Alcoholics Anonymous Club: a chance to start life from scratch. Alcoholics Anonymous - real help or just another sect? How do Alcoholics Anonymous meetings work?

There are no former alcoholics, just like drug addicts. I'm an alcoholic. I have been sober for 4 years, 2 months and 5 days. And I need this confession for three reasons:

1. I need to talk it out to deal with the guilt.
2. We need to tell those who are drinking now that it is possible to get out of this horror.
3. This is the most important thing: we need to convey to those who are squeamish about alcoholics that alcoholism is a disease just like cancer. And it is not weak-willed people who suffer from it. But they are always ready to take pity on cancer patients, but not on alcoholics.

How I realized that I was an alcoholic

It happened to me like in a movie. One day, on my way home from work, out of habit, I went into a grocery store and handed the saleswoman a bill, intending to say “small cognac.” But while she was opening her mouth, she silently took the money and handed me the bottle. To me! The saleswoman gave me, an intellectual with two higher educations, a mother of two children, a “check”, like a real alcoholic who regularly comes to her when he’s drunk! I was shocked... And I drank cognac right away, around the corner of the store. I bought the second bottle near my metro station - in a market where I almost never go. I wouldn’t have survived a second shame that evening.

I sat down at home and began to remember. I always had a chance to become an alcoholic - my dad was a beer alcoholic. Then the first husband, a creative person, a musician, drank (I held on to it), the eldest daughter was born - after a year and a half they found out that she had a serious genetic disease, a divorce. An affair with someone else's husband... A stressful job... A sick child... One morning I felt so bad that I simply couldn’t get up. While looking for my phone, I felt under the bed with my foot a bottle I had not drunk yesterday. I took a sip without thinking, almost vomited... But after five minutes I felt good. This moment was the beginning of the end.

Having discovered the hangover, on the way to work I began to “get drunk.” At first it was really okay: 50 g of cognac in the morning, wine at lunch and, if it was time for the evening, she went out again for cognac. It seemed to me that no one noticed. But I was always afraid that they would “smell” it. As a result, despite all her sociability, she began to talk less and from afar with people, kept chewing gum in her mouth all the time and nodded silently, even when she had something to say.

I've lost a lot of weight. I only wanted to eat in the morning, after the first glass, and at lunch, being already pretty tipsy, I poured a little soup into myself. For dinner - cognac without snacks.

Once, at a colleague’s birthday, after drinking heavily, one of the employees “shot out” with a quatrain: “I met Tatyana here, sober, not drunk. Sober - not drunk, that means not ***.” I was thrown into a fever, I pretended that it was funny, that this was a random choice of rhyme... And at that moment I realized that it was naive to assume that no one noticed anything.

How I was coded

The dose of alcohol consumed increased, the signs of my incontinence began to be reflected on my face: I was very swollen, the bags under my eyes were especially noticeable, my cheeks appeared, and the corners of my lips began to droop, “cutting through” the nasolabial fold. But I no longer swayed from any dose of alcohol and the body’s protective reaction such as vomiting disappeared.

My foggy brain didn’t let me realize that I looked, frankly, so-so, and even if I kept my mouth shut, my colleagues noticed that I was “drunk again.” This is exactly what one of my subordinates wrote about me to another on ICQ. I saw it while passing by.

After that I wanted to open up to someone. I called a close friend. And she advised calling... a narcologist. This was another shock for me. It always seemed to me that the story with calling a narcologist was about drunks who... Well, you understand, completely... So, I am “completely”? Thank God, the advice was not abstract: my friend had a friend who was a drug addict. He turned out to be a cheerful person; it was calm and not humiliating to be with him.

I knew the word “encode” for a long time, but he said that for this you need to be “clean”, that is, not drink alcohol for 3-10 days before encoding. Then it seemed incredible to me. In the morning I had already poured a couple of bottles of motherwort tincture in anticipation of help, because otherwise I would freeze, pound and break.

“First, the patient must be washed,” that’s what my “Dr. House” said. He put me on an IV. Its meaning is detoxification. Previously, you drank because you couldn’t help but drink: you felt physically ill, you thought you would die without alcohol. And now you don’t feel bad, you won’t die, which means you can quit.

My narcologist did one thing in vain: he told me that many people use it as a lifesaver - regularly. This gave me the idea that it was possible to continue drinking while being able to “flush.” And I started playing the game “call the narcologist.” Fortunately, she earned good money and could afford it. Dr. House and I became friends - he came to see me almost every week.

You need to call a trusted doctor or from a very decent clinic (he will also cost a decent amount - from 9,000 rubles). It is advisable that all this time, when there is a narcologist in the apartment, one of your loved ones is at home: mother, girlfriend, husband (if you are lucky). Let them cook the broth for you - you'll be really hungry towards the end of the wash.

Step back

I believed that I could control the process. Drink rarely, but accurately - only when the weekend is ahead. And only after preparing - putting aside the tablets and drinking enterosgel first. If I forgot about the pills, I had to get myself out of the terrible state with cocktails like gin and tonic. And so that no one would see my swelling, I began drinking diuretics in wild quantities.

