Debtors Anonymous Telephone Meeting Information
Meetings are an essential part of the D.A. program and an important tool to aid in recovery. All D.A. meetings are free and are open to those who need it. Below is a brief summary of some of the different types of D.A. meetings, as well as some of the commonly asked questions about meetings.
Types of Meetings
There are different meeting formats in D.A.. Each meeting's format is listed in the D.A. meeting schedule. Here are some common meeting formats.
- Speaker Meeting - One or more members of D.A. share experience, strength, and hope by telling their story.
- Topic Discussion Meeting - A specific recovery topic is suggested by the members or taken from recovery literature.
- Step Meeting - The meeting focuses on one of the Twelve Steps, often reading out of recovery literature.
- Getting Current Meeting - Members are encouraged to briefly share with the group the recent or on-going emotional, physical, and spiritual challenges to their sobriety.
- Newcomer Meeting - The meeting addresses specific concerns of newcomers to D.A., or beginners on the road to recovery.
What is the requirement for Debtors Anonymous Telephone and Internet Meeting attendance?
The only requirement for attendance is a desire to stop incurring unsecured debt.
Does it cost anything to join Debtors Anonymous Telephone/Internet Meetings?
There are no dues or fees for Debtors Anonymous Telephone and Internet Meetings; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.
What happens at a Debtors Anonymous Telephone/Internet Meeting?
While formats vary from region to region and meeting to meeting, there are some common elements to all of them: a reading of the preamble, a member chairing the meeting, announcements, a collection for the meeting’s financial support, and sharing by others.
Additionally, meeting may dedicate time to read the Twelve Steps, the Twelve Traditions, the Signs of Compulsive Debting, the Tools of Debtors Anonymous and other literature. Usually meetings allocate time during or after a meeting on a monthly basis to hold a business meeting.
Why is it important for newcomers to attend meetings regularly? We gain a sense of hope. We identify with others. We meet people who can help.
What is Compulsive Debting?
Compulsive debting is a disease. We have found that it is a disease that never gets better, only worse, as time goes on. It is a disease, progressive in its nature, which can never be cured but can be arrested.
This disease affected our vision of ourselves and of the world around us. It led us to believe that we were "not enough" - at home, at work, in social situations, in love relationships. It also led us to believe that there is not enough out there in the world for us. The disease manufactured a sense of impoverishment in all that we did and saw. In reaction to this, we withdrew into a dream world, fretted over money, and avoided responsibilities.
What is Compulsive Spending?
When we spend despite a decision or desire not to, or spend to our own detriment, we are spending compulsively.
What is Anonymity?
We respect the anonymity of others. The principle of anonymity means we do not take outside the meetings what we hear and see in the meetings. Most of us like our identities and stories to remain confidential. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
What is Abstinence or Solvency?
We use Abstinence and Solvency to have the same meaning: not incurring unsecured debt one day at a time. Unsecured debt is any debt that is not backed up by some form of collateral, such as a car, house, etc.
Debtors Anonymous Telephone/Internet Intergroup (DATIG) suggests that Abstinence or Solvency is the following:
- Not borrowing money without collateral
- Not using Credit Cards
- Paying bills on time
- Paying for Services when we receive them, except when there is a written agreement
- Not writing bad checks
- Not stealing
What are Pressure Relief Groups (PRGs) or Pressure Relief Meetings (PRMs)?
After we have gained some familiarity with the Debtors Anonymous program, we organize Pressure Relief Groups or Pressure Relief Meetings consisting of ourselves and two other recovering debtors who have not incurred unsecured debt for at least 90 days and who usually have more experience in the program. The group meets in a series of Pressure Relief Groups or Pressure Relief Meetings to review our financial situation. These meetings typically result in the formulation of a spending plan and an action plan.