The comfort zone is the living, working, and social environment in which people feel comfortable because it contains an area for reflection simply easy. In order to get out of the comfort zone, a person must put themselves out there and open their mind to a new experience. For my comfort zone experience, I attended an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. On February 11, 2016, I went to the “No One Left Behind” meeting at the Veterans Affairs hospital. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Before attending the meeting, I really didn't know what to expect. That’s why I showed up to the meeting with a completely open mind and heart. When I arrived, I told the small group that I was a student and that I was there to hear their stories. Even though I felt uncomfortable at first, they all made an effort to make me feel comfortable and wanted to share their personal experiences with me. In the hour I spent with people suffering from this horrible disease, I learned a lot about how they are viewed in society as well as how society influences their alcoholism. After the meeting, I stayed for a little while and talked to some people. They were very open and wanted me to learn a lesson from this experience, a lesson that shows there are other aspects of college than drinking. While I felt very uncomfortable and out of place at the meeting, they accepted me as a listener and allowed me to listen to very personal stories. By the end, I felt comfortable asking questions and learning from the 12 people who suffered from alcoholism. This experience changed my perception of vulnerable populations by opening my eyes to how people with alcoholism live with an illness in today's society. It's very easy to forget that an "alcoholic" is actually a person, someone who has real thoughts and feelings. People suffering from alcoholism are part of the vulnerable population because they are usually in a constant altered state of mind and do not have control over their own lives. Participating in an Alcoholics Anonymous group made me realize that there is much more to someone's story than just being addicted to alcohol, and that I can become an ally simply by being an ally. showing that I want to be there for him and that I don't judge him for him. their dependence. I am a white student who grew up with a strong family structure and had opportunities that many people will not have simply because of certain characteristics. I have privilege in my life, and while it's not something I can control, it's something I can use to help other populations who don't have the same privilege. That being said, I don't have privilege in every area of ​​my life. I grew up in a family plagued by alcoholism, and it's also a part of who I am and my thought process. These social identities are both part of my intersectionality, which has had a huge impact on my experience. I was able to look at this situation from two perspectives: one where I realized that my privilege had somewhat protected me from the vulnerability to alcoholism and the other where I saw that this privilege does not completely protect someone. 'one of drug or alcohol dependence. I have the privilege of not being addicted to alcohol, and this affected my experience because I was the only one in the room who was not addicted to alcohol. This privilege has created a barrier between us, and although I can listen and.