Top 5 Benefits of AA Meetings

There is much to debate when it comes to the efficacy of Alcoholics Annonymous, but regardless of your stance on this program of Recovery, there are some irrefutable benefits that the originator of 12-Step Recovery can offers newcomers.

1. A safe place to be vulnerable. As a plant needs sun to grow, a human needs vulnerability if they are to heal. This foundational cornerstone of the psyche is utilized more frequently and openly than any other fellowship you will encounter. When you begin addressing the fact that you might have a problem with addiction, you will need a supportive environment to feel safe and secure enough to begin to address your problems. An AA meeting is the epitome of this.
2. A shift of perspective on your problems. No matter how brilliant you are, there will always be blindspots to your individual perspective in life. Often simple problems can seem inescapable from where you stand, but a simple reframe from an outside caring perspective can be incredibly powerful. A once mountain of problems viewed from one vantage point can be reframed to a molehill that you can easily conquer with the help of others in the room.
3. A place to be heard without judgment. Something is unearthed when we take the time to talk about our problems. Often they can almost seem to right themselves after taking the time to openly vocalize our thoughts and bring them to the light. When our security is reinforced by a supportive group of individuals suffering from the same malady, and amazing results often reveal themselves.
4. A place to overcome loneliness and isolation. Loneliness is universally felt by people suffering from addiction, regardless if they consume substances in solitude or in large crowds, the despairing feelings of loneliness can seem inescapable. Walking into a room of recovery for the first time and being greeted with open arms can feel like an embrace from a family of individuals you never knew you had. Never do you have to be alone in your struggle and isolation any longer. You can attend meetings and connect with others every day of the week if your heart desires now you are in recovery.
5. A place to gain insight into a practical approach to spirituality that really works when others have failed you. Deep down inside all of us is a concept of God, but initiating that connection can sometimes take quite a while to activate. Having a place where you can go and share opening and hear the experience of those who have come before you on the journey is a surefire way to expedite that process.

The mind of a sabotaging alcoholic regularly manufactures self-tortuous thoughts. There is however an antidote to these irrational fears and unpleasant feelings that we usually fight against with unhealthy coping mechanisms to handle the pain. The time has come for you to call a lie to that approach to living life, and pick up the tool kit offered in the rooms of Recovery. Through the diligent application of spiritual principles and a set of cognitive behavior therapy techniques, the person who takes ownership over their new path will rarely fail. Faith comes by hearing – and hearing of the various rock bottoms people have faced head-on and overcome through the help of Alcoholics Annonymous. You too can stop digging today, and begin a new life of freedom from substance. You are loved and worth it!