I mean stuff like anxiety and depression often go hand-in-hand with alcoholism (in my humble opinion), so for anxiety to be classed as an outside issue is a bit like having a cold and someone saying a 'runny nose' is an outside issue. But surely wouldn't it be better to help that person with some tissue, if its something that's very common to everyone who suffers with a cold? (I hope that analogy worked

I also do understand - and believe 110% that the root cause of our alcoholism is a spiritual malady - and if we treat that, our alcohol related problems will resolve themselves, unless there's a physiological cause to them; for example a certain type of depression that requires medical treatment. But I can't help thinking that sharing about depression or anxiety does not compromise the programme of AA what-so-ever. It may even help for the purposes of identification. I do also understand that we're not about group therapy, but if someone shared they suffered with depression or anxiety (or another negative mental condition), and shared in what ways the programme helped them with that, then that sounds like a win-win situation to me. For example, meditation helped me with my anxiety, and since I only suffered with real depression when I was drinking, the mental defence against the first drink has meant I haven't drank since I started the programme of AA, and therefore this has prevented my depression which was heading towards suicide.
Now I've posted on this forum about a 'sick chicken' discussion meeting I've attended, and sick chickens are definitely an outside issue, and I agree that drugs are an outside issue too; we have other fellowships to treat them, so I can't see the need to 'bother' an ALCOHOLICS Anonymous meeting with anymore than a cursory mention of them if they are part of your alcoholism story.
But I would be interested to hear your views on what an outside issue is, and if I am way off the mark with my opinion, please feel free to state that; I'm here to learn from my AA family.