Around this stage, I lost my job and confessed the problem to my relatives - I was drunk, of course, so that they would regret it. After that, I came up with another game: drink without anyone noticing. And additional stress.

Luckily, I found a new job pretty quickly, otherwise the end of the story would have been completely different. The new one was calmer. Rare binges lasting a day and a half, constant tension, lying to colleagues (“oh, I have blood pressure!”), every day on the way from work a terrible dilemma: to buy or not to buy wine...

And then my friend died, leaving her one and a half year old daughter, my goddaughter, orphaned. No one but me could take the child - Olga had no relatives.

First, we had to draw up documents for guardianship, then we had a small child in our arms. I began to drink less often - once every one and a half to two months. In general, it is not known which of us saved whom: she saved me or I saved her.

Somehow I lasted three months without alcohol. And during this bright period I met the man of my dreams. But as soon as the reason was found (and wow, there are so many of them), I again resorted to the help of cognac. The main thing is that there is no alcohol in the house in the morning. Then there was a chance that, having been sick for a day, I would be in a bad mood and nervous, but would still go to work.

Yes, I even got married! I still don’t understand how I managed to do it. I probably got it with my sense of humor and truly brilliant resourcefulness: after living with this man for several years, I managed to drink quietly without him noticing! Bad in the morning? Pressure! I went to bed early - I was tired. I remember a “funny” incident at the beginning of our life together: I showed my beloved a magazine where I once worked - and on one of the pages there was an advertisement for cognac. Our youngest daughter was sitting with us. Seeing the cognac in the picture, she, without thinking, pointed her finger at it and said tenderly: “Mom...” I almost died on the spot, but, fortunately, my future husband was distracted by something...

This couldn't go on for long. I once again decided to quit - and told my husband everything. I swore that I would control everything and give up. I could not. It got to the point that he himself called a narcologist for me... It seemed there was nowhere to go lower.

Alcoholics Anonymous group

Bree Vandekamp is resting... “I’m Tanya, I’m 39, I have a problem with alcohol...”, it wasn’t easy to say it, or rather, pull yourself together and go to the AA group. I convinced myself only eight months after starting treatment.

Yes, pills are very good, but any “former alcoholic” needs a “crutch” so as not to start falling back into the abyss. For some it’s yoga, for others it’s discovering the traveler in themselves, and for others it’s running a beauty blog. But the most reliable thing is still groups. You have to go there.

The contingent there, frankly, is very diverse - from oligarchs brought in by security to those who just yesterday spent the night under the fence. The meeting place is not the most comfortable: our group met in the assembly hall at the plant, and in the summer, when I went on vacation at the seaside, I went to a group at a temple in a resort town. At first you force yourself to go through force, but the third or fifth time you start to be drawn there: you feel that it’s boiling, that you want to drink, or you have dreams about hiding a bottle... and you go. You speak out and it’s easier.

1. Which group should I attend first?
The group can be small (5 people) or large (more than 15 people).

It is better to go to a larger group, as you can listen to more opinions and get lost.
Although I myself ended up in a small group and it was fine. You just worry more in a small group.

2. Go to the first group, which meets at a drug treatment center, at social security, or at a church?

3. Is it possible to go to a group while drunk?
- You can, but sit quieter than water, lower than the grass.

4. Fear of meeting old acquaintances and colleagues.
- It is unlikely that you will immediately meet acquaintances in a big city.
In three years I have not met a single old acquaintance.
Even if you meet him, that person will be happy about it, since he understands that being an alcoholic is not a shame.

6. One more nuance: In some groups, at the beginning or in the middle of the meeting, the so-called verbal serenity “Our Father” or “Let the Will be done” may be verbally pronounced. It’s better not to go to such groups for the first time; these are for super-advanced AA participants. This was copied from American collections, which is unusual for us.

- I am “desperate”, I went on my own, came to the house of culture at the address, it’s not clear where to go, I asked the innocent secretary “where is the AA group”, she called the director of the house of culture, and she came out and said that it was yesterday, come now in 6 days. It turned out there was a typo on the group schedule website.

8. How to behave at a meeting?
- Naturally, you find yourself in a group of people from different social strata and different ages (since alcoholism spares no one).
Someone can come in a jeep, and someone is unemployed and has 100 rubles left before their benefits.
Some have not yet completely lost their health, while others have already seriously undermined their health.
Some people don’t look like an alcoholic at all (although they’ve been sober recently), while others are very similar (although they’ve been sober for a long time).
- Five minutes into the meeting, the moderator may ask, “Is there anyone attending an AA meeting for the first time?”
You will say from your seat (don’t get up, don’t say your last name): “I, Mikhail, am at an AA meeting for the first time.”
The presenter may ask: “Tell me, for what reason are you here?”
This is not a challenge or an interrogation, it is simply necessary for understanding: you have problems with alcohol; or maybe your relative; or maybe someone from the social service was just interested... It’s not written against you that you are abusing.
You can answer at your own discretion: “I have problems with alcohol,” or “I am an alcoholic,” or “Alcohol greatly interferes with my life,” “I have binges.”
Further, if in this group something is said in a circle, then when it comes to your turn, then for the first time it is better not to say anything, to say “I, Mikhail, have problems with alcohol, will listen.”
If you feel strong enough, you can tell us for 5 minutes how you came to this life.
There is such a nuance here that usually the meeting leaders are very loyal to the stories of newcomers. But sometimes, rarely, you come across strict presenters who can interrupt you with “what are we talking about ourselves,” or “that we are not considering a medical point of view.” And then you may be left with a residue; or maybe vice versa, something will awaken in you.
I actually saw a girl who never said anything for two years!

