It is advisable that you have a home group if you go to Alcoholics Anonymous. Your home group would usually be one that is fairly local to you but not necessarily the closest. It is important that you feel ‘at home’ there – may be you feel an affinity with the secretary (the person who runs the meeting); maybe you like the venue or the ambience; may be you like the type of people that attend. Or perhaps you are fortunate and your most local and convenient meeting – at a good time for you – is appropriate to make your home group.
Home Group
The purpose of having a home group is that it will be where you get to know the people there and they get to know you. You should feel able to share your most sensitive thoughts and situations and you will probably even begin to count the AA members there as friends. You should commit to attend your home group meeting on a weekly basis. People will look out for you at this group and should notice when you are not there. (if you cannot attend it is a good idea to let people know so they can pass on your apologies for absence).
Watch Out For You
If you do not attend your home group it is likely that someone will check up on you.
Additionally, if you start to wobble in your recovery or have some other difficult issues, people at your home group are more likely to notice because they know you and will watch out for you. They might well spot a relapse coming and help prevent it happening before it is too late. You may well make friends at your home group and find a bit of a social life with them.
Routine
In the early days, attending your home group will get you into a solid routine and get you familiar with AA meetings and the twelve step programme. It is a good idea to take on a service commitment to force you to turn up! It is all too easy to think that tonight what your recovery needs is a bit of relaxation after a stressful day at work, or that going to a meeting would not be fair on the children.
Get A Service Position
So take on a service position such as making the teas and coffees (always a good one as it allows you to meet everyone but if you are shy you do not need to have a long conversation), greeting people at the door (also a good way of getting to know people and for them to get to know you), preparing the room or helping put the chairs away at the end (forces you to turn up early or not to rush off at the end), looking after the literature, or keeping the AA birthday book (if your meeting celebrates sobriety birthdays).
Responsibility
Eventually you might take on the responsibility of being secretary, booking the speakers (the ‘chair’) and running the meeting. Or you can take on a regional responsibility. But all that is for the future.
To start with, just find a home group and keep turning up…..
Joining an aa home group can be a major step on the path to rehabilitation for the alcoholic.
If you have an alcohol or drug related problem. Please call 01462 851414 for free and confidential advice and help.
