Whatever happens at all, happens as it should. --Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Newcomer I came to this meeting, but I don't know if I belong here. I just don't know.
Sponsor We have a saying: Nobody gets here by mistake.
For many of us, this means that something inside us knows we need help and that we're in the process of becoming willing to accept it. Some of us are drawn here thinking, at first, that we've come because of someone else's problem, then we discover that we've also come for ourselves. Some of us sense immediately that we belong here, some come to this feeling over time, some never feel they belong. Our arriving at the first meeting can seem mysterious until we realize how unlikely it is for a person with no relationship to addiction whatsoever to show up here.
Since you can't decide whether you belong here or not, why not stay? Consider it a gift that's been offered you, a chance to explore your relationship to addiction. You are entitled to be here. The only qualification for membership is a desire to quit our addictive substance or behavior. Unless you cause a disruption, no one's going to ask you to leave a meeting. Relax, sit back, and listen. See if you identify with any of the feelings that you hear people share, whether or not their specific life experiences mirror yours. If you keep coming, more will be revealed in time.
