Online AA Meeting experience

[KhakiOrca]

Hi everyone. I did an online AA meeting the other morning. I had had a drink the night before, and so had everyone else. Is this normal in online meetings? There were 35 of us. We were told to un mute if we had been sober for 24 hours, and no one un- muted. Obviously I have no issue with this as I was also in the category of having had a drink in the last 24 hours. There were people talking about the usual stuff which I would expect from the big book and 12 steps etc, but wondering if it's better to join a real meeting? I would like to know everyone else's thoughts. And I know online is a start. So I am not being disrespectful. But wondered how an alcoholic would prefer to navigate becomming sober and your experiences . thanks

I joined an online AA group once and it made me want a drink.
I've never been to a physical meeting too scared that someone will recognise me. I decided AA wasn't for me. I come on here occasionally but not so much now. I'm trying to find more positive connections I've found that hanging around places where people are talking about alcohol or addiction a lot doesn't help me. It may help others but not me.

My guess would be that people who are going to online meetings are people who are either just tentatively dipping their toes in (not yet committed to sobriety) or people who simply don’t want to talk, just listen.

I have been to AA meetings (I don’t do AA though), but never an online meeting. In the face to face meetings, there were lots of people who were long term sober.

Now AA isn’t for me, but I’d give a different meeting a try. Or try a different approach, SMART recovery, I think there is another one called Thrive, Bee Sober, a group coaching programme with a sober coach, etc.

Definitely try a face to face meeting online is ok but Definitely not like an in person meeting.
As for meeting someone you might know, well you might but they are there for exactly the same reason as you. There is no judgement in AA
Yes there will be people with long term sobriety but they can only help you and perhaps living proof it works.

DM has been in AA for 48 yrd and volunteers on the AA Helpline. Quite often online meetings are the most accessible, next available, easiest to manage with childcare or work commitments or less intimidating because it’s not F2F. AA works well when there are experienced people “sharing” in a meeting. It sounds like you were unlucky in going to a meeting very heavy on new people. DM would always encourage you to try and go to a face to face meeting. You’ll get a lot more out of it, actual people/hugs/tea/offers of support and it makes you really face up to your situation - online can be very isolating. The second A is “anonymous” - it’s like fight club. What happens at meeting, stays at the meeting. Everyone respects each other’s anonymity, no one will grass you up.

Please try again. AA saved my childhood mother and family.

Thanks everyone. A face to face will be so much better for me. I appreciate you sharing your and your relatives experiences.

I think you have to also realize alcohol is poison. It causes cancer, costs you money, relationships, jobs etc. Try as hard as you possibly can not to drink for a week, reward yourself with the saved money. If you are looking into online I think alcohol explained William Porter has a FB page and online meet ups. You need to buy the book 'Alcohol Explained' before engaging online it is not expensive and I think the first 3 chapters are free so you can see if it is for you. Interesting guy, he is a lawyer, severed in the army