Why The Exclusion?
A.A. Meetings for BOTH Addicts/Alcoholics
Tradition 3 of A. A. states “The only requirement for A. A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
Tradition 4 states” Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A. A. as a whole. “
Anyone asked to speak at this meeting adheres to. A. A.’s Tradition 3 Requirement.”
This meeting welcomes people with a desire to stop drinking and using drugs. Our common goal is recovery from any and all mind-altering substances.
A speaker may talk about a drug that you personally do not identify as your problem drug.
To better help you relate to that speaker, each time they reference that drug, in your mind, change it to your drug or drugs of choice.
By doing so, we can find the similarities in our personal stories with alcohol and/or drugs. “
I’ve often seen people flinch when they mention drugs. They usually apologize for “having drugs” in their story. Most new folks I’ve met in A.A. in the last ten or fifteen years, all have drugs as part of their story.
Drugs often times “speed up someone’s getting clean and sober”. It’s rare to run across a “pure” alcoholic.
I’m always thrilled when I meet a newcomer that is “only” an alcoholic. So rare to find these days.
Alcohol was my own true love. I however did many drugs in addition to it, including i.v. drug use.
I’ve also encountered Drug Addicts (meth/oxy/heroin/ghb) who aren’t sure they’re alcoholics upon arriving at a meeting.
I’ve yet to see one not at least stop drinking when they arrive. They seem to figure out alcohol often lead them to their drug of choice.
I’m not suggesting there is anything wrong with any other 12 Step group or program. Nor am I suggesting people do not choose where they go.
I’m stating that open A.A. meetings need to include “permission” for people to talk about their story, their drug of choice without any guilt nor shame.
A.A. needs to reflect our societal norms. Young and old alike need to feel comfortable and welcome.
Ask yourself, when you got sober didn’t people welcome you? Was that not important to you? It was to me.
When I meet someone new, I try as much as possible to welcome them, and not worry about what they are (Addict, Alcoholic or both).
I just encourage them to “Keep Coming Back”. Keep showing up and you will figure it out as you go along.
I’ve heard people mention when they got sober they were told things such as “Only alcohol should be discussed at an A.A. meeting. “I spilled more than you drank.” “Take the cotton out of your ears, put it in your mouth and sit down.”
Fortunately, the people who said these things for the most part have died off and gone to the big meeting in the sky.
These things may have been helpful in A.A.’s earlier days, but they are not now, and in my experience have not been since at least the late 1980’s.
A.A. has endured many years of people grabbing a hold and staying sober. Seems to me our entire program encourages each of us to “take what we like and leave the rest”.
I was told this is my program, my concept of a higher power, my steps, tradition, etc.
My ideas of our program have changed many times over the length of my sobriety. Of course they would, I’ve changed.
Thank God no one ever told me what I could or could not discuss, nor lay out any rules for me.
A.A. was simplistic, magical, and did the impossible: I stopped drinking after my first meeting.
Isn’t physical sobriety the entire purpose of A.A.? Physical sobriety itself is served daily to us in A.A. as own personal escape from hell which got us to the rooms.
How about we welcome all who have a drug and alcohol problem?
The A.A. of the past is not the A.A. of today.
A.A. is a breathing organism. Its heart are its members, newcomers are its babies being born, ensuring its continued survival. As it continues on, it must continue to evolve.
Let’s keep the sailboat moving with the winds of recovery’s force. Let’s not sink the ship, shall we?
Let’s stay the course of our own individual “happy road to destiny,” and let’s do so together. Join me, won’t you?
