For this assignment, I decided to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in Forest Park, Georgia. Jones Memorial United Methodist Church hosts two Alcohol Anonymous meetings on Tuesdays and Fridays. I decided to attend the meeting on Friday, September 16, 2016. The meeting started at 7 p.m. and lasted until 8 p.m. There were about 11 participants, including myself. The Alcoholics Anonymous meeting was an open discussion meeting. There were people from different backgrounds but everyone was respectful and friendly towards each other. We began the meeting with a word of prayer. As a group, we held hands and recited the Lord’s Prayer. After the prayer, the group recited a song and swung their hands back and forth. After the prayer, we sat in a circle and the leader passed around a basket of offerings. Once the offer was over, the host asked me to introduce myself. During my introduction, I politely stated my name, the name of my school, and my major. The other participants introduced themselves by stating: “Hello, my name is John Doe and I am an alcoholic. » They then shared their personal experiences with alcoholism and expressed gratitude for the 12-step meeting. While speaking, each participant shared the moments in their life that made them decide to seek treatment and how many years they have been sober. Each band member provided great support to their bandmates. They showered each other with love and gave each other advice to stay on track. I enjoyed the meeting. This gave me the opportunity to see how binge drinking can control your ability to function in society. Each member was determined to stay sober and find other things to do besides drink ... middle of paper ... and in February they would focus on step 2. Something that stood out to me during the meeting was that some participants lived in fear for years after getting sober. They didn't leave the house because they would use again or run into old friends who were drinking with them. Additionally, I found it interesting that every year the group members come together to celebrate their years of sobriety. The celebration includes a speaker, food and fun. Overall, I really enjoyed attending an AA meeting. As a future social worker, this meeting helped me understand that it is not easy to get rid of an addiction. Additionally, if I decide to work with addicts, there may be times when they relapse. I should learn to be patient and keep in mind that excessive substance use can alter your brain and control your life..