Food At Aca Meetings: What's Allowed?

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) is a Twelve Step, Twelve Tradition program for people who grew up in dysfunctional homes. ACA meetings are a safe, nonjudgmental space for members to share their experiences of growing up in an environment where abuse, neglect, and trauma were present. While the primary focus of ACA meetings is to provide support and healing for those affected by familial alcoholism, food is not forbidden in these meetings. In fact, some ACA meetings incorporate food into their discussions, such as a meeting centered around Emotional Eating where members read from the 'Strengthening my Recovery' daily affirmations book.

Food and emotions

Food is not forbidden in Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) meetings, and there is even an ACA meeting titled "Food & Emotions". In this meeting, participants read from the "Emotional Eating" section of the 'Strengthening my Recovery' daily affirmations book, before journaling for 10 minutes.

The ACA is a Twelve Step, Twelve Tradition program for people who grew up in dysfunctional homes, where abuse, neglect, and trauma were present. ACA meetings provide a safe, nonjudgmental environment for individuals to grieve their childhoods and conduct an honest inventory of themselves and their families. This process can help individuals identify and heal core traumas, free themselves from shame and abandonment issues, and learn to love themselves.

The ACA community recognizes that growing up in an alcoholic or dysfunctional family can have long-lasting effects on a person's life. By sharing their experiences, members can identify aspects of their family's dysfunction that affected them and begin their recovery journey.

Al-Anon Family Groups is another support group for adult children of alcoholics. Al-Anon has traditionally focused on spouses of alcoholics, but in the 1970s, they began registering Alateen groups for teenagers and, in 1974, they started registering adult children groups. Alateen provides a space for children of alcoholics to identify how their family's disease affected them and to participate in service, receiving support and giving back.

While food is not forbidden in ACA meetings, the focus is on sharing experiences, providing support, and facilitating recovery from the trauma of growing up in a dysfunctional family. Food may be used as a topic of discussion, as seen in the "Food & Emotions" meeting, but it is not the primary focus of ACA gatherings.

Reading and journaling

The Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) program is a Twelve Step, Twelve Tradition program designed for people who grew up in dysfunctional homes and experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma. ACA meetings provide a safe and nonjudgmental environment for individuals to share their stories and support each other in their recovery journey.

Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-reflection and self-discovery, allowing individuals to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to their childhood and how they are impacting their present lives. It can help individuals identify patterns, triggers, and behaviors that may be hindering their recovery and personal growth.

Reading, on the other hand, can provide valuable information and insights about the recovery process, including understanding emotional eating and how it may be related to one's childhood experiences. It can also offer strategies and techniques for managing emotions and cravings healthily. Additionally, reading the shared experiences of others can help individuals feel less alone in their struggles and provide a sense of hope and inspiration for recovery.

By combining reading and journaling, individuals in ACA meetings can enhance their understanding of themselves and their recovery journey. Journaling about what they have read can help them apply the information and insights to their own lives, identify personal triggers and struggles, and develop strategies for coping and healing. This integrated approach can empower individuals to take ownership of their recovery and make meaningful progress toward healing and freedom from the traumas of their past.

Open meetings

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) meetings are for people who grew up in dysfunctional homes and are looking to share their experiences of abuse, neglect, and trauma, and how this affects their lives today. The meetings provide a safe, nonjudgmental environment that allows attendees to grieve their childhoods and conduct an honest inventory of themselves and their families.

There are different types of meetings, including closed meetings, open meetings, ACA Teens, Beginners, LGBTQ+, and more. Open meetings are open to anyone, including ACA members, family, friends, and professionals.

While I cannot find an explicit mention of food being forbidden in ACA meetings, there is a mention of a meeting where food is discussed in the context of emotional eating. This meeting is described as an "ACA Food & Emotions Meeting", suggesting that food may be a topic of discussion in certain ACA meetings. However, it is not clear if food is generally allowed or forbidden in all ACA meetings. It is recommended to refer to the specific guidelines or facilitators of each meeting for more information on what is and is not allowed.

Closed meetings

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) meetings are for people who grew up in dysfunctional homes and are looking to share their experiences of abuse, neglect, and trauma, and how these experiences affect them today. The ACA provides a safe, nonjudgmental environment that allows members to grieve their childhoods and conduct an honest inventory of themselves and their families.

There are different types of ACA meetings, including closed meetings, open meetings, ACA Teens, Beginners, LGBTQ+, and more. Closed meetings are only for people who self-identify under ACA's Tradition 3, which states, "The only requirement for membership is a desire to recover from the effects of growing up in an alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional family."

While I cannot find explicit information on whether food is forbidden in closed ACA meetings, there is mention of a specific meeting that discusses "Emotional Eating" from a book called 'Strengthening my Recovery'. This meeting is locked around 7-10 minutes after the start time to ensure journaling is not interrupted.

The focus of closed ACA meetings is on healing and recovery, and members are encouraged to explore their feelings, emotions, and behaviors in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. These meetings provide a sense of camaraderie and validation, as members realize they are not alone in their struggles. Closed meetings offer a safe space to process emotions, address trauma, and develop healthier coping mechanisms to deal with the effects of growing up in a dysfunctional family.

ACA's Tradition 3

ACAs Tradition 3

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) is a Twelve Step, Twelve Tradition program for people who grew up in dysfunctional homes. It provides a safe, nonjudgmental environment that allows members to grieve their childhoods and conduct an honest inventory of themselves and their families.

ACA meetings are held to share experiences of growing up in an environment where abuse, neglect, and trauma were present, and how this affects members in the present day. The only requirement for membership is a desire to recover from the effects of growing up in an alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional family. This is stated in ACA's Tradition 3, which is also a requirement for closed meetings.

Closed meetings are only for people who self-identify under ACA's Tradition 3. Open meetings, on the other hand, are open to anyone, including ACA members, family, friends, and professionals. There are also ACA Teens meetings for those aged 12 to 18, and Beginners meetings for newcomers or those seeking all program tools in one place.

ACA meetings can focus on a variety of topics, such as emotional eating, LGBTQ+ issues, and the 12 Concepts of ACA. For example, one ACA meeting focused on emotional eating by reading from the “Emotional Eating” section of the ‘Strengthening my Recovery’ daily affirmations book, followed by 10 minutes of journaling.

Al-Anon is another fellowship for anyone affected by someone else’s drinking, including the children of alcoholics. Al-Anon adult children groups were approved in 1974, and they welcome anyone affected by alcoholism.

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