Learning to share at recovery meetings is a practical application of many tolls being learned inside of treatment center walls: communication, emotional regulation and articulation, as well as storytelling. “Old timers”, the people who have been attending AA for some time, regard shares from newcomers who are struggling through their first few months a necessity. When you share at a meeting you help others in recovery, new people having a hard time, and you help yourself.
Experience
Shares at meetings aren’t meant to be what are often called “drunk-a-logues” or “war stories”. Each share should have a mention of the experience with which you have struggled before or are struggling with now. Though, a few funny stories can always get the crowd going. Your experience includes the time when drugs and alcohol were your answer to life. During your active using days, you were acting in a way you thought was normal until you realized it wasn’t normal anymore. It took courage to decide to change, but you did.
Strength
You might not think it now, but being in treatment for a drug and alcohol addiction is a feat of strength. It takes bravery to confront one’s past, look one’s demons in the eye, and take charge in life to effect real transformative change. One day at a time, you’re making progress in your life that will alter it forever. Getting through treatment, the seemingly impossible early days of recovery, and onto the other side where peace and serenity have been waiting, is a strength people need to hear about. More importantly, it is a strength you need to hear about. Sharing at a meeting is a good way to remind yourself how important the work you are doing to heal is and how remarkably strong you are for doing it. It is almost guaranteed that at least one person in the room will need to hear exactly what you had to share.
Hope
The word hope is defined as “a feeling of trust”. When addicts and alcoholics reach the ending point in their recovery, they cannot trust themselves to stay away from a drink or a drug. That kind of fear seeps into all parts of their lives. How can they trust AA? How can they trust the steps? How can they trust their treatment center? How can they trust that anything is going to work? Even the smallest accomplishments are achievements of distinct proportions in recovery. If you make it through anything without a drink or a drug, you are “trusting the process” as it is said. After sharing your experience with active addiction and the strength of coming to recovery, your hope is the most important part. Not too long ago, and maybe even still, you were full of doubt that anything would work. Today, it’s working, because you’re working it. Hope is what tells other people in the room that they, too, can recover.
Recovery should be an all inclusive experience which allows each individual to discover what works for them to support their recovery and what does not. AA is not for everyone, but works for millions of people. Avalon Malibu supports individualized treatment programs to meet the needs of each client. Including proven clinical techniques with healing holistic modalities for wellness, our trusted programs result in true transformative change. For a confidential assessment of more information, call 1 888-958-7511.