At the end of the meeting they send out a box to collect money, the amount is not regulated, put in 30 rubles, this is necessary for basic maintenance of order, perhaps the group pays a small rent, prints business cards, etc.
At the end of the meeting, everyone stands up, reads out the text of the wish for peace of mind, the words are difficult to remember right away - just stand up like everyone else, and just be silent.
After the main block of the meeting there is tea or going out to smoke.

- I didn’t drink for 3 months after my first meeting.
At my first meeting, of everything and everyone that was said during the hour, the only thing that impressed me was that one guy said that he was allergic to alcohol. Then for two months I wondered what kind of allergy he had.

Later 21 minutes, 10 seconds (26.06.2012 - 22:22) Lygar wrote:

I don't hesitate to write.

Arctic fox.
:)

Later 1 hour, 10 minutes, 20 seconds (26.06.2012 - 23:33) Bagheera2 wrote:

The quote is a GREAT mistake. If they tell me so ignorantly about something important, then at the very least I will doubt the competence of the narrator in this matter.
This is actually serious.

Right:

plays a role - matters.

But not the other way around.

Later 7 minutes, 32 seconds (26.06.2012 - 23:40) Chisha wrote:

I read and scratch my head. It’s good that I wasn’t offered such recommendations. I doubt I would go. But this is a purely individual perception.

Later 15 minutes, 14 seconds (26.06.2012 - 23:55) gaspar1 wrote:

you want to live. otherwise you'll get so excited
I mean you will come. You will come.

Later 13 minutes, 13 seconds (27.06.2012 - 00:09) Wild beast wrote:

Let me say a few words about groups in Kyiv

Your first visit to an Alcoholics Anonymous group in the Big City.
How to prepare, what to take with you, how to behave, what you should pay attention to, nuances.

1. Which group should I attend first?

There are also groups exclusively for alcoholics, usually older people, and for people with mixed addictions - there are a lot of young people in these groups. But if it's an AA group, they still talk about alcohol problems, so it doesn't matter.

2. Go to the first group, which meets at a drug treatment center, at social security, or at a church?
- It doesn't matter.

3. Is it possible to go to a group while drunk?
- You can, but preferably sit quieter than water, below the grass.

4. Fear of meeting old acquaintances and colleagues.
Such fears are unfounded. Someone you know may feel the same way, or, if they've been in A.A. long enough, may be happy to see you.

5. The best time to come to the first group is 5 minutes before the start.
Yes.

6. One more nuance: In some groups, at the beginning or in the middle of the meeting, the so-called verbal serenity “Our Father” or “Let the Will be done” may be verbally pronounced.

I have never seen this in any group in Kyiv. This is definitely not accepted in my home group. Moreover, it is not customary for us to talk about confessions and religion in general. Moreover, we have not only Christians, not only Orthodox Christians, and there are plenty of atheists.

7. Of course, it would be great if you could first agree on the Vesvalo forum with someone with whom to go. Since it is often not easy to find a group and you need to ask the building security or watchmen.

There are such groups, but more often the passage is free. The main thing is to deliver your carcass to the right address. :)
If there are such concerns, Vesvalo is full of Kiev residents ready to help.

8. How to behave at a meeting?

Calmly. Everyone here is an alcoholic, although everyone is different, as Mike62 wrote.
You don’t have to stand up, you don’t have to speak if you don’t want to, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone, explain or justify yourself.

But, as a rule, you will be asked: “has alcohol created problems in your life” and “whether you intend to do something about it.” You can safely phrase it the way Mike said. If you have problems, you will be congratulated on your first visit and membership in AA, if your loved ones have problems, they will invite you to an open meeting, and there are at least two of them a week and all in the center.

I would also recommend listening carefully to the rules of that particular group, as much as possible in your condition - they may vary. But! In all groups, it is not customary to interrupt speakers, ask questions during speeches, or discuss what and how someone said.

You can ask to speak and talk about your alcohol problems, and in some groups not only about alcohol problems, or you can not talk - this is completely at your discretion.
I also saw people who remained silent for a long time.

Regarding strict presenters. I don’t remember how in other groups, in my own group they treat newcomers with super-loyalty and, if they don’t offend anyone, no one makes any comments or interrupts them.

