an alcohol anonymous meeting informs on the invisible struggles people go through in their daily lives. My attendance was duly noted and appreciated at the meeting. From people’s testimonials to the acceptance speeches and finally climbing up the victory lap created joyous memories in my mind. The venue created conducive surroundings for venting out anger and also defeat. No one is perfect. I learned that alcoholic addictions had ruined marriages, destroyed dreams, and drove people to the brink of committing suicides. A bit of patience, love, humility, gratitude, and medicinal treatment are some of the qualities which kept the alcoholics alive and fighting despite the odds against them.

            One of the most outstanding aspects of the alcohol anonymous meeting was open-air conversations. Instead of having a central speaker, all the attendants got a chance to voice out their concerns on alcohol abuse and addiction. The platform was opened to anyone willing to share his alcohol-related experiences. The circular seating arrangement exposed everyone at the venue and gave the impression that no one was bigger or more important than the other. Everyone was a guest. The central theme of the meeting was building faith and then using it to achieve the impossible.  Fighting alcohol addiction is like a game. One may relapse after some weeks. One sip drives one deeper into the abyss of affliction and addiction. The fight is a continuous loop burdened with caution and commitment. Some of the attendants admitted that they used diverting tactics to get their minds off alcohol. For instance, some joined sports and other acquired gym memberships to use up their time on some good other than drinking alcohol. The space and timing of the event were perfect hence giving all the people in attendance time and a chance to speak, complain and find a suitable alcohol program befitting their alcoholic situation.

 Hearing the first-hand experiences from former alcohol addicts built compassion and caring in my heart. Some of the things aired out at the meeting are confidential and I cannot divulge them but they remained arched deep in my heart. I went to the event looking to help out but I returned a changed man. No one can go through some ordeals and live to tell the tale. It was miraculous and amazing to be seated next to this victorious giants. Alcohol is a scourge and from their passionate voices, I had to fight back tears from flowing from my eyes. For example, one of the attendants had battled alcohol for more than 30 years. The testimony of this man was disheartening, yet he soldiered on and kept on talking to the listening audience. In the fight against alcohol addiction, one cannot afford to have a misstep, no matter how small it is, the fight has to be continuous, persistent and even one sip is equated to a million bottles of alcohol. Abstinence is the best medicine while fighting alcohol addiction. One sip or drink can be enough to return a person tor rehabilitation. Moving on is the mantra these people live by on a daily basis. Let go and let God deal with some of the situations that help them to heal and move on. No matter what these people are hell-bent to become better and do better.

In my opinion, fighting alcohol is tricky. It is legally available and accessible to anyone who wishes to indulge in it. This the reason why lawyers, judges, doctors, and even engineers were battling this addiction. Anyone can become addicted to alcohol not only due to its accessibility for persons above 18 years old but also due to negligence and laxity associated with laws governing its sales and circulation. The discipline and sheer force required to stop an addiction required extra commitment. The integration of alcohol into societal norms makes the alcohol addicts fight harder and even pray that everything goes well as they fight against this menace. Some people claimed that while fighting alcohol they changed their social circles and even adopted new routines in order to avoid public spaces that sold alcohol to people. Even though it worked sometimes it did not work because one could be tempted to bring order alcohol from online stores. This surprised me and opened my eyes to various things that people had to do so that they could be free of alcohol. It was an amazing affair about how the meeting was able to bring up different people together with the aim of fighting this scourge.

            I was impressed to learn that this meeting acts as a foundation for more than one recovery program. The thing is one has to step up and register for him or her to be accepted into the venue. Everyone seemed to be happy about the topics being discussed and anyone was free to choose a partner they wanted to walk the journey with. As time goes by and people eventually move out of the trappings of these addictions, in my perspective, these meetings play a crucial role in ensuring that everyone is back on their feet and everything is running as smoothly as possible so that no one relapses back into his normal ways. The meeting was informative, helpful and in my own opinion revealed a side in have never seen in terms of fighting alcohol addiction. Everyone was willing to help the next person and it was a wonderful feeling to be seated amongst one of the greatest people I have ever encountered in life just to say the least.