Hi my name is Diana and no, I'm not an Alcoholic but I did attend an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting to see, to feel, to understand what goes on at those gatherings. We all have images of AA meetings, courtesy of movies and television but I've always wondered what it is actually like to be around people battling addiction. And that's the key word: Addiction. To be considered an alcoholic, alcohol really must consume one's life and to those of us that don't know anyone that is an alcoholic (or a recovering one), we don't always understand what that looks like. Neither do we understand what it feels like to be a recovering alcoholic where everyday is a battle, where everyday you must say no, where the smallest sip or drink feeds that addiction no matter how long, where even the smallest sip knocks your days of sobriety, be it a few days or several years, back to zero.
The most impacting aspect of that meeting was the diversity of the people. Recovering alcoholics can be anyone! Male, female, young, old, short, tall, well-built, fat, White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, corporate businessman, hourly worker. They were ALL represented at this meeting I went to. And while passing each other on the street they probably would not speak to each other or run in the same circle, here at this meeting, they were sources of support and a reflection of oneself in the name of sobriety. Their testimonies were given with intent to inspire and encourage others but I suspect to also remind themselves how far they have come in recovery.
An emotional moment occurred at the end with the giving out of the sobriety coins/chips. White chips, known as the "desire" chip, represent those that make a vow today to quit drinking. One man picked up that chip. A huge chip was the 30-day chip, which when you think about it for you or I to abstain from some things for a month may not seem like anything but for a person who went from night and day thinking about or drinking alcohol, 30 days is HUGE! The 6-month chips were very emotional for two men and like I said, I found it hard not to get caught up in the moment. Clapping for these guys weren't enough, I wanted to get up and hug them and tell them how great of a job they were doing and how much I admire them.
And let me tell you, alcoholics, they face a hard challenge socially. I don't drink alcohol, coffee, soda, or diet products but I can say on a day-t0-day basis I am inundated with one of those products on a social manner. My friends ask to, "catch up over coffee," or "meet after work for drinks," and what do I, a non-alcoholic say to that? Sure, but I'll have herbal tea or just a seltzer water with lemon instead of the coffee or cocktail. And I, a non-alcoholic, have moments of discomfort where I'm in situations where everyone is drinking something, and I am not, and for me it's by choice, knowing that if I were to partake, I wouldn't spin out of control. Imagine what it must feel like for a recovering alcoholic.
And so to end, I challenge you all to two things. First, attend an AA meeting if you get a chance. Go to a meeting where there is a speaker and listen to the person's battle with alcohol, see the actions of the people at the meeting. Observe the structure of the meeting, the respect and solidarity that exists. Second, try getting sober: Give up something you find yourself not able to live without or something that you do everyday for 30 days to understand the challenges faced. Give up that morning coffee, after-dinner dessert, Facebook, fast-food, driving, etc. And let me know via comments how it goes.
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