Since the present restrictions on social gatherings, 12 step meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous have moved to online formatting such as Zoom. In an effort to keep the message of hope alive, I have taken part in joining these meetings and have shared my message to others.
On April 22, 2020, I received my 4 year medallion in the mail from my AA sponsor. Through the help of some friends, I was able to be the main speaker at a zoom AA meeting that had almost one hundred attendees. The best part of it was that my entire family was able to join from all across the country. My two sisters in California, my parents, aunts and uncle in New York, and my fellow friends here in Maine were all able to attend my special evening.
Through the help of Zoom, recovering alcoholics and addicts are now able to attend meetings all across the world. At first it seemed uncomfortable letting everyone “in my home”, but after the first meeting I attended, I saw that it was possibly to still connect with others even though we could not be together in person. After trying the AA zoom meetings, I realized that it is a great opportunity to learn and connect with people in different AA communities.
Pippa Raga mentions how recovering alcoholics and addicts can still find support through the online Zoom platform. There is no reason people in recovery should be staying stagnant. As Raga explains, AA is built in helping others and this was the perfect opportunity for it’s members to reach out and support those in need.
A list of online meetings can be found at the AA intergroup website. Here, recovering addicts can chose from thousands of meetings. There are meetings in different languages, different times of day, different days of the week, and different style of meeting. Style of meeting can be big book step study, speaker, discussion, beginners, open meetings (anyone is welcome), closed meetings (those who refer to themselves as alcoholics only), and various other styles.
Recovery is always a journey. Do not let being stuck at home let you fall behind. There are many ways we can work on ourselves and so many resources to better our self care during these hard times.