You may also have a reasonable question: Why would a person who hasn’t drunk for 5-10 years come to the group?
- Consider that he has such a hobby, he came as if he were joining a club of interests.

:D:D:D
We like to say that a group is a sobriety pill. Just as a person with cancer or diabetes cannot live without medication, so an alcoholic regularly needs a pill.

At the end of the meeting they put out a box to collect money...

In our country, as a rule, newcomers are not given a hat and this is specifically stipulated. Further also optional. In some groups they say, “If you have money, don’t let it bother you.”
It’s just that more or less advanced AA members understand perfectly well that tea, coffee, cookies and the premises themselves cost money, and if they want to continue to gather and collectively sober up, then if possible, it is better to make a material contribution. The amount is not specified, who puts in the hryvnia, who 5, who 10, etc.
I personally had periods when I couldn’t put anything down at all and no one looked at me askance.

At the end of the meeting, everyone stands up, joins hands to form a circle, and says a certain meditation or prayer - in different ways for different groups. Whether to stand in a circle or not is also your personal choice.

Personally, I really love this moment, just then I fully feel that now I will never be lonely. :)

After the main block of the meeting there is tea and/or going out to smoke.
This is at your discretion, it is better to go to the smoking room and stand with everyone.

It’s better to stay and ask all the questions you have over tea or in the smoking room.

You shouldn’t expect a miracle from the first meeting (although this can happen).

It happens, and I have seen many such lucky people, but not everyone.

I remember most of all a man who told me how at the beginning of his sobriety he went to all the meetings he could, even two or three a day. Well, I was shocked that everyone was rushing around with me like I was a piece of cake, although I was not completely sober and completely inadequate.
I probably went to the second meeting to make sure that no one would throw slippers at me, would not judge me and say that I should and how bad I am. Wonderful!

It makes sense to visit different groups (this is not a betrayal of the first group, this is how it is), 20-30 times, to expand your consciousness, before deciding whether AA is for you.

Yes. Someone chooses a group that is closer, someone is looking for a comfortable atmosphere and close people, even if the meeting is on the other side of the city, someone stays in the same group, someone constantly migrates - there are no rules here.

It took me a while to decide where I felt best and soberest. :) But even now I enjoy visiting some other groups.

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are approved by: the Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church.

By the way, it helped me a lot that Sepragha gave a link to a description of how the group goes.

Prepared for the Big City.

True for Kyiv from my point of view.

Later 1 hour, 15 minutes, 49 seconds (27.06.2012 - 01:24) Lygar wrote:

I remembered.

The same style of writing is a memo - I read it in a book about mobile phones.
About how to talk, about decency and indecency, etc.

There are probably reminders “about visiting a trolleybus stop”...

Later 34 minutes, 57 seconds (27.06.2012 - 01:59) Rearranger wrote:

Thinking a lot is harmful, you just need to get off your butt and go. IMHO - the topic is absolutely useless information.

Later 5 hours, 44 minutes, 37 seconds (27.06.2012 - 07:44) Rose hip wrote:

Well, here we go. The man wanted the best. I wanted to help.

Later 1 hour, 20 minutes, 21 seconds (27.06.2012 - 09:04) Lygar wrote:

Help..?
By writing a memo-instruction, showing a deliberate (preliminary) distrust in the ability of a certain conditional visitor to independently form an opinion about the group meeting..?

To help, obviously, in the context, separating those already present at the meeting and the “first comer” who, like, requires “special” behavior in a potentially unknown, in the context of a threatening, environment..?

Thank you VyeSe for not instructing me this way when I was in the narcology department.

Finally, neither the narcologist nor the psychologist gave any instructions regarding the meetings, anonymously with the so-called. Those who came in 12th step.

And thanks to all of them, they didn’t load (gee, gee), but they kind of enjoyed it.

Where is the border between “load” and “delitstsa” ..?
Imha - the right of personal choice.
:D

Later 1 hour, 49 minutes, 33 seconds (27.06.2012 - 10:54) Olala wrote:

I had the following experience: when I first came, I began to evaluate and try on myself - whether it suits me or not, as a result, my sick ego convinced me that this was not mine at all and it did not suit me. But the second time, three (!!!) years later, I came running, it didn’t matter to me whether it was suitable or not, what was happening there, how it worked - I needed to be saved, to survive, not to die and not to go down crazy... and then I was able to stay there, which now I am VERY, VERY HAPPY :)
Therefore, I have an opinion:
1. do not evaluate
2. don’t think about who it is, what it is, and whether it will help
3. "...if you keep your heart open, you will find help here..." - Alcoholics Anonymous.

Later 8 minutes, 3 seconds (27.06.2012 - 11:02) Wild beast wrote:

You can do something, or you can criticize something that others have done. :P

Probably both are necessary.

But I think that the reminder can be useful in at least one case. If 101 people ask on a forum or in real life what’s going on at a meeting, you won’t need to write it all again.

