Key takeaway
It is a speaker meeting and you needed the floor. You did not get it. Do not interrupt the person who is speaking. After, you can talk to someone for two minutes. Next time, look for a discussion meeting if you need a turn.
Last updated: 2026-10-06
It is a speaker meeting, and the person up front is still talking. You needed the floor. You did not get it. Your sentence is burning a hole in your pocket, and the format has no slot for it. Do not interrupt them.
A speaker meeting is one or more people telling what they were like, what happened, and what they are like now. The group asked them to carry that. Your urgency is real, and it does not move their chair. You can listen. Listening while you are full of unsaid words is miserable, and it is still a way to be here. The misery does not license a takeover.
When they stop, you can talk to someone for two minutes. People often stay after, and staying is up to you. Pick a person who is not sprinting for the door. Say the sentence you came in with. Then stop. Two minutes is a conversation. It is not a second speaker meeting you appoint yourself to.
Next time, look for a discussion meeting if you need a turn. In a discussion, a member chairs, opens with the group's format, and picks a topic, and people talk. The free Meeting Guide app shows format notes when the group provided them. Read the notes before you walk into another night that cannot hold your mouth.
If you are in actual danger, step out now and call 911. If you might hurt yourself while they talk about their life, call or text 988 from the hall. That call is the right interruption. The microphone is not. NIDA says a meeting is not treatment. For a treatment referral, call (800) 653-9376. The call is free to you. Treatment providers pay for the referral.
There are no dues or fees for the listening you did while you waited. You get the two minutes after. Take them, or take a phone meeting on the way home if the room clears too fast.
Additional Resources
Sources cited on this page:
- A.A.: Need help with a drinking problem?
- A.A.: What to Expect at an A.A. Meeting
- A.A.: Find A.A. Near You
- A.A.: Meeting Guide app
- NIDA: Treatment, including mutual-help groups
- NIAAA Core Resource: Alcohol Use Disorder
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- SAMHSA National Helpline
- SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov
- SmarterRecovery meetings search
- SmarterRecovery about page
Common Questions
Can I interrupt if I am in trouble?
Do not interrupt the speaker. If you are in danger, leave the room and call 911 or 988. A crisis does not have to wait for the life story to end, and it also does not have to hijack the microphone. Step out and make the call.
Who do I talk to after?
Anyone who does not look like they are running for the door. Two minutes. Say you needed to talk and the format did not have a turn. People often stay after, and staying is up to you. If nobody is available, a phone meeting can be the second conversation.
How do I find a discussion meeting next?
Look at format notes in Meeting Guide. A discussion meeting is one where a chair picks a topic and people take turns. A speaker meeting is one person, sometimes more, telling what they were like and what changed. Pick the discussion when you need airtime.
I feel selfish for wanting the floor.
Wanting to say one true thing is not selfish. The format was just the wrong shape tonight. You can want a turn and still let this person finish. The selfish move would be stealing the hour they were asked to carry.
What if I start crying while they talk?
Stay or step out. You do not have to turn the tears into a share they did not ask for. There is a guide for crying in a meeting. You can read it later. Right now, let them finish, then find your two minutes.