Browsing all posts in 12 Step Meetings.

The Challenges of Summer Vacations

Sometimes the challenges of summer vacations are due to simply changing your schedule – you might be out of town for a week or two, or even longer. You no longer have your usual support network at your fingertips, especially if you travel abroad.  However, there are some things you can do to prepare for [...]

Our Stories Disclose in a General Way…

“Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now.” My emphasis on general way. What does it mean to disclose your story in a general way?  Most people would say it means you do not need to go into grim, microscropic details of [...]

Why 90 Meetings in 90 Days?

Recently someone asked me about why 90 meetings in 90 days is so emphasized for newcomers. They thought it was too much and that they couldn’t “fit it in” every day.  I asked her how much time she spent each day drinking. She somewhat sheepishly answered, “Like from when I got home from work until [...]

Helping Set Up at Meetings

Why is it important to volunteer to set up meeting chairs, make coffee, or clean up after a meeting? One of the things that happens to us when we are actively drinking or using is that we become very isolated. We also become very self-centered. By offering to do something to benefit others, we become [...]

In Praise of NYC Meetings…sigh

When I first moved from NYC to Los Angeles, I couldn’t stand the 20-minute readings at the beginning of every meeting. It seemed too ritualized, almost like church. In New York City the meetings are fast and furious, hard-hitting, lots of raw talk for maybe 1 minute from a dozen people.  In Los Angeles the [...]