What Are We Teaching the Newcomer?

What Are We Teaching the Newcomer?

What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? This RAW Recovery Daily Trudge session with host Dion zeroes in on one big question: "What are we teaching the newcomer?" If you’ve ever sat in a meeting and wondered what the nervous person by the door is really noticing, this chat lays it out plainly.

Dion mixes humour, honesty and a bit of ranting as he moves from a frustrating round-robin meeting (“I heard a lot of ChatGPT… it was so self-serving”) into a much deeper reflection on example, humility and group culture. He reminds everyone that meetings exist "for the newcomer" first, and that newcomers learn as much from how people behave as from what they say.

They’re clocking who greeted them, who ignored them, who gossiped, and whether the room feels like recovery or high school politics. There’s plenty here for anyone in early or long-term sobriety. Dion talks about prayer and meditation as daily "mind cleansers", admits when his ego shows up (“I’m allowing them to irritate me”), and stresses the importance of meeting people where they’re at: some sponsees need straight talk, others need a softer tone, but all need genuine care.

He pushes back against status-seeking and rule-making, insisting, "A service position gives us responsibility, not rank." You’ll also hear practical, down-to-earth guidance: let people with under a year share, stop turning meetings into war-story contests, and don’t leave newcomers to "break into an established circle alone." The whole conversation keeps circling back to one simple test: if a newcomer copied your behaviour, what kind of member would they become?

If you’ve ever asked yourself whether your actions line up with your message, this session might be the nudge you need—so what are *you* teaching the newcomer today?