A NEW OPPORTUNITY –
Dec. 27, 2022 – Joe says trust is fundamental which is why people are able to attend meetings without being worried they’ll be exposed in their everyday life – they can move through the steps without judgement. He says AA maintains anonymity and privacy at a personal level, but as an organization, they want to get the word out that they can help people ready to confront their addiction.
For Joe though, his friends and family know about his dependency and he has every day reminders to keep him on track, like plaques on his living room wall of AA tenets. “If you see somebody in the meeting that you know, you have to remember that they’re there for the same reason. I didn’t try to hide it every time I went into the liquor store so I don’t hide it whenever I try to go to get help.”
For those not ready to share their identity, Joe says it will be protected as a part of the mission of the organization. And, he says, it’s important to break the stigma of what kind of people deal with addiction, many of whom are successful in other areas of their lives, they may be your family members or friends.
