RUNNING HEAD: Support Group 1
Support Group Paper: Alcohol Anonymous
TeErica McClain
Liberty University
Support Group Paper: Alcohol Anonymous
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Introduction
In this paper, I will be discussing my personal observations of the four classes I attended in
this program. First, I will start off by explaining the importance of Alcohol Anonymous, and the
definition of it. Then, I will explain the group’s objective, norms and purpose. Also, I will
express my opinions and observations of the group’s leadership style, some of the challenges i
encounter, and what stage I think the group is in. The group is held at Salem New Life in
Conyers, Ga, and consists of between 6 to 15 people each meeting.
Content and Process
First, we are going to start off with what Alcohol Anonymous is, and its purpose. Alcohol
Anonymous is a mutual aid fellowship that helps men and women who are struggling with an
addiction to alcohol to get and stay sober. To become a member of this program, you will have
to take a test that will show your mental state of mind, and the reason you are seeking help.
However, race, sexuality, social status, and age limit does not play a part in gaining membership
in AA. The main purpose of the group is to help the individual gain sobriety by following the
twelve steps, so that they can become their highest selves. In the beginning of the program, each
member will be given a spouse of the same sex, so that they gain the necessary knowledge to
follow the program.
Throughout each meeting, the members will express their goals, the challenges they are
facing in the society, and come up with solutions to help them overcome their issues so that they
don't relapse. In today’s society, a lot of individuals believe that alcoholism is a disease that you
will eventually die from. They will define this person as an alcoholic, which is a person that turns
to uncontrollable drinking when things happen in life, because they are unhealthy in their mind,
body, and spirit. Each member's purpose of being in the group is to help each other get on the
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path of sobriety and stay that way.
This program was started in 1935 by a stockbroker named Bill Watson and a surgeon
named Dr. Robert Smith, because they had a bad drinking problem. During the necessary
treatments, they were able to obtain and stay sober. This disease tends to affect individuals
mentally, physically, and emotionally, to where sometimes they do not have control over their
actions. Part of the treatment involves the principles of the twelve steps of recovery. These
principles help the individual build their relationship with God, so that they are able obtain
sobriety and not relapse.
The Alcoholic Anonymous group I decided to attend is Salem New Life located in
Conyers, Ga. The group meetings I was allowed to attend were the Open ones, which means that
the members join and leave occasionally (Jacobs, Schimmel, Masson, & Harvill, 2016). The
group meetings are held every day at various times with the combination of open and closed
meetings. I attended the saturday, sunday and tuesday meetings for this support group. According
to the authors, when members are brought together in a group, it is usually due to a common
denominator (Jacobs, Schimmel, Masson, & Harvill, 2016).
When I first arrived in the meeting room, I introduced myself and told them the reason for
me being there. Afterwards when the leader asked if there were any visitors, I introduced myself
and state my reasons for being there. I was nervous at first, because I did not want them to think
that I was judging them and being shy, but they all turned out to be great. I told them that I am a
Liberty University graduate student that is studying Human Services Counseling specializing in
Executive Leadership, and explained why I was sitting in the open group sessions. Firstly, the
session began with a serenity prayer, and the promises. I enjoyed seeing this, because it shows
that they are trying to build a better relationship with God to help them overcome this addiction.
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Then the leader will start the discussion by asking a question, reading a story, or something that
will draw in the members attention. As the group members decide to speak up about something
that was said, they will first say their name, and admit that they are an addict. This shows them
taking responsibility, and admitting that they need help, which is very big. The members will
share their opinions, their personal stories about their struggles with alcohol, and some of the
things they are doing to maintain sobriety. For example, a member stated that every day he goes
to one of the meetings so that he focuses on the goal at hand even when he is stressed. The
session ends with the Psalm 23 prayer, where the members hold hands in a circle. Also, it is not
required to give, but a basket is passed around to all members and visitors for donations for the
program, which I loved. I am not part of the program, but I always donate and speak to the
members, because I want to help them anyway I can.
The group members are between the ages 18 to 80 years, with all different ethhnic
groups because they do not discriminate. There are different leaders that lead the groups, so it is
not just one individual person. However, you have to be at least 30 days sober to be able to lead a
session or help. What stuck out to me is the way each member showed a high level of trust
between each other and was non-judgemental towards each other when it came to discussing
their problems (Corey, Corey, & Haynes 2014). The meetings were only an hour long, but
sometimes people will stay in the setting to wait for the next meeting. What I loved about each
session that I went to was that the group members stayed on topic and there weren't any conflicts.
The bible states, Ecclesiastics 4: 9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward
for their toil, for if they fall, one will lift up his fellow”. Therefore, it is great that the members
are helping each other through their challenges, because it is sometimes better to work on them
with someone else. During the meeting, the leader took charge of the discussion through the
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beginning to the end, so that it doesn't get off topic. The leader is supposed to create a therapeutic
and safe environment for the members that they will be encouraged to share their opinions
truthfully (Jacobs, Masson, Harvill, & Schimmel, 2016, p.43). In my opinion, each group
member was in positive spirit, and helpful to the other members even if they had a bad day. For
example, the leader asked me if I wanted to participate, but I was nervous so I said no. The
leader and the group members really encouraged me and made me feel comfortable sharing as
time went along. In my personal opinion, the leader created a safe and optimistic environment
for everyone that everyone was being their true self. At the end of the meeting, the leader will go
around to collect any papers they have to sign, and discuss any last comments the members may
have. Afterwards, before the members are dismissed, they will gather in a circle and say the
lord's prayer. Up leaving the door, the members will hug each other, but it's not mandatory.