With many thanks to the "critics". :)

Later 26 minutes, 57 seconds (27.06.2012 - 11:29) Louis wrote:

Rearranger

At first, I somehow didn’t think about the rules or regulations of the group. I probably did something wrong, but no one blamed me for it. The most vivid impression is that I am among MY OWN! That's probably why he stayed. And it seems to me that it is not so important how a newcomer behaves, it is much more important how those who accept behave towards him!
Although, it’s probably useful for him to understand the basics of behavior so as not to feel like a black sheep :)

Later 8 days, 9 hours, 33 minutes, 3 seconds (5.07.2012 - 21:02) Samuel Vimes wrote:

Another quote from my beloved T. Gorski:

FIRST MEETING:

First meeting of A.A. is decisive. If the newcomer has a positive experience, he may return. If the experience is negative, it may not come again. As a consultant, I have spoken with many people who are attending an AA meeting for the first time. caused rejection. Many unconsciously set themselves up for a negative experience in advance. After hearing enough of these stories over the years, I have developed a method that will reliably guarantee that you will have a bad experience at your first AA meeting. And when your first visit is a disappointment, you have a good excuse to never go there again. Here are six steps to take to achieve this:

First, choose a group that meets as far away from your home as possible. Why? Yes, because if the meeting is close to home, someone might recognize you, and you don’t want your friends or neighbors to know that you are an alcoholic.

Second, leave the house late. Calculate how long it will take you to get there and leave four minutes later. The reasoning is that if you arrive too early, you'll have to hang around for five or ten minutes. As a result, you will drive too fast and feel anxious.

Third, do not find out the exact location of the meeting. It is enough if you know that this is some kind of church between 152 and 153 streets. When you get there, you'll wonder which of the three churches on the block is holding a meeting. You shouldn't recognize the room exactly either. Then you will witness that there are seven more meetings going on at the same time. You will have to open every door and ask, “Is this a 12-step meeting?” And under no circumstances call the central office of the group you have chosen. If you call, someone may suggest you go to the meeting together, so you don't get lost or get into trouble.

Fourth, when you finally find the right place, try to go in unnoticed. If the door squeaks too much, smile apologetically when everyone turns around and looks at you. Now you have a good reason to sit in the corner and feel embarrassed.

Fifth, when someone speaks, don't just listen, form an opinion and draw conclusions. Rate those present. Look at each person in the room and try to guess what psychiatric problems or social abnormalities led them here. Find schizophrenics, rapists, criminals. Then make a comparison, tell yourself: “Eh, I’m not at all like these people. I don’t belong here.” Be very critical. If you agree with something, don't attach importance to it. If you disagree with something, be sure to remember it so you can tell your therapist later.

Sixth, stay apart. You were already late and sat in the corner. Now, during the break, don’t talk to anyone, don’t introduce yourself to anyone. Do not say anything during the meeting and leave the room two minutes before the end. On the way home, sitting in the car, say to yourself: “What unfriendly people!” Convince yourself that they really are completely indifferent.

These six guidelines for a bad first-time group experience may seem absurd. However, many beginners unintentionally do all this. Knowing what not to do can help you understand what you need to do to increase the likelihood of a positive first experience.

Later 4 days, 14 hours, 26 minutes, 45 seconds (10.07.2012 - 11:29) Palitra wrote:

Mine was like that. I found out that someone was going to the Russian Orthodox Church and I tensed up wildly. Wild! I decided that I would die, but I would not go to the Russian Orthodox Church. I'm from a different pack. Concessions :-) such somnambulists filled my head.
Then I found out that it was not aa, but alanon.
And ah no. Then, on a local forum, people said that let’s create a group. I responded. And for the first time the three of us got together.
Therefore, I was terribly lucky in this regard. I wasn't a newbie. And immediately became a brother-in-law :-)
And newcomers come to us. We don't steam them. Ours is calm and democratic.
But before that I went to groups in Moscow. True, they took us. From a drug addict. It was normal. Apshniki everywhere were just like us :-) in the sense of being so quiet and calm. AN impressed me! There was a supertusa there. I will never forget. Huge group. There are probably three hundred people. The entire area of ​​the steep center was furnished with expensive cars. Mostly jeeps. And the guys were also generally difficult. But they have such a brotherhood! Unity is scary. Although I was a drunk, they greeted me great. As the best guest or brother. I was very touched and impressed by these very cheerful and energetic people.
About meeting someone. I have had. Not once. At first it felt strange, a little uncomfortable and even funny. Like you're a brute too? Or even you?!!!
It doesn't bother me at all. I'm even proud that I'm an Aashnik. I'm sober. Ah super organization! We have so many people. All over the world. I'm an alcoholic ! This is not a shame for me. Everyone knows that I have problems with this.
So go ahead, don't be afraid! Your brothers and sisters are there. Just like you. Everyone has a sober day only today. There are no bosses. If there are authorities, then even if they bend their fingers, then you can listen to them. Even notations. Because there is always grain.
Personally, I have heard and listened to everyone. Even if it's not pleasant. And then, when you already have your own experience, you can take what you liked. Although even now sometimes someone says to me: this and that, and I listen and do that.
The main thing is to overcome fear first.
Therefore, I personally try to be as beginner friendly as possible.

