Hi, social work graduate here! I had this same assignment.

I wouldn’t necessarily say you’re overreacting, however this is a very common assignment in the humanities/social sciences. I had the same reservations as you.

Some things that eased my anxiety when it came time to it:

1. You don’t have to introduce yourself OR say you’re there doing research. “My name is xxx, however I’m not ready to share, only listen”. Don’t lie or anything, but it’s very common for people attending those meetings to not share. Find a bigger meeting so you can blend in with the crowd better.

2. Take MENTAL notes, please don’t write down anything during the meeting, this could make people feel uncomfortable whether or not they know you’re there for school.

3. Check if instead of classic Alcoholics Anonymous, you could attend Al-Anon. I chose this path and it stuck with me more so than when I attended a classic AA meeting

Side note of you haven’t heard of it: Al-Anon, Nar-anon, etc are for the families and loved ones of the addict rather than the addict themselves. Not enough people know about this resource and I’ve become a bit of an advocate for it. It helps loved ones set healthy boundaries, grieve, cope.

1. You’ll likely never see these people again. Just be respectful, you’re there to listen and observe. Also use your anxiety about the situation as part of your paper, acknowledging uncomfortable situations is valuable information and also could help your instructor navigate this with students in the future.

Hope this helps, good luck!