How to survive a 12 Step Meeting

'The willingness to share does not make one charitable, it makes one free.'

At Build on Belief we think everyone struggling with their substance use should at least give mutual aid meetings a go, and the twelve-step fellowship is bar far the biggest of the various mutual aid meetings in existence. Like everything else in this world, they have their upside and their down, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. How do you share about your feelings in any mutual aid meeting, and leave feeling safe and happy . . . . 

• What is a mutual aid meeting?
• What are SMART meetings?
• What are twelve-step meetings?
• What are the twelve steps and what do they mean?
• What is the difference between open and closed meetings?
• What are the benefits of attending a mutual aid meeting?
• How does confidentiality work in mutual aid meetings?
• What is the difference between support and treatment?
• How do you talk about your feelings without exposing too much about your personal life?
• What are some of the difficulties you might encounter?
• Why should you try more than one meeting?

At Build on Belief we do not promote one form of recovery over another, so we do not get involved in the debate between total abstinence and harm minimisation, believing wholeheartedly that recovery can only work if it is a personal choice. Nevertheless, we do consider it a part of our mission in life to let each and every person who walks through our doors know about every 'recovery pathway' we have ever heard of, and support them into exploring the wonderful world of recovery as they choose. This workshop is intended to encourage people to give all and any form of mutual aid a go, and look at the benefits and pitfalls all mutual aid meetings possess.