Thriving in Recovery: AA Meetings in Huntington Beach

Benefits of Attending AA Meetings in Huntington Beach 

Congratulations! You’ve completed your inpatient alcohol rehab or drug rehab and now you’re transitioning into an outpatient program or you’re ready to take even more of a leap and commit to an outpatient program so that you can take the tools that you learned during treatment and put them into practical practice. Regardless of the treatment plan that you experienced during your time in rehab, you will always be encouraged to find and attend 12 step meetings that are local to your area. These 12 step meetings are also known as AA meetings. 

There are countless reasons why you will always be encouraged to take this step either after your time in an inpatient program or during the time that you’re in an outpatient program. Just a few of the benefits of attending an AA meeting include: 

Stress and tension release 

One of the great things about AA meetings is the fact that the developers of these meetings understand that the struggles associated with alcoholism don’t always happen between the normal 9 AM to 5 PM business hours. Instead, they can happen at seemingly any time of day. A great advantage of attending an AA meeting is the fact that these types of meetings are available seven days a week, any time of day. Instead of picking up a drink, these meetings serve as excellent ways to relieve stress if you’re having a difficult day. 

Give you a new vision 

Sometimes when you are stuck and focused in your ways when it comes to thinking a certain way about something, you may lose your perspective on a certain situation. However, when you come to an AA meeting and you really hash out what you’re thinking and feeling and listen to the thoughts and experiences of others, you may come to find that you can gain a new approach when it comes to something in your life. 

Develop a system of support 

Many people are scared to share during an AA meeting because they feel as though they are the only ones in the world that may be feeling the way that they do when it comes to aspects of their life or recovery. However, the more meetings that you attend and the more that you listen to other people around you, the more you will feel comfortable. Fairly quickly, you will learn that you are not alone and you will meet and interact with other people that you can turn to for care and support. 

The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous 

Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as AA was first developed in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. Bill Wilson was a severe alcoholic and known by the medical community in his area. In fact, the majority of the people in Bill Wilson’s life had given up on him when it came to recovery because of the severity of his addiction and because nothing that they seemed to do for him ever worked. However, once Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob partnered with each other, they realized that there was another approach to recovery that no one seemed to try before. By developing a format that entailed getting alcoholics that wanted to recover from this disease in one room, there was a sense of community and closeness that couldn’t be captured in any other capacity. Hence AA was born. 

Although AA began with just one group in 1935, it quickly grew and by 1939, two more groups had been added to the premise of AA. 1939 was a big year for AA in other ways as well because it was in this year that Bill Wilson published the book “Alcoholics Anonymous” which would serve as a guide for any person that was struggling with addiction and wanted help and guidance in overcoming their addiction. Part of this guide is abiding by a set of steps that will assist a person in overcoming their addiction once and for all. The 12 steps of AA are: 

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable. 
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. 
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. 

It’s important to remember that a person that is new to their sobriety will be unable to work through all of these steps on their own. Instead, they should work with a sponsor who has worked through these steps before with their own sponsor so that they can successfully complete them. Keep in mind that there are certain steps that you will need to repeat again as time goes on. For example, it would be impossible to expect a person to remain perfect in the way that they treat others. If you have hurt someone or you’re experiencing difficulties with another person, it would be recommended that you repeat steps four, five, eight, and nine. 

Types of AA Meetings 

When considering your options for AA meetings, it’s essential to understand that there are different types of meetings that you can attend: 

AA Meetings in Huntington Beach 

There are numerous AA meetings in Huntington Beach that you can decide to attend. Here are some of the meetings that are local to the area: 

Saints Simon & Jude Catholic Church

The meeting at Sts. Simon and Jude Church is an excellent meeting option if you have had a long day and feel as though your sobriety could be in jeopardy. This meeting takes place every Monday at 7:30 pm. It’s important to note that this is a closed meeting but this detail is something that can help you to feel more comfortable when it comes to sharing your experiences. 

20444 Magnolia St, Huntington Beach, CA 92646

Faith Lutheran Church 

Have you been grappling with your addiction throughout the night and need to reach out for help? Faith Lutheran Church meeting takes place on Thursday at 12 AM. This type of meeting can help you to work through how you are feeling in the moment and provide you with a tremendous sense of relief. 

8200 Ellis Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92646

HB Church of Religious Science

HB Church of Religious Science is also the host of several AA meetings throughout the week including Mondays at 6 pm. These are open meetings which mean that any person that is struggling with the disease of alcohol can attend as well as a person that simply wants to learn more about alcoholism. 

7641 Talbert Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Support Group Alternatives to AA 

There are many people who don’t feel comfortable with the spiritual aspect of AA. After all, the steps of AA revolve around developing a relationship with God, as you see him so that you can achieve and maintain your sobriety. If spirituality is something that you would like to avoid in your recovery, some examples of support group alternatives that you can commit to include: 

Are you ready to learn more about your options for addiction treatment? Perhaps you’re ready to commit to a drug rehab or alcohol rehab program? The Resurgence Behavioral Health team is here to help you. We focus on providing our clients with the recovery assistance and addiction treatment that they need to live a healthy and more successful life. If you’re ready to take this journey, we encourage you to reach out to us at (855) 458-0050. 

Find AA Meetings near you in Huntington Beach! Reach out to Resurgence today! #AAmeeting #huntingtonbeachhttps://t.co/t1YAzXDjxm

— Resurgence Behavioral Health (@RBHRecovery) November 2, 2021

Josh Chandler
After growing up in Chicago and North Carolina, Josh chose to get help with substance use disorder and mental health in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than five years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for four years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. Josh remains passionate about the field because he understands that one phone call can alter the course of a person's life.

Research | Editorial