The C.P.C./P.I. Service Committee of the Tri-County Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous is a volunteer group of A.A. members that share accurate information on A.A.’s alcoholism recovery program to professionals and the general public in Raleigh, and surrounding areas of Wake, Franklin and Warren Counties. A member of A.A. reflects on the “medicine of meetings” below. (The views and opinions expressed are those of the member and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of A.A. as a whole.)

Founded in 1935, after a meeting between two strangers in Akron, Ohio, Alcoholics Anonymous has helped save and impact countless lives since its inception. Through its unique approach in utilizing a “spiritual solution to a medical problem,” the organization’s famous 12-Step Program has spawned other peer-to-peer “Anonymous” groups with the same basic principle that only those similarly afflicted can truly comprehend a mutual malady. This type of support transcends religious, racial, socioeconomic, and cultural differences, as reflected in A.A.’s two million active members across 120,000 groups in 180 countries. At its core, A.A. is a process by which people get well, and A.A. meetings are safe havens where alcoholics can explore and discuss their shared illness in confidence.

The classification of alcoholism as a disorder is not new. In fact, it was the “allergy” model that first brought the two original founders to common ground. A freshly sober stock analyst from New York found himself alone in Akron on the wrong end of a business deal, and a hotel bar looked very inviting. He talked himself into picking up the lobby phone instead of a cocktail, intuiting that helping another alcoholic would somehow replace his desire to drink. After dialing through a listing of ministries for a prospect, he was introduced to a beloved local doctor with a serious drinking problem.

At their very first meeting, it was the financial professional (Bill Wilson) who explained the disease approach to the surgeon (Dr. Bob Smith). It was a summary of his own doctor’s opinion that stated that alcoholics suffered from an abnormal physical reaction to alcohol. It produced an outsized impact within the brain that was far different from the normal individual, and it commanded obsessive attention accordingly. Just as importantly, there was no turning back. Once crossing the invisible line into physical dependency, future “controlled drinking” became impossible for an alcoholic.

The Benefit of Support

One of A.A.’s objectives in working with the healing community is to aid doctors, physician’s assistants, nurses, and mental health professionals in identifying potentially undiagnosed alcohol use disorder (AUD) in their patients and help provide a solution. Due to personal shame or embarrassment—and the lingering moral stigma of alcoholism as a condition of choice—self-reporting of alcohol intake is notoriously unreliable. Comorbidities such as pancreatitis, hypertension, kidney stones, and abnormal liver panels in otherwise healthy individuals often point to heavy drinking, and the answers to “what now?” are not always clear.
While it may be medical issues that drive many to seek help, often through detox and subsequent treatment, alcoholics cannot live under the safety of supervision forever. Through the help of a “sponsor” (a mentor through the 12 Steps) and regularly attending meetings, the problem drinker finds a comforting home among like-minded sober people in the fellowship of the A.A. community. Over time, many report that their most reliable and closest friends result from these interactions, and a prominent recent study spearheaded by addiction psychologists from Stanford and Harvard concluded that A.A. members are 20-60 percent more likely to achieve sustained sobriety than control groups worldwide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgMjTIwh_LA)

Many Resources

The Meeting Guide app, is free and can show A.A. meetings that are in your area from anywhere in North America and beyond, which means people can find 50-80 meetings per day, both in-person or on-line, from 6AM-10PM (24-hour online meetings across the globe can be found through aa-intergroup.org). There is no cost or obligation to attend an A.A. meeting, and anonymity remains vitally important to group members. What to speak to someone before attending your first meeting? Contact the local A.A. Helpline 24/7 at (919)-783-6144, and speak to a volunteer with an understanding voice. Regularly updated information about meetings, literature and more can also be found at raleighaa.com.
Once an alcoholic can admit that they have a problem and that their lives have become unmanageable, there are thousands nearby who are willing to help. We enjoy sharing our experience with anyone who is still suffering from alcoholism, as we once suffered, perhaps you will meet some of us on the road of recovery!