Recently joined an outpatient program at a rehab. At my second meeting some really anti-LGBTQ things were said and one of the people who said something negative was the person that was in charge of running the meeting that night. I am part of the LGBTQ community so this honestly made me never want to go back and to drink. Luckily I did not. She later apologized to me after I told my spouse about it and my spouse called the director of the rehab. However after that incident I no longer feel comfortable talking about my personal life in a group setting which sucks because thatās a huge part of my sobriety. Now Iām at a loss because I thought that the group meetings would help me but they only ended up making me feel worse about myself.
Hang in there and keep looking for your place!! People can be very limited in their thinking!! Lead with Love!!
Plz hang in there.
Hey Jessica! Iām sorry you have to deal with this attitude. I choose to believe that you can make a difference for you and others in the LBGTQ community by staying sober and sharing your experience, strength, and hope with others. Actually, you could have a great impact on the entire recovery community. Hopefully the person who said those ignorant and offensive words will take this incident to heart. Please keep coming back. You are 100% welcome, and 100% belong. Turn this negative experience into a positive one if possible. That person should be the one feeling worseā¦not you! Hope you can go back and feel good about being you. You are perfect just the way you are. We want you. We need you. Recovery is going to change your entire life. You will learn how to feel ok with yourself regardless of what others think or say ā¤āš©¹
Maybe it will become an opportunity for the other person to gain some humility. I have learned as hard as it can be to pray to my higher power to bless them change me, even when I would normally think they were wrong and I was right, but everyone knows liking to be right is a form of control or function of the ego. So I can only practice to make it become more automatic. Itās about my own betterment not really about right vs wrong.
You will know who your real friends are and you probably arenāt the only person who noticed this while it was unfolding.
Aren't there any letter people-centric AA meetings in your area? We have them here in the Cleveland area, lots of them.
Sorry that happened to you though, people can be really sucky.
What negative thing was said? Maybe just a miscommunication?
Thank you so much for your kind words! Iām considering AA but I have a few things that are stopping me that I have to get over first.
Unfortunately Iām in SC so finding an LGBTQ group is pretty much impossible.
About what was saidā¦.There was a member of the group that said she was upset at Disney for being so āwokeā and including LGBTQ people in their movies. Then the whole room went on a negative rant about gay people and one person even said that schools are giving children transitioning hormones without parent consent because of the gay movementā¦. the person in charge of the group said she doesnāt like that weāre so āin your faceā all the time.
LGBT stuff? This is exactly what I mean. Iām just trying to live my life like you are. Itās not stuffā¦ itās my life.
Thank you for your kind words!
Yeah, I lived in the south for a bit, but it was 30 years ago, I guess it hasn't changed much.
That's unfortunate, alot of older people are having a hard time understanding that the world is changing. They still reminisce about Leave It To Beaver. Some "gay people" ARE very " in your face" but so are alot of right wing god warriors. People have become very polarized. Everyone seems to be on a muscle all the time.
Regardless, I'm sorry you encountered that at a meeting. But don't give up. Teach those people something. Be cool, be patient, to a point, and see what happens.
Or move to Cleveland where we have every flavor of AA meeting you can think of. We have 1000 meetings a week here .
Try some zoom meetings Jessica. I have some friends that live in rural areas where meetings are scarce, and the vibe is very conservative. One good thing that came out of the pandemic was zoom meetings. Now you can get out of your small town for an hour meeting on zoom. Do you have the zoom meeting guide? If not, Iāll look for some info and post it. Maybe others can share some zoom info as well. We got your back.
I do not have a zoom meeting guide but I would love some info! Thank you for your support. I really appreciate it!
Keep your sobriety number one no matter what! You're worth it! Resentments are our worst enemies. Don't let the lower power bring you down!
Try this one. I think you can filter it for all types of meetings. I hope you find this useful ā¤āš©¹
Browse the Directory of Online Meetings | Online Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous
Girl, I'm so sorry that happened to you. We have to be more kind to others. What is wrong w people?? Seriously. Ugggh I could go ON and ON about this topic. I am also a part of the LGBTQ community and I probably would feel the same. Do you ever do zoom meetings?! Oh I'm Allie btw
I always worry what Iām going to hear in rehab groups. Iām over 4 months sober on my own but one of the main reasons I donāt want to join a group is because Iām worried about people using religion as a crutch for bigotry. Iām also not Christian either so thereās that. I might take another look at secular groups but I donāt know, I made it over four months. Sometimes itās tough but at least I donāt have to worry about being in a room, physical or virtual, with nut jobs.
Try not to let someone elseās opinion stop you from participating in groups. Opinions are like Sphincters Everyoneās got āem!
This is terrible to hear. You have every right to be guarded.
It's ok to be guarded. I think you'll naturally start opening up again after some time passes.
Good luck in your recovery. Look at this as another test and hope it makes you stronger in sobriety