Sometimes people will say, the only requirement to attend meetings is a desire to stop using/drinking, but that is not what tradition three actually states. Tradition three states that the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using/drinking. Since most meetings are open, you do not need to be a member to attend. Newcomers and/or relapsers often do not have a desire to stop, yet will find attending meeting beneficial none-the-less. In fact, attending meetings to continually expose one's self to those whose lives have immeasurably improved as a result of having stopped using mind and mood altering substances will probably go a long way to helping such people develop a desire to stop using. I know this from first hand experience, after my relapse. Following my relapse at eight years clean, one of the meetings I had been attending regularly even allowed me to continue doing service work, which was unusual, because many service positions come with clean time requirements. However, it was a small meeting, and they felt comfortable allowing me to continue being the meeting secretary. More than this, they understood how important it was for me to feel I had a place to go, and people who cared. Perhaps it helped that I was not using hard drugs, but that is still beside the point. I was free to attend meetings even while I did not have a desire to stop using, and eventually my desire to stop using returned.
These thoughts often come to me when I hear someone mis-state tradition three
These thoughts often come to me when I hear someone mis-state tradition three
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