Later 26 minutes, 26 seconds (10.07.2012 - 11:55) Aqualung wrote:

I agree with Lygar, but there is a reservation - now I agree. I remember my trip to the first group - I got off at the wrong stop, entered the wrong door, called on the phone to get out and meet me. As a result, I was about three minutes late. But I really wanted to finally get there! I was drawn to a glass! This was the last chance, I even agreed to read the 17-point instructions for the beer opener and follow them! I don’t remember what happened at the group, I remember that I left with the desire to go again tomorrow, because I don’t remember anything and didn’t understand anything. They gave me some piece of paper - halfway home I tried to read it, then I got it - I was holding it upside down. It’s also all sorts of crap written, but for me then it was the same.

Later 6 days, 12 hours, 31 minutes, 49 seconds (17.07.2012 - 00:27) Vipassana wrote:

The first time I came to a group in AA was about 20 years ago. I was very worried, because I had just seen these AA meetings in the movies. At the threshold of the room I was met by a very serious and polite girl, whom I took for a psychologist. I thought: the psychologist would lead the group.
It turned out that the girl was addicted to alcohol and drugs. So I relaxed and realized that everyone here had the same problem as me.
In some groups, people are friendly, they talk to you about this and that at a tea party. In other groups, it’s the opposite - no one pays any attention to you. So if a newcomer ends up in a group like the last one, then it’s very likely that he won’t come again, having decided that he is “not welcome.”
It depends on how lucky the newcomer is. Will he be ready to attend subsequent meetings?
Of course, the majority literally crawled to AA, dying. No other methods helped people. But a certain number of alcoholics coming to AA, although they have serious problems due to illness, still have not yet lost complete control over themselves. They just want to try this is a new method for them to stay sober. Having in their arsenal other methods that help one way or another.
For example, I have been helped for a long time by a method that was shared with me by one close person who has not drunk for 18 years. But since it is impossible to talk about other methods here, I will not disclose it. I will only say that it is based on self-hypnosis recorded into a tape recorder by the alcoholic himself.

MOSCOW, April 21 - RIA Novosti, Igor Karmazin.“At first it’s fun, and then it’s scary,” drunkards remember about multi-day benders. If your own willpower is not enough, then Alcoholics Anonymous communities come to the aid of those who want to say goodbye to addiction - meetings are held in almost all regions of Russia. There are several dozen such groups in Moscow. A RIA Novosti correspondent went to a meeting of ideological teetotalers and found out what it takes to get rid of addiction.

Club members

Dim light, posters about the fight against drinking on the walls, a stand with joint photographs in the corner - the meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous takes place in a room on the first floor of a panel high-rise building on the outskirts of Moscow. Some meeting participants sat around the table, others sat on chairs along the walls. They pass hot tea and cookies to each other. Some have a characteristic hazy look and trembling hands. But many speak loudly and confidently, and are well dressed. It seems strange that these people have something in common, but they are united by their struggle with addiction.

Each meeting has its own theme - analysis of typical situations, understanding of individual emotions. This meeting is about anger. “Today I was riding in the elevator with my colleagues, and I was filled with anger,” my appearance interrupted the story of a participant who introduced himself as Andrey. After a short pause, he continues with liveliness: “The dollar and euro have risen in price, it seems that sanctions on imported alcohol are about to be introduced. And what are my employees doing? They are buying boxes of foreign tequila, whiskey, rum. All their talk is only about this. Well, "I remember myself. It was useless for me to stockpile - I consumed everything on a binge."

Andrey is clean-shaven, his shirt is carefully ironed. It seems that such a person should not have problems, but he talks about his past without a shadow of embarrassment: “During the retreat, I always had the same vision. I lay half asleep on a dented bed, I was filled with fear because of the problems that were piling up. , I felt bad. I imagined a desert island where I was sitting in a cave hung with skins. In the corner there was a spring of pure vodka, and right in front of me there was a self-assembled tablecloth with snacks. You understand? I’m a sick person. I didn’t think how to stop this life, to rectify the situation, dreamed of an endless source of alcohol."

According to Andrey, he has been leading a healthy lifestyle and raising children for many years. “But before, it was something! I called myself a “cripper man.” The first time I visited a venereal dispensary was in the eighth grade. All the men laughed at me. And I ended up in the sobering-up center in the seventh. Me and two other comrades straight from school They took me away. That’s how my whole life went.”

In touch with God

Alcoholism was recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization in the middle of the last century. According to doctors, one and a half million Russians have this diagnosis. The level of pure alcohol consumption in the country is 10.3 liters per person. The figures are declining: in 2008 there were 18 liters. But the problem remains serious.

