FREE ESSAY ON DRUG AND ALCHOHOL

DRUG AND ALCHOHOL

The first meeting I attended was an AA and a NA meeting. At first, I was very nervous
attending it because I didn't know what to expect. I always had the impression that all
people who attended these meetings were typical people that you see in bars with long
hair, and beards; but I was wrong. They look normal just like you and me. There were
young people, and middle-aged people. Some of them I never would have expected that they
were alcoholics or drug addicts. 
Both meetings seemed to be very similar to me. They both introduced themselves the same
way, for example hi my name is Gino and I'm an alcoholic, or I'm addicted to cocaine.
They both sat in a group and discussed their addiction, their progress, and any problems
that they were having. Prior to the start of the meeting I asked the counselor what was
the main reason that the majority of the people are in these meetings. In both cases,
drugs or alcohol was due to serious family problems, and they do it to get their minds
off of the problem. It is their way of getting away.
Since both meetings are so similar, there are things that I like and dislike about both.
I like the fact that it is a group effort to help one another because everyone there has
the same problem, and there are different ideas shared on how to overcome the addiction.
It seems to me that everyone is fine when they are together at the meeting, because by
talking it takes their minds off of the drugs or the alcohol. So the question 
that I am asking is when these people go back out into the world, and the group is not
there, and a problem occurs are they going to resort back to the substance.
Another thing that I really didn't like was the way they introduced themselves. I don't
agree with putting a title after your name, like I'm an alcoholic. To me, that makes a
person feel lowly about him or herself, and they will go through life always feeling that
they are an alcoholic or a drug addict. I feel that that needs to be changed very badly.
I think it should be Hi, my name is Gino, and I am here because I have a drinking or a
drug problem and I need help to overcome it. So if that person overcomes it, they will
say I accomplished something.
I honestly believe that these meetings work to a certain extent. I believe very strongly
that a person can overcome an alcohol or a drug problem. The meetings in my opinion are
like a support or a starter to help overcome the problem. I strongly feel that it is up
to the individual to overcome the problem. The meetings can only work to a certain point.
If there is no will power, than I believe in the saying once an alcoholic or a drug
addict, always an alcoholic or a drug addict. If the person has will power, and overcomes
it, then I don't believe in that saying.