If you have been thinking about attending a meeting, it means your most important step is already nearing its end – medical detoxification. Bravo! You have already crossed the biggest hurdle in your journey to being free from the clutches of alcoholism.
Using AA meetings locator
If you want to go to an AA meeting, and are wondering about how to use an AA meeting locator, here’s how to go about it.
Most of these locators are synced with area, district, regional, and, in some cases, even international websites which helps them to relay information about all the meetings happening in real-time and their planned schedules for the near future.
Some will have listings from thousands of AA meetings, including local AA meetings. The information is refreshed and updated regularly and you will be able to decide on the best-suited for yourself within minutes of browsing through the AA meeting directory.
Features
In some of these locator apps, you will also discover new and exciting features. These could be an intensive search feature that can help you look for a meeting by name or location, along with a specific day and time slot.
Then, there could be a ‘Reflections’ feature that showcases reflections for and by existing AA members.
The News feature is about events and information regarding the meetings, and also about the app itself.
Isn’t this the easiest thing? Technology has really made life so much simpler to manage. An exciting tech item you can use to show off the time to the last second that you have been off-drink is a sobriety calculator.
Using this, you can keep all your milestones in one place and have reasons upon reasons to celebrate the joy of a life sans alcohol.
You will find the meeting happening in a community center or church hall. These places are big enough to handle largish gatherings easily, without appearing claustrophobic. When you enter, you will, in most probability, find people talking to each other, sipping tea/coffee, or even just sitting quietly. This is an informal place with no rigid rules. There is a ‘Chairperson’ who will start the meeting and request members who want to share their experiences to do so.
Contrary to popular belief, there are no religious overtones to the meetings. There may, however, be the reading of the AA Preamble and a Serenity Prayer. In general, a meeting takes about an hour from the beginning to the end.
Remember, meetings are a source of enormous help to recovering alcoholics. They are amazing outlets for many who are on the path to recovery. Comprising many that have been on this journey themselves, these meetings are a safety and support net for many recovering alcoholics. People listen actively here and offer encouragement and support, something most former alcoholics find difficult to get from even their own family. This helps them to regain control of their life and move on to better things.
