Need help with AA "jargon"?

Question

I have just started AA through the prompting of my counselor. She gave me an assignment to find out what the following "sayings" or "jargon" mean in the context of AA. Can anyone help explain the following to me??? THANKS!

1) What do you do if you run into someone you know at a meeting?

2)If you are doing 90/90 and you miss a meeting, what do you do?

3) What does "Trying's Lying" mean?

4)When do you start your 4th Step?

5) What does "Live and Let Live" mean?

6) What is 13th Stepping?

7)What is "Two Stepping"?

8) Can a heroin addict go to AA meetings?

9) What is "Keeping It Green"?

10) Can you go to a meeting drunk?

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!!

Answer 1

Get a different counselor.

Answer 2

1) Act normally but don't mention AA

2)Go to an extra meeting the next day

3)You do or you don't there is no middle ground

4) After turning your life over to a higher power

5)The past is gone and you can only change today

6)It is when you use AA to get laid.

7)When you don't thoroughly work through the 12 steps with your sponsor. You go from step one to step 12.

8) Yes if there is no NA meeting nearby it is encouraged

9) I am not familiar with this term

10)People disagree about this all the time-IDK I don't mind it

Answer 3

1 - just say hello to them but remember never to mention to anyone else outside of the meetings that you saw them there.

2 - just get to the next meeting as soon as you can and carry on doing as many as possible

3 - dont try to stay sober just do it... if you say you are trying then you might be making excuses for your drinking (thats kind of the gist of it i think)

4 - take the steps at your own pace. get yourself a sponsor and speak to them about it. there is no standard way of doing the steps, its a very personal thing.

5 - dont try and control other people and dont worry about what they do. just concentrate on staying sober and let other people worry about their own problems

6 - 13th stepping is when you start to have a relationship with another AA member. its not advisable because if it goes wrong then one or both of you might want to drink again - also you may feel awkward around them at meetings.

7 - i dont know sorry.

8 - Narcotics Anonymous is better for a heroin addict.

9 - i dont know this answer either sorry.

10 - no you shouldnt go to a meeting drunk. you should wait until the next day and sober up and go. going to a meeting drunk may have an adverse effect on other members, so you shouldnt do it.

good luck mate!

Answer 4

!) Nothing. You treat them as any other member.  If you choose to follow the traditions you will not reveal their anonymity outside the meeting, but there are no rules that can be enforced and no onus on you to let this person know you will respect their anonymity (which is all I can think your counsellor is getting at because there is no formatted response to this situation in AA.

2) There is no onus/must about doing 90 meetings in 90 days, neither is there a formatted response if you choose not to go to a meeting.  A formatted response would be against the founders wisdom who knew that you could not enforce or make alcoholics do anything.  I suspect the answer in some more controlling circles would be 'phone your sponsor'.

3) In 25 yrs of continuous sobriety I have never heard this.

4) This varies.  Different people have different beliefs.  My belief is you do it after you have taken the first three steps.  The founders would have people do it within days or weeks of membership.  This confuses people as they think they cannot possibly be ready; and I tend to think there is no need to rush it.  Wha tmany people do not realise or take into account is the fact that step 10 is the continuation of step 4.  So while you can wait to do step 4, it does not need to be perfect as inventory taking is meant to be a part of life in step 10.

5) This means let people be.  Forgive them.  Stop getting into arguments abotu being right.  Let other people live.

6) 13th stepping is an extra step someone takes when they bed a newcomer.

7) Two stepping is where people are assumed to take the first and last steps and doing nothing inbetween.  It is actually impossible and a judgemental assumption people make.

8) Anyone who has a desire to stop drinking can go to an AA meeting.

9) I have never heard of that.

10) Yes, you can go to a meeting drunk

I stopped going to AA when I was 12 years sober as I didn't believe a higher power was keeping me sober or that the 12 steps adequately addressed the underlying issues that underpin addiction.  Although I don't use it as I have remained sober, I would recommend a look at smartrecovery.org whcih utilises a psychologicalapproach that has addressed my issues.

Good luck