Theo Nash
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of people who have experienced problems with drinking and have found themselves in trouble as a result. AA does not require admission—it is open to anyone with a desire to stop drinking. AA meetings are held in-person, online, or over the phone, and are conducted by AA members who determine the format. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. AA has been helping alcoholics recover for over 80 years, and its program of recovery is built on the foundation of one alcoholic sharing with another.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Membership Requirements | The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. |
| Anonymity | Members retain as much anonymity as they wish. |
| Attendance Records | AA does not keep attendance records. |
| Meeting Formats | Meetings may focus on sharing personal experiences, discussing AA steps, or listening to speakers. |
| Meeting Frequency | Meetings are held regularly, with some groups meeting daily. |
| Meeting Duration | Meetings typically last 60 to 90 minutes, but duration may vary. |
| Meeting Locations | Meetings are held in various locations, including churches, community centers, parks, and beaches. |
| Meeting Accessibility | AA meetings are held in-person, online, or over the telephone. |
| Meeting Topics | Topics for discussion are selected by the group leader or chair and may be based on AA literature. |
| Meeting Costs | There are no dues or fees for AA membership, but groups may collect donations to cover expenses. |
| Spirituality | Members are free to define their own higher power, whether it be God, the AA group, or something else. |
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What You'll Learn
- Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are open to anyone with a desire to stop drinking
- AA meetings are held in-person, online, or over the phone
- Members are not required to share anything about themselves
- AA meetings are free to attend and there are no dues or fees for membership
- The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are open to anyone with a desire to stop drinking
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of people who have experienced problems with drinking and have found themselves in trouble as a result of drinking. AA meetings are open to anyone with a desire to stop drinking. There is no requirement to be admitted to AA, and no attendance records are kept. AA does not disclose your identity even to outsiders or other members of the fellowship.
AA meetings are held in-person, online, or over the telephone. They are conducted by AA members, who determine the format of their meetings. The meetings are typically held in a building connected with a church or a community center. The meeting might begin with the AA Preamble and a few remarks from the chairperson, followed by a moment of silence and/or the recitation of the Serenity Prayer. The chairperson might ask if there are any newcomers who would like to introduce themselves, although it is not mandatory to identify yourself.
The meetings usually last 60 to 90 minutes and may focus on sharing personal experiences, discussing the different steps of AA, or listening to scheduled speakers. Members support one another by sharing their experiences, listening to one another, and providing tips for recovery. The discussions are often based on AA literature, such as the "Big Book," "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions," and "As Bill Sees It." AA does not charge any fees for membership, but groups usually have a collection during the meeting to cover expenses.
AA has been helping alcoholics recover for over 80 years, and the majority of members believe that recovery is achieved not through individual willpower, but through a power greater than themselves. This power can be defined as God, the AA group, or something else entirely, and there is room in AA for people of all beliefs and non-beliefs.
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AA meetings are held in-person, online, or over the phone
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of people who have lost the ability to control their drinking and want to achieve sobriety. AA meetings are free to attend, and there are no age or education requirements to participate. Membership is open to anyone who wants to address their drinking problem. AA meetings are held in-person, online, or over the phone, and members decide when, where, and how often they meet.
In-person meetings occur in a variety of places, including churches, community centres, offices, and even outdoors in parks or on beaches. Online meetings are conducted on various platforms, with some groups preferring video meetings, while others keep their videos off or use dial-in conference calls.
AA meetings are typically listed as "'open' or 'closed'". Open meetings are available to anyone interested in AA's recovery program, including non-alcoholics who may attend as observers. Family members or close friends are welcome at these meetings. Closed meetings, on the other hand, are restricted to AA members or those with a drinking problem who want to stop drinking.
At the start of a typical meeting, the chairperson or leader opens with the AA Preamble, a moment of silence, and/or the Serenity Prayer. They may also ask if there are any newcomers who would like to introduce themselves, although this is not mandatory. Meetings often include readings from AA literature, such as the "Alcoholics Anonymous" book (the Big Book) and "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions". Members then share their experiences, discuss specific topics, or listen to scheduled speakers.
AA does not keep membership files or attendance records, and members can retain as much anonymity as they wish. There are no dues or fees for membership, although groups usually have a collection during the meeting to cover expenses.
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Members are not required to share anything about themselves
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of people who have lost the ability to control their drinking and have experienced various kinds of trouble as a result. AA members work together to help alcoholics who are still suffering. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. AA does not keep membership files or attendance records, and members are not required to share anything about themselves.
