Are you guys going to AA/NA meetings or not, how to track?

Nurses Recovery Nursing Q/A

Updated:   Published

How many AA/NA meetings is everyone required to go to in your programs?  I don't find them helpful anymore, maybe in the beginning since the stress of everything that happened - listening to others' stories helped.  Now, it doesn't help - I don't have a substance use diagnosis but I am labeled with one though since monitoring was required.

Do you guys log your meetings in Recoverytrek?  Online meetings are still allowed for me ever since the pandemic.  Nowadays, I still log meetings even though I don't go to them (because they are not helpful).  

Here's a kick of a story - I've met some people who are in monitoring for their 2nd or 3rd rodeo, or they have had positive tests and sent back to IOP or rehab.  Those people have to go to PHYSICAL AA/NA meetings and get a physical signature on paper at the end of the meeting by someone that they attended!

15 Answers

3 times a week. I don't even go I just log them on the app. My program lets you go remotely but doesn't require signatures. That's crazy they have to go in person I thought because of Covid everything was remote

Specializes in Psychiatry.

3 weekly virtual for me

Multiple rodeos are added monitoring agreements or added time? 

Specializes in Psychiatry.
Universe93B said:

For the nurses, physicians, pharmacists and NPs I've seen, if you have a positive test, your monitoring agreement gets "more difficult" AND you get more time added.  So the added time is the worst.  But you have to do even more work like getting physical signatures for AA/NA meetings, you might need to go to even more therapy (more frequency), and definitely more frequent urine etg tests and maybe more Peth tests.  It blows all around if you get a positive test!  And of course, all this means more money.

I would not mind more therapy if it was with any therapist I chose. I have to use theirs and therapy with their therapist is pseudo therapy for me. This is expensive time consuming and inconvenient.  I want to do my time and get out. I don't do anything I'm not supposed to..

For me the added time would crush my soul 

Healer555 said:

I would not mind more therapy if it was with any therapist I chose. I have to use theirs and therapy with their therapist is pseudo therapy for me. This is expensive time consuming and inconvenient.  I want to do my time and get out. I don't do anything I'm not supposed to..

For me the added time would crush my soul 

You can't see someone in network? I wonder how they chose therapists. It seems fishy that they make you go to their therapists. Can you be discharged from therapy? 

Specializes in Psychiatry.
santi_05 said:

You can't see someone in network? I wonder how they chose therapists. It seems fishy that they make you go to their therapists. Can you be discharged from therapy? 

We have to see a therapist in their network.  I'm allowed to see my own and I do. But I have to see a therapist in their network and their addiction specialist for an addiction I don't have. It's expensive . They are really corrupt. I'm just biding my time and doing what I am supposed to do.  I get absolutely nothing out of this at all but keeping my license.  I couldn't hate this more.

Healer555 said:

We have to see a therapist in their network.  I'm allowed to see my own and I do. But I have to see a therapist in their network and their addiction specialist for an addiction I don't have. It's expensive . They are really corrupt. I'm just biding my time and doing what I am supposed to do.  I get absolutely nothing out of this at all but keeping my license.  I couldn't hate this more.

What do you do with the addiction specialist then? That is so corrupt OMG so these ppl have a guaranteed income and every incentive to keep you in tx for as long as they get paid. Damn so sorry you have to go through that. 

Specializes in Psychiatry.
santi_05 said:

What do you do with the addiction specialist then? That is so corrupt OMG so these ppl have a guaranteed income and every incentive to keep you in tx for as long as they get paid. Damn so sorry you have to go through that. 

Virtual appointment to make sure I'm competent to practice.  Cash pay of course.  Mood, sleep. Blah blah blah same with their psychiatrist.  I just smile and nod after I pay of course. Every 3 months. I'm well aware of the corruption.  I keep saying the right things Every appointment.  I am paying for paperwork to be filled out I think. I'm not on medication.  Just playing the game by their rules. 

Before Covid, in TN we had to do three a week, and had to have our location turned on and check in on the Spectrum app and check out at the end.  They were big on us sharing location, but I didn't always and my case manager never said a word.  I can't tell you how many times I went & checked in and sat in the car listening to music and reading for an hour instead. ?

Specializes in Psychiatry.
PsychRNXXX said:

I don't have a substance use diagnosis either. But it's almost like that's what you get anyway once you're in this program/consent order. I don't have to go to AA or NA at this time. I guess those decisions are by state. I don't have to see any specialist or therapist. 

You're saving yourself 4 hours a week plus by not having to go to meetings or groups . So glad meetings are zoom.  It's such a waste of time.  At least the meetings are free

santi_05 said:

3 times a week. I don't even go I just log them on the app. My program lets you go remotely but doesn't require signatures. That's crazy they have to go in person I thought because of Covid everything was remote

Same here - I don't go anymore, I just log them on the app.  

Well, looks like if you screw up (test positive on urine etg, etc) - it's like Covid doesn't exist and you have to physically go in and get signatures.

Healer555 said:

3 weekly virtual for me

Multiple rodeos are added monitoring agreements or added time? 

For the nurses, physicians, pharmacists and NPs I've seen, if you have a positive test, your monitoring agreement gets "more difficult" AND you get more time added.  So the added time is the worst.  But you have to do even more work like getting physical signatures for AA/NA meetings, you might need to go to even more therapy (more frequency), and definitely more frequent urine etg tests and maybe more Peth tests.  It blows all around if you get a positive test!  And of course, all this means more money.

Healer555 said:

Virtual appointment to make sure I'm competent to practice.  Cash pay of course.  Mood, sleep. Blah blah blah same with their psychiatrist.  I just smile and nod after I pay of course. Every 3 months. I'm well aware of the corruption.  I keep saying the right things Every appointment.  I am paying for paperwork to be filled out I think. I'm not on medication.  Just playing the game by their rules. 

That's wild. Did you get diagnosed with SUD by the same addiction specialist? Have you ever asked your case manager if you can stop going to the addiction specialist at least? It doesn't make sense if they aren't actively treating you

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