Group Dynamic and Participants
Overall, the atmosphere of the group was great and inspiring. The energy of the members
was great, and they weren't rude to each other. The members spoke to each other before the
meeting began, and after the meeting ended. In my personal opinion, you could see the members
of the group really got along with each other, and were there for each other. Each of the members
understood that they were there for the same reason, but it just that their stories might be a little
different. I could tell that each group leader had a good relationship with the members because
they mingled and talked with them. The group leader would even share their stories with the
members about the struggles they had to stay clean, which was very dope. After looking back at
the stages that we learned in the class, I believe that the members were in the working stage of
the developmental stages. The working stage is the stage when members of the group focus on
the purpose (Jacobs, Masson, Harvill, & Schimmel, 2016). In the beginning of each session, the
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members would take turns reading the twelve steps. Afterwards, the members are able to express
their opinions on several topics, and their experiences that relate to the topics. There were not
any newcomers in the meetings, but I do love their chip process. Their chip process is where the
members get a color chip for the time they have been sober. For example, they have a white chip
for just starting the process, and one for thirty days, three months, six months and so on.
However, in the end, the leader did an awesome job paying attention to the atmosphere and the
group dynamics because it is easy for conflicts to arise due to misunderstanding of each others
actions and words (Jacobs, et al., 2016, p.37).
Leadership Behaviors
There were different leaders that lead certain times in the programs. However, each
leader was kind, honest, and very straightforward with the members. They have been apart of the
program for years and each one has been sober for three years or longer. I could tell that they
were trying to help each member overcome their problems by listening to them, not judging
them, and showing them a different perspective on certain situations. Everyone was engaged and
felt comfortable during the session due to the bonds they have made with each other. However,
there was one leader that stood out to me, and she ran the 10:00 am Saturday session for Women
only. Ms. Lele is an African-America women that has struggle with both alcohol and drug abuse
in the past, but she has currently been sober for seven years. During the meeting, she expressed
her story, and how her addiction caused a lot of conflicts in her life. Ms. Lele said that one night
she went to get drugs from somewhere, and she needed a ride back home. She called her sponsor
to come and get her, and her sponsor left her there. It took for her sponsor to leave where she was
for her to realize that she didn’t want to continue down the path of alcohol and drugs. She cried
during the meeting because she was grateful to be alive due to her knowing others who didn't.
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Foryth stated “that having conflicts are unavoidable consequences of life in groups” (Forsyth,
2015, p.435). Honestly, I didn't really see any true conflicts in the group, because everyone
respected each others opinions. No one cut each other off mid sentence, and you could tell that
they were being mature about the situation. One lady in her mid thirties told everyone that she
has to go back to a drug class, because she relapsed. She broke down in class, because she felt
like a failure due to her stealing drugs from her roommate. The group leader, her sponsor, and the
other members were there for her, and encouraging her to be better in a positive way. You could
see that the women truly cared about each other. The leadership style of the group was
interpersonal because the leader focused on the members' struggles and needs. I like this
leadership style because the members are learning and developing healthy relationships, while
accomplishing their group and personal goals.
Application and Conclusion
During my four sessions, I learned about the history of Alcohol Anonymous. One of the
biggest problems of the United States is addiction, and it is never really talked about. When a
person is going through addiction, it affects everyone around them as well. There are support
groups for the friends and family of addicts called Al group. In my personal opinion, I am happy
that it is a group dedicated to family and friends of the members because it is not easy taking
care of someone who is addicted to drugs and alcohol. In the program, each member comes with
the same exact goal, which is getting sober and obtaining. However, the only difference is that
their stories, upbringings, and struggles might be different. Some individuals developed this
problem at 14 years old, while others developed it later on in life. Going to these sessions have
truly humble me, because it allows me to be grateful for the life and opportunities that I have. I
am more aware and educated on what makes people turn to alcohol for their problems, and some
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of the techniques that are used to help them obtain soberity. In order for someone to be
successful in this problem, they have to be aware that they have a problem, accept that they have
it, and want to get to help for their problem. You can help anyone that doesn't want to change or
see nothing wrong with their problem, because you will be wasting your energy. One lady in the
group expressed that she couldn't understand why she couldn't stay sober. However, she said that
it took for her to try to build her relationship with God to show her what she was doing wrong.
God sent her a church friend that told her about the New Salem Life AA program, and she
understood that God was telling her to stay put in this area for a while. Hearing her story and the
other testimonials have taught me that it is okay to be open to change, because God always
knows what's best for you. This disease is not something that can be treated alone; you will need
a great team behind you to encourage you to stay sober. Therefore, I believe that this program is
an effective treatment towards Alcoholism.
Overall, I enjoyed attending this group, because I was able to see some techniques that I
would use in my group. However, one thing I would do differently is create some ice breakers
because everyone did not know everyone's name in the group. If i was to lead my group, I would
make sure that I planned out everything so that everything flows and it isn't any awkward
silence. When a leader plans, it allows them to prepare for any questions that are thrown at them,
show them what the group members may need, and to prepare for any mishaps that should occur
(Jacobs, et el, 2016). I really enjoyed going to these sessions, and I thank you for the project.
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References:
Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Haynes, R. (Directors). (2014). DVD for Groups in action:
Evolution and challenges (2nd ed.) [DVD]. Available from http://www.cengage.com
Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Haynes, R. (2014). Groups in action: Evolution and challenges (2nd
ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Forsyth, D. R. (2015). Group dynamics (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
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Jacobs, E. E., Schimmel, C. J., Masson, R. L., & Harvill, R. L. (2016). Group counseling:
Strategies and skills (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
