Setting up a Zoom AA meeting for those with MI

Health and Recovery
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Most of us who are members of Alcoholics Anonymous can no longer attend face-to-face AA meetings because of social distancing restrictions placed worldwide to prevent transmission of COVID-19. So AA has been responding by moving meetings online.

I’m setting up a virtual AA group for those with mental illness who have to deal with that on top of problems with alcohol. The meeting will take place using the Zoom conferencing app (I’ve bought a key for a pro account). Things to keep in mind:

  1. In keeping with AA’s singleness of purpose, the only requirement to join is a desire to stop drinking. The meeting is open to alcoholics. Those whose primary addiction is NOT alcohol should seek out a meeting from their own program (e.g. Narcotics Anonymous). These are closed meetings for AA members only.

  2. The group will adhere to the AA program and AA Tradition. Spirituality according to AA Tradition is welcome and a necessary part of the program, but pushing a specific faith is not. Speaking during a meeting should be limited to sharing Experience, Strength, and Hope. The meeting formats will also include before and after time for some visiting where people can vent about “outside issues” as well.

  3. Discussion of working your program while dealing with MI is welcome. This is in keeping with, “There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.” … from the chapter How It Works in the book Alcoholics Anonymous.

  4. We’ll try to make this as much like a F2F real-world meeting as possible, but because of that, keep in mind that there will probably be people there you don’t know maybe saying things you don’t like. If you’re super easily triggered, this may not be for you. If you’re a Friend of Bill W. who is currently losing your ■■■■ because your normal meeting is no longer possible, hopefully this can help hold you over until the world is no longer upside-down.

For those here who don’t know me, I’m an AA Old Timer with 28 years sober who is also diagnosed with schizophrenia and autism, so that’s where I’m coming from here. If interested please PM me and I’ll send you the link to the private Facebook group that is being established to support this.

Cheers to all.

11 Likes
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I was a big drinker throughout my teens and 20’s.

Since I started meds 8 years ago I rarely want to drink. Like maybe a couple times a year.

I don’t know when you got dx’d and started meds, but did that have any impact on your drinking?

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Way to give back @shutterbug.

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I’m really needing meetings right now, that’s for sure. The world is upside-down. The weird part is that it’s upside-down OUTSIDE of my head. That’s a new thing.

I was lucky enough to quit drinking pre SZ DX. I’d been drinking and drugging while prodomal, but managed to quit before the hammer completely dropped. That would have been gasoline on a fire, I’m sure.

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I reckon a lot of people have been hitting the bottle, my mate bought a load of drink bc he is self isolating. he is immunocompromised too, I heard that drink isnt good if you get virus,

we all need to be eating healthy and doing exercise everyday guys, i for one need to do better.

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Once again, @shutterbug you go beyond great…good job !!

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Hey @shutterbug would you be able to give me a meeting invite? Ive been hitting the vodka and cokes pretty hard lately.

In the absence of weed, hallucinogens, meth and adderall, alcohol has become my new go to, and Im hitting it pretty hard

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Sorry man, I’m a bit behind. Hope to be rolling this weekend. We’ve had a challenging week with all things COVID-19. Here’s a huge list of online meetings to hold you over.

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What’s the zoom id number for the meeting? I need one now. Hah. I am a week and a day newbie sober.

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Haven’t quite got that set up, still working on it. Very sorry for the delay, it’s been a week around here. I’ll PM you the Facebook link. In the interim I suggest using the AA Intergroup link above to locate some meetings. :slight_smile:

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