Attending The Alcoholic Anonymous Meeting At Holy Trinity...

I chose to attend the Alcoholic Anonymous meeting at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church on the north side of Chicago. I chose to visit a church because I wanted to see if there was a religious aspect thrown into the session. The name of the session was called Big Book Stop Study. This session occurs every Monday at 7:00pm, as an open meeting. The meeting lasted for an hour. The session was led by three members, Kyle, Tamara, and Melissa. There was fourteen participants within the group. I was very apprehensive about attending a meeting because I didn’t want to be seen as an alcoholic. For that very reason, I understand how hard it may be for some to admit to their alcoholism, due to the negative connotation that comes with the name. To some, that may seem like a short span of time. However, upon visiting this particular session I saw progression in each participant. I was very pleased with what I witnessed as a visitor. The session began with a moment of silence and a serenity prayer. Kyle read the protocol, preamble, traditions, and outline for the night. He even identified 10-step promises that they understand as promises that come with overcoming alcoholism. He explained everything that would occur, and why it was chosen to occur. Kyle identified the different steps that are taken within the group to recovery from alcohol. After learning about the agenda for the day, Kyle introduced himself while everyone went around the table and introduced themselves. I noticed that while