For someone who is recovering from alcohol addiction, attending AA meetings is highly recommended. An AA meeting is meant to help you stay sober and battle alcohol cravings together with people facing similar problems. But how can you know if there is an AA meeting near you? To know this, you should seek information from sites like AA-meetings.com. It has a directory of AA meetings listed in your zip code so that you have no trouble when you search for the term: “AA meetings near me”.
Are in-person AA meetings more effective and helpful?
Once you have identified an AA meeting in your location, you should not waste time in attending it. The idea is to be in the presence of fellow-addicts to seek their support to learn how to stay away from your cravings. With the global pandemic having disrupted physical AA meetings, now most happen over Zoom. But are these equally effective?
- To start with, for an addict, attending such sessions is necessary. Without these, he can experience a relapse, something that is quite common for an addict just out of rehab. The initial stages of recovery are the most critical. During this stage, he is likely to be tempted to give into his cravings again. This is why he needs to be around people who will offer him the hope and strength to stay sober. So, an online meeting will do its bit to help him maintain his sobriety.
- When you cannot leave your home for some reason, pandemic or otherwise, even a virtual AA meeting can be effective. At the same time, you need to be disciplined and committed to online AA meetings to get benefitted. Ignoring a screen is easy and having your mind drift away is common. You have to ensure you do not get distracted when an AA meeting is being held virtually.
- Online AA meetings are certainly most effective for addicts who suffer from a disability that prevents them from physically attending these sessions. It could be a useful option for an individual who may not have access to quick transport. Virtual meetings are also a good solution for people who have to skip meetings because they must work at odd hours. So, in all these situations, where in-person meetings are hard to attend, an online AA meeting may be the best solution.
- For people who find it hard to take that first step to attend an in-person meeting, an online session is far more appealing. He may be embarrassed or intimidated by the thought of having to speak to strangers about his problems. Being on screen is less stressful. He can open up easily and seek help, even if it is from strangers. He is less afraid to ask questions and more confident about confiding in others.
So, just because an AA meeting is online does not mean it will be any less effective. It entirely depends on an addict’s personal urge to overcome his addiction. An addict at an in-person meeting may not be benefitted at all if he chooses to disassociate himself completely. AA-meetings.com is one of the best-known AA resources online. You can get all the information you need about local AA meetings by using their AA Meeting Locator.