Anonymity is a valuable privacy principle for AA members. Members can retain as much anonymity as they wish, and AA does not disclose members' identities even to outsiders or others inside the fellowship. While it is not mandatory to identify oneself at meetings, it might be helpful for newcomers to introduce themselves.
AA meetings are held in-person, online, or over the phone, and members decide when, where, and how often they will meet. Meetings are conducted by AA members, who also determine the format. The meeting chairperson opens the meeting with the AA Preamble and a few remarks, and may call for a moment of silence and/or recite the Serenity Prayer. The chairperson may ask if there are any newcomers who would like to introduce themselves, and meetings often begin with a reading from the "Big Book". Meetings typically last 60 to 90 minutes, though this may vary.
At meetings, members share their experiences, listen to one another, and provide tips for what has helped them on their recovery journey. The goal is to provide a safe, confidential space where people can talk about their addiction to alcohol, discuss challenges, and offer support to others on the same journey.
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AA meetings are free to attend and there are no dues or fees for membership
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of people who have experienced problems with drinking and have found themselves in various kinds of trouble as a result. AA meetings are free to attend and there are no dues or fees for membership. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. AA groups will usually have a collection during the meeting to cover expenses, and members are free to contribute as much or as little as they wish.
AA meetings are held in-person, online, or on the telephone. The members of each meeting decide when, where, and how often they will meet. In-person meetings happen in a variety of places, including churches, community centers, parks, and other outdoor settings. Meetings typically last 60 to 90 minutes, although this may vary depending on the type and format of the individual meeting.
At the beginning of a typical AA meeting, the chairperson for that particular day will open the meeting with the AA Preamble and a few remarks. They may call for a moment of silence and/or recite the Serenity Prayer. The chairperson will often ask if there are any newcomers attending the meeting who would like to introduce themselves, although it is not mandatory to identify yourself. Many meetings begin with a reading from the Big Book, such as a portion of Chapter 5 ("How It Works") or Chapter 3 ("More About Alcoholism").
During the meeting, one or more members selected beforehand will "share" their story, telling "what we were like, what happened, and what we are like now." Meetings may also involve discussing different steps of AA, listening to scheduled speakers, or sharing personal experiences. AA meetings are intended to provide a safe, confidential space for people to talk about their addiction to alcohol, discuss the challenges they face, and offer support to others on the same journey.
Anyone interested in AA's program of recovery from alcoholism can attend open meetings, including non-alcoholics as observers. Closed meetings are for AA members only or for those who have a drinking problem and "have a desire to stop drinking." Family members or close friends are welcome at "open" AA meetings.
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The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of people who have experienced problems with drinking and have found themselves in trouble as a result of drinking. AA has been helping alcoholics recover for over 80 years. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. Members are free to define their higher power as they wish; many people call it God, others think it is the AA group, and still, others don’t believe in it at all. There is room in AA for people of all shades of belief and non-belief.
AA meetings are held in-person, online, or on the telephone, and they typically last 60 to 90 minutes. The meetings are conducted by AA members who determine the format of their meetings. An AA member serving as the "leader" or "chair" opens the meeting using that group's format and selects a topic for discussion. The meeting might be held in a building connected with a church or a community center. The chairperson might open the meeting with the AA Preamble and a few remarks, followed by a moment of silence and/or the recitation of the Serenity Prayer. The chairperson will often ask if there are any newcomers who would like to introduce themselves, although it is not mandatory to identify yourself.
Many meetings begin with a reading from the Big Book, specifically a portion of Chapter 5 ("How It Works") or Chapter 3 ("More About Alcoholism"). Meetings may focus on sharing personal experiences, discussing different steps of AA, or listening to scheduled speakers. One or more members selected beforehand will "share" by telling their stories: "what we were like, what happened, and what we are like now." AA meetings provide a safe, confidential space for people to talk about their addiction to alcohol, discuss challenges, and offer support to others on the same journey.
There are no dues or fees for AA membership. An AA group will usually have a collection during the meeting to cover expenses, and members are free to contribute as much or as little as they wish. AA does not keep membership files or attendance records, and members retain as much anonymity as they wish.
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Frequently asked questions
No, AA does not require any formal admission. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.
AA meetings are held in-person, online, or on the telephone. They typically last 60 to 90 minutes and may focus on sharing personