“The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop __________.”
This line is an excerpt taken from the Preamble of 12-Step based recovery meetings. If you’ve ever attended any of those types of meetings, then you’ve probably heard it before. But if you haven’t, it may just be the MOST important thing you need to know if you should ever find yourself searching for recovery from any type of addiction.
Unfortunately, there is a gross misconception in this world about all 12-Step based recovery groups such as AA, NA, CA, Al-Anon, etc. Too many people believe that each all cults and that there’s specific protocols to gaining membership to them. Sadly, this is quite far from the truth. Unfortunately, that excerpt above has also be misleading for many newcomers. So let me set a few things straight if you happen to be someone who’s seeking recovery from an addiction or just inquiring into 12-Step based programs.
12-Step based recovery meetings don’t actually have any requirements for membership. In fact, there aren’t any specific “memberships” at all. To be a “member” of a group, it’s as simple as putting your name and number on a list so that others you meet in the group may contact you. But you should also know that a newcomer doesn’t even have to be a “member” of a group either. I went for the first 12 years of my recovery from alcohol and drugs to many different meetings where I never once put my name on any list.
In addition, while there are certain groups out there which cater to women, gays and lesbians, deaf, Spanish, etc., none of them are specific clubs with elusive membership. The only thing a newcomer ever really needs to pay attention to when coming around to any 12-Step based recovery meeting for the first time is to look for an “Open” meeting. That’s only because when a meeting is labeled as “Closed”, it’s for those who have accepted they have an addiction. For those coming around to a 12-Step based recovery meeting for the first time, many of them haven’t even come to the place yet of stating they’re an addict of any kind. Hence the reason for having those “Open” meetings.
The bottom line is this. 12-Step based recovery groups are not clubs. They are not cults. They don’t have requirements for membership. It is only hoped that if you find yourself seeking one of them out, it’s because you have some form of an addiction that you want to find recovery from.
So if you happen to be someone who’s suffering from an addiction of any kind but haven’t checked out any 12-Step based recovery meeting yet, all you really need to know is just one thing. There are NO requirements for you to go to any one of them, but it is our hope if you do, that you have the desire to stop your addiction once and for all. And if you don’t, then I pray that God will help get you there so that your addiction won’t tear your life apart any more than it may already have…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson