HISTORY OF THE AA COMMUNITY BUCHAREST
in the summer of 1993, July 12-13, with the help of Patricia and Lee Robertson from the USA. and benefiting from the support of Dr. Doina Constantinescu, two patients hospitalized at the "Gheorghe Marinescu" Clinical Hospital for Psychiatry (currently known as the "Dr. Alexandru Obregia" Clinical Hospital for Psychiatry), Petrică and Marian, set up the first group of Alcoholics Anonymous in Bucharest, with uninterrupted activity to this day.
Without knowing, at the time, the history of AA in detail, we replicated to some extent the history of Bill and Bob. If Bill received the Oxford Program from a "glass friend", only to be helped by Dr. Silkworth to get back on his feet and complete the 12 Steps with the help of Dr. Bob and Pastor Shoemaker, so in Bucharest, Marian and Petrică were helped to lay the foundations of the AA Community by Dr. Doina Constantinescu and by two missionaries, Patricia and Lee Robertson. Then, in the USA, the first 100 members followed, here the first 20.
A few years later, Dr. Bob dies, Petrică falls ill with us and leaves the living, leaving Marian to transmit the AA message, just as Bill was left alone, with the 100, to transmit the AA message.
The name of the AA group, "Grupul UNU", the second in Romania, comes as an echo of the name of the first group established in our country in Timisoara, "Grupa UNA". In those days, without the support of literature and full of dedication, the two meet after discharge every Tuesday and Thursday in the afternoon in the dining room of ward VIII of the hospital, made available by the same Mrs. Doctor Doina Constantinescu, mentor of the Bucharest community.With the acquisition of the Romanian language version of the book "The Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions", at the beginning of 1994, through the care of "Alcoholics Anonymous World Service Inc." of New York, Community A.A. knows a continuous development as an activity and attraction of new members.
in the years 1995-1996, the group also held meetings at another location, the Anglican Church, made available by the kindness of the pastor at the time, in an attempt to establish an international group in Bucharest. A.A. knows a first period of effervescent development in 1998, when the Romanian version of the book "Viaţa fără bţuță" appears under the care of the same "Alcoholics Anonymous World Service Inc.". During the same period of time, the international group operates at the address in Str. Știrbei Vodă made available through the generosity of a newly arrived member.
The premature and painful disappearance from life of Petrică in the spring of 1999, is a point of calm and slowing down of the activity of AA members. The community recovers quickly, in the autumn of the same year, as evidenced by the resumption of meetings of the AA International group at the American Cultural Center in Jean street Louis Calderon.
Since 2001, the Community of A.A. from Bucharest lives its best period: the English-speaking International Group returns to the location of the Anglican Church (July 7, 2001) and other AA groups are born one after the other, at the Radu Vodă Monastery (2002), in addition to the Christian society " Cristiana" (2002), and Rodney (USA) founded the group "Pioneer" (2003) from Colţei str. Later, groups were established in the area of the Titan neighborhood (2006) and in the west of the city, in the Drumul Taberei neighborhood first, then in Militari (2010).
in 2017, at the Center for Evaluation and Treatment of Drug Addictions for Youth (C.E.T.T.T.) "St. Stelian" the AA group "Seninătatea" and the NA group "Just for Today" were born, and at the Şerban Vodă Church the group "Oxigen2 group", which unfortunately, it suspended its activity, but the Gloria group was established, operating in the park during the pandemic and then in the headquarters obtained from the town hall, sector 2, in Bd. Basarabia 96. It should be mentioned that during the period when physical meetings could not be held, online groups functioned so that the activity of AA Bucharest continued even in these strange conditions. The groups resumed their face-to-face meetings as soon as it was allowed.A special mention must be made for the "La Feminin" Group dedicated exclusively to ladies and young ladies, with physical and online meetings.
Saturday 26.11.2022 Alexandru Obregia Hospital in Bucharest hosted the Conference
"Therapeutic chain in recovery from the disease of alcoholism" Psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, clergy, members of the communities of addicts and co-addicts, from Bucharest and the country, who participate in various stages in the recovery process from the terrible disease, were present at the workshops in person or online of alcoholism. The participants made a useful exchange of information with a view to better collaboration for information/awareness about the damage caused by alcoholism and other addictions to individuals and society.
currently A.A. Bucharest has approximately 50-60 active members who carry out their activity in 9 groups in Romanian and the International Group in English. When there are requests from English speakers they can participate in the other groups where there are preambles in English and people able and willing to translate. Any member of AA or other addictions, in or out of the country, is welcome to our meetings held every day of the week, in various locations.
When someone, somewhere reaches out for help
I want AA's hand to be there, and for that I am responsible
So help us God!
Comments