I forgot to mention that over winter break, we were given an assignment. They couldn't let us have 17 days off without asking for something in return, haha.
So we were asked to sit-in on an Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous meeting over break, so that might get a better sense of the types of services we will recommend to patients in the future. I looked up meeting times in the town next to mine, and chose to attend an 'Open-Speaker' meeting. We could only attend 'open' meetings, but there were other types of open meetings, such as 'discussion' meetings.
Luckily, I didn't get lost driving to the church that the meeting was being held in. I asked around to see where to go, and then found the man in charge of the group to explain my request. He welcomed me very warmly and told me to help myself to some coffee an donuts.
I was really blown away by how supportive the group was, and from listening to many stories, I could tell that the group really 'saved' some members. There was no sense of judgment, there was no sense of humiliation. It truly felt like a brotherhood, and I was so grateful to have had the experience.
With that in mind, if you know anyone who you think might benefit from attending a meeting, why not go with them? I felt nervous walking into the room, and I was solely there to observe. Think about how scary it is for someone who truly needs the meeting.
Yeah! What's up with that?! Why do we get assignments during our breaks. Doesn't feel right.
Posted by: Carolina Davis | 02/08/2012 at 10:20 AM