AA Meetings And Coronavirus

Tanin · MIP Old Timer

AA Meetings And Coronavirus

Visionz · Senior Member

Hello. Some food for thought. Back when AA first started, there would be one meeting a week for very large crowds of people. There simply were not meetings held as often as today. The success rate was also way higher of those who recovered.

I heard prayer kept these people going.

Jamie D · Veteran Member

AA ideology has to change . We talk about rigorous honesty here it is . Telling people the power is in the meetings , instead of inside themselves stemming from a God of their own understanding, is fine until we have a crisis like the covid19 pandemic , now what ???? I believed Bill Wilson years ago when I read the grapevine article in which he said we have to break our dependence on everything including the fellowship. I left meetings 10 years ago amid judgement and ridicule and protests of youll drink again , in the years since I have lived the program to the best of my ability with a faith in God . Not only have I not gone mad , or drunk again but Ive proved that the AA program lived in our lives can delivery continued recovery . This is also spoken about in As Bill sees it when he referred to the AAs that fought in World war 2 for years with no meetings . This too shall pass . This includes the way weve misrepresented the original concept of the program . God bless and best wishes to AAs everywhere in the world I love you and will always be grateful for what you have taught me . Goodbye for now Ill be with you in spirit As you trudge the road of happy destiny

costal_life78 · Newbie

For the past few weeks I have been attending zoom meetings. To me they are fairly easy to navigate and are available online. I feel that these are good for those who can get online. however, I can see where it might be difficult for a newcommer who may look more for live and in the flesh alcoholic to talk to. In addition, difficult for the person who has no internet acess or capabilities. let me know if anyone needs a list of zoom meetings.

Tanin · MIP Old Timer

Thanks, CL78. Sounds interesting.

Are the Zoom meetings an hour long? All text? Web-based?

Is anonymity preserved?

Visionz · Senior Member

Some random thoughts.

With the way we live changing drastically I can only guess more will die from addictions than ever before in history. If you would of handed me a device so I could attend a virtual meeting when I was in active addiction, I would've had that sucker sold before it ever left your hands.

Having a building available for guys like me to walk into and meet others like you face to face was probably 99.9% of the reason I am alive. Now, imagine how distanced we felt from everyone by sitting NEXT to them in a f2f meeting and compare that to a virtual meeting. Could it possibly feel anymore ...fake?

I know there are success stories behind virtual sobriety I just know and thank god I got sober when I did. It is a very tall order to ask new guys to use their imaginations at a time when they cant even see 3 feet in front of them.

-- Edited by Visionz on Friday 10th of April 2020 06:22:22 PM

Traylorparkboy · Newbie

Things changed quickly up this way. Groups started to close. Many groups went to online formats. A popular video conferencing app is being used by most groups in our area. Those of us who don't like the app are using other social media platforms. there is a lot of phone call meetings with newcomers. And I find the newcomers need to actually see people in meetings so they go with the video chat meetings. Hopefully, the pandemic problem will eventually end and we can go back to some semblance of normalcy. Until then, we'll have to accept the things we cannot change and change the things we can. As has been shared already, if this was happening when I sobered up, I don't know if I would have been able to get sober.

Visionz · Senior Member

I am very close to one of the drug capitals of the states and work with someone who lives in the badlands. I have an ear on the front lines so what is happening is junkies cannot get their usual drug of choice so you have most of them turning to alcohol. I am having a hard time telling which is worse, zombies stuck to the cement nodding out or 40,000 amped up insane alcoholics flipping cars. Something tells me the officials will wish these people stayed on the smack. Anyway so it is no suprise to see articles like this

Tanin · MIP Old Timer

This article seems pertinent. Things are changing...

AA Members See Good, Bad in Zoom Meetings

www.emissourian.com/features_people/feature_stories/aa-members-see-good-bad-in-zoom-meetings/article_0940d410-c84f-11ea-9060-9b8a619cf3a4.html

Visionz · Senior Member

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-- Edited by Visionz on Friday 24th of July 2020 04:18:29 AM

FlyingSquirrel · Senior Member

I havent been to a meeting in over a year. I had already become somewhat jaded on meetings before that, bbut it was always nice to know that I could go to one if I wanted. Now I just cant risk it. Too bad, because I had planned on reconnecting with my original home group (a long drive away now) after attending a meeting there last January. Ill just have to keep waiting.