I have never experienced what it would be like to be part of an AA meeting. The only time I've seen or heard anyone mention meetings for alcoholics was in television shows and movies, which depicted these meetings as a circle of strangers just reflecting on their life stories and how this illness has changed them forever. Therefore, I had no idea what to expect. I felt intimidated and had a sense of nervousness, so I decided I wouldn't go alone and brought a friend. My expectation going into this meeting was to see beaten people with poor hygiene and looking homeless. In fact, the expectation I had as I walked towards this place was that I would be beaten and even kidnapped. As crazy as it sounds, all of these thoughts came to mind mostly because of the type of environment I expected it to be. For the most part, I was wrong. I was actually surprised by what I witnessed and realized that I was overreacting. Upon arrival there were scattered people; some talk together and others sit alone. The room was nothing like I imagined. It wasn't an auditorium or a gym like they showed on TV. This place that I had imagined to be a terrible closed surface with maniacal individuals turned out to be a small room with sofas and tables to make guests feel welcome, with normal looking men and women who appeared to be middle aged. I thought "There must be something wrong, I can't believe that all these people who seem normal to me have an alcoholism addiction problem." My friend and I sat near the door in case we wanted to get out quickly. I looked around the room and saw two large signs right in front of the speaker's podium. One explained how ... middle of paper ... the meeting was one of amazement and a certain relief. This encounter made me realize that I should really appreciate the things I have in life because there are others out there who are much worse off. What I learned from the meeting is that the problem isn't how much you drink; that's what happens when you drink. Getting clean and sober is for those who want it, not for those who need it. The key step for addicts is to maintain a motivated way of thinking once you start feeling good about yourself by making amends. I believe that 12-step sobriety support groups can be extremely helpful to the person attempting abstinence. The premise is that one addict can better help another, and that by helping another you actually help yourself. AA is a key example of how groups support sobriety in individuals as long as they are willing to follow a program and are committed to changing their habits.