My prior understanding of Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, meetings was based on incomplete and inconsistent information. I recognized this to be a common occurrence among medical students as AA is often perceived through the interpretation of cinema or other popular media (Balasanova et al., 2020). As such, the experience I gained from observing an AA meeting is beneficial in my professional and personal development. There was some overlap between what I expected to happen during such meetings and certain things that I had no prior insight into.
In accordance with some previously obtained information, the AA meeting consisted of non-professional and self-supporting assistance to individuals with substance abuse issues. Similarly, there was also a discussion of the twelve-step program and how it contributes to living a satisfying life without the consumption of alcohol. Because the AA meeting was open, there was a possibility to hear the personal stories of AA attendees and their experiences with certain topics. I encountered concepts about AA that were new to me, including the apolitical and multiracial aspects of the meetings and the organization. The focus of the meeting included overcoming the issue of addiction, and attendees were not judged on their condition or other personal factors.
The understanding of alcohol abuse and the current resources that exist to curb it, such as AA, is fundamental to understanding the challenge on a medical level. As such, I found the experience to be highly educational as it allowed. It allows students to better understand alcohol abuse as a disease and realize the potential help that AA meetings can provide to patients. Due to this, I would conclude that greater interaction with AA and related organizations is crucial to medical students.
Reference
Balasanova, A. A., MacArthur, K. R., & DeLizza, A. A. (2020). “From All Walks of Life”: Attending an Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting to Reduce Addiction Stigma Among Medical Students. Academic Psychiatry, 44, 714-720. Web.