Alcohol addiction has several stages and many treatment options. Someone decides to completely detoxify the body or is coded, others use folk remedies or turn to a psychologist for help. The smell and taste of alcohol often begins to cause disgust, but the person remembers the feeling of carefree and euphoria. As a result, any strong emotion - anger, resentment, joy - can again lead to the store for alcohol. The Alcoholics Anonymous community was invented precisely so that people would not drown out their experiences in the usual way, but would discuss them with those who understand them.

To get rid of addiction, the Twelve Steps program has been developed. The fundamental principle is recognition of the problem and the desire to get rid of it. Alcoholics Anonymous is not a religious organization, but God is often mentioned here. “The community gave me the most important thing - I found contact with a higher power,” says a girl with a shaved head named Tatyana. “Going to groups doesn’t help me, but here I got the tools to communicate with God.”

She cites rage as the cause of all her problems. “For me, the expression “teeth grinding” was not figurative. I fiercely hated everything that was not going in my life the way I wanted. Did a button come off? Atomic war? Summer came? Summer passed? Black? White? The scale of the problem did not matter ". The reason was only applied to my internal state. The more I drank, the greater my anger was. Only here I understood how to deal with it: you need to be honest with yourself and others, you need to talk about your feelings," she admits.

Spiritual Sponsors

Alcoholics Anonymous communities are self-sufficient; at the end of each meeting they collect money for current needs. After our meeting, the general cash register was replenished by 700 rubles. At the same time, the word “sponsor” is often heard in conversations. This is the name given to spiritual mentors who maintain sobriety for a long time. “They often ask me for help, they give me advice, although I used to be a regular visitor to drug treatment clinics. Today I was going to work - dressed nicely, the sun was shining. On the way to the metro I passed by a garbage dump, and my “comrade in arms” was lying there... After all, I too I could have been there, but now I’m sitting warm with you, sober,” says builder Evgeniy.

Alevtina says in a broken voice, fiddling with a ballpoint pen in her hands: “I myself don’t drink anymore, although sometimes I want a drink. But my 14-year-old daughter starts her morning with a bottle of beer, and I can’t convince her. We have constant scandals because of this ". A month ago, she was registered with the police in the children's room. She got involved with a group of frostbitten teenagers who, it seems, not only drink, but also use drugs. Sometimes I have thoughts like this: “Why the hell do I have such a daughter? What, they couldn’t find me a decent child in the heavenly office? “Well, that’s what they gave me. She could now be locked up in a center for troubled teenagers. I understand that this is the best option for her.”

The meeting lasts about two hours and ends with a short common prayer. What is most striking is the frankness with which the participants talk about their lives. Not everyone is capable of communicating this way, but for alcoholics, it seems vitally important to open their souls wide open.

Stopping drinking alcohol is a difficult task that an addict cannot solve on his own. Alcoholism is not a bad habit, but a serious disease; a person dependent on alcohol is psychologically incapable of staying sober for a long time. The Society of Alcoholics Anonymous can help in treating alcohol addiction.

Alcoholics Anonymous group

Drug addiction and alcoholism are similar diseases. An alcoholic is not much different from a drug addict, the only difference is in the choice of an artificial psychostimulant (alcohol or drug). Alcoholics Anonymous is a community of people who help fellow sufferers keep their drinking within limits, while simultaneously receiving similar help from them. Members of the community do not find out their social status; they can call themselves by a fictitious name; no supporting documents are required.

The main goal of this society is to unite and support a person with the problem of alcoholism, who gets the right to fearlessly talk about his illness and be sure that he will be heard and not judged. In the group, everyone understands how difficult it is to abstain from alcohol, so new friends will never offer a fellow sufferer to relax with a glass or a glass of forbidden potion. Sobriety is a fundamental principle adhered to by the group Alcoholics Anonymous.

The Alcoholics Anonymous club first appeared in the 40s of the 20th century in America. In Russia, such communities arose half a century later - in the nineties. In the modern world, there are more than 100,000 such mutual aid communities.

How do Alcoholics Anonymous meetings work?

The program implies that each group consists of thirty to fifty addicts. It is best if the Alcoholics Anonymous society is headed by a former alcohol addict who has been in remission for a long time. Another condition is that the person has experience that he is ready to openly share.
The purpose of the meetings is to comprehend past life mistakes, acquire spirituality and new goals, re-educate the addict and direct his aspirations in a new, more productive and useful direction.

To achieve the stated goals, you need to adhere to the main principles:

• self-confidence;
• mutual assistance;
• partnership;
• faith in those around you.

Classes are held every week; at meetings, addicts discuss their own problems, share experiences, and give practical advice. Support from friends who themselves suffer from the same problem is worth a lot - it helps curb alcohol consumption much better than even the help of a qualified addiction doctor.

At each meeting, the main axioms by which all members of the community live are read out. These rules are usually called the “12 steps”; although there is a spiritual component to them, no imposition of faith is imposed on the participants. Mention of such concepts as hope and faith are needed to correct the personality and change the life of the addict. The group is fully supported, but nothing will have to be sacrificed. Each of the participants decides for himself whether it is necessary to donate some amount for expenses available in the community: renting a room, buying books, tea and sweets for the tea ceremony.

