First meeting

I went to my first meeting tonight. I am new to AA and have 14 days no alcohol. I went to a "beginner's meeting" and had the longest period of sobriety there (I'm assuming the meeting leader has been sober awhile).

A lot of the people there were present due to drug court.

It was a friendly meeting but I guess I didn't understand what a beginner's meeting was about. I was thinking it would be Noob 101 to AA.

Any comments?

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Hi rainy,

Congratz on 14 days sober. My first AA meeting was in March of 1991. I've been in and out since then, mostly out. Please feel free to ask me anything about my experience as needed. There's a wide variety of meetings from group to group and shopping around is common.

Do you think you will go again? For most people, a concept called "Relational Accountability" helps build lasting sobriety and recovery. AA is an easy place to find this. I have a practical approach to recovery where AA is a valuable tool.

Good luck and keep going. It's rough early. Just remember that most all alcoholics die from something alcohol related. You are literally fighting for your life.

moogs

Congrats on your sobriety.

The way it was explained to me, when I was new and going to a local beginner's meeting, is that it's meant to be a meeting that focuses more on issues facing beginners, and to familiarize newcomers to AA with meeting structure and protocol. I'm not sure; that's how it was when I was new, though it may be different at different meetings. I'm fairly certain the desired outcome is to help beginners feel safe and comfortable and welcome.

Beginner meetings vary greatly between groups. Our group usually conducts it as a first step meeting and members share their stories about how they came to AA. Right after the meeting, we chat further with the newcomers to explain how we run our meeting and encourage the newcomers to ask someone to be their temporary sponsor so they can actively start working the steps.

I'd encourage you to check out a number of different meetings and definitely ask someone to be your temporary sponsor. I wish you the best on your journey in sobriety and recovery!

I wasn't aware of a beginners meeting. I was pretty well out of it and did 90 meetings in 90 days and said nothing but listened for most of it.

Get a sponsor get a big book and start doing them steps. Good luck!

Congratz on 2 weeks.

I have long sobriety but need meetings to personally review and take my inventories, as described in Step Ten; on a daily basis there will always be issues of self centered fear, resentments, etc. to be 'weeded out' and replaced with new faith and determination.

rainyday107, if you are still sober today, congratulations for 24 days.

A great Beginner's book to get is AA's book called Living Sober. Many beginners meetings should have them for sale. It is a great book to have handy. I helps newcomers handle any threatening relapse situation that may come up.

It's been a while since you posted here. Hope you are safe.
Keep coming back to here and AA meetings.

Thanks! I'm on day 63 sober. =]

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98 days sober

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I heard an old timer once say he would gladly give up all his years of sobriety to become a newcomer again. Why? Because with time comes complacency, and taking things for granted like the program, and people. You have to work it all the time or you lose your edge and it sneaks up on you. The excitement of being new and getting involved is the greatest time in your life. It is where you find definition and meaning and purpose, for yourself and your new family that you have acquired. These are gifts from God that are special. That is what i think, and blessings tc

You go girl!

Keep coming back