12 steps of alcoholics anonymous

The program, which guarantees recovery or long-term remission, lists certain mandatory steps that were developed long ago when the first such communities appeared in the United States. What are the steps of Alcoholics Anonymous that every participant goes through when trying to get rid of addiction?

Every participant who turns to the community for support can go through the listed 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. In a theoretical presentation, not every item on the list is completely clear, but in practice everything becomes much simpler and accessible to anyone.

12 Alcoholics Anonymous Traditions

In addition to the well-known twelve steps that every addict goes through to achieve long-term remission, the community has 12 special traditions.

The listed traditions and principles are an integral part of anonymous assistance groups, regardless of which country or city its activities are carried out.

Alcoholics Anonymous: participant reviews

Addicts sometimes give rather mixed reviews about the treatment of alcoholism with the help of groups. Some addicts have experienced the success of the program and praise it. Alcoholics Anonymous, according to these people, helped them leave alcohol addiction behind, find peace of mind and confidence in the future. Other patients did not want to go to meetings for a long time, while others decided after a while to attend sobriety groups at churches.

Everyone has the right to decide how they will overcome their addiction. All methods have grateful patients who have regained their normal lives. The main thing is to recognize your illness and begin to walk along the path of recovery. It is important not to stop in your aspirations and attempts to overcome alcohol cravings.

Alcoholics Anonymous, Smokers Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous. Are these new sects or a real opportunity to get rid of your addiction with the help of people who have experienced the same problems?

Anton Lebedev, a medical psychologist at the Moscow Scientific and Practical Center for Narcology of the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development, explains what self-help groups are.

Main features of "Anonymous..."

These therapeutic communities are self-help groups. There are no professional specialists in them, and all ongoing work is based on the experience of improving the health of ordinary people.

Anti-alcohol hotline

You can get information on any issues related to alcohol consumption by calling the Healthy Russia helpline. The hotline operates at 8-800-200-0-200. Calls to it are free from all regions of Russia.

In a group, a person has the opportunity to receive support from formerly addicted people like him. The Alcoholics Anonymous community is very large, and there is always someone to turn to for help.

This self-organizing structure, which is far from issues of politics or economics. The group does not care about the religion, gender or sexual orientation of the person who joined it, which is why it is called anonymous.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, or what you have in your pocket,” explains Lebedev. – Their principle: we are all the same - you are an alcoholic, and I am an alcoholic. You and I share the same hangovers in the morning.”

Who comes to the group?

The community consists of completely different people. Some have been recovering for a long time, others have just arrived. In one group these people share their problems and learn from experience. This helps them change their own lives.

“For example, a newcomer sees that someone has successfully not drunk for several years and has managed to achieve something in life,” says the psychologist, “and this gives him hope for his own recovery.”

There is no “treatment” here

In a group with a person being treated for addiction, they speak a language that is accessible to him. After all, a specialist, when talking to a patient, sometimes uses professional slang, which is not very clear to the average person.

At a meeting a person can talk about your experiences. They will listen to him, understand him, but will not immediately begin to “treat” him, as happens when contacting a specialist.

“They won’t scold him, like in the family,” says Lebedev, “and they won’t help solve problems in the usual way - pouring vodka. For many, this is like a breath of air. People are beginning to understand that they are not second class, but deserve a lot and have the right to a lot.”

group rules

These groups live by their own rules. Before each meeting, the so-called preamble is read, intended primarily for those who come for the first time.

It says that the only condition What allows you to be in a group is the desire to stop using alcohol or drugs. There are no more obligations or restrictions.

Nothing is required from the group member. He is not forced to promise to come next time, he is not manipulated and no conditions are imposed, except one - to come to group meetings in a sober state.

How do they work in a group?

The Alcoholics Anonymous program encourages those recovering from addiction to accept the existence of certain principles. When you follow them, it becomes possible not to drink alcohol or drugs and still live normally.

The program consists of twelve steps which a person sequentially goes through. Each step is a recognition of existing problems and progress along the path of personal growth. And from a certain point - and help other members of the community.

What results can be achieved?

Gradually, regular meeting attendees begin to develop an interest in staying sober and a desire not to drink or use drugs. abstinence from use.

“At group meetings, you can often hear stories about how a person developed a strong craving for alcohol,” the psychologist gives an example, “but instead of getting drunk, he called someone in recovery and just talked it out.”

This example has a positive effect on many. And many old-timers themselves give their phones to newcomers with an offer to call in a difficult situation.

Sometimes doctors are wary of such groups. But this is due to the fact that not all specialists understand how this method works.

“After all, sometimes groups of anonymous alcoholics are more effective than treatment with a narcologist,” notes Lebedev, “from a medical point of view, this is complete nonsense. But the method works."

The most important

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups are mutual aid communities where anyone who wants to get rid of addiction can come. The main principle of the work of such groups is a positive example of a sober life and the exchange of experiences in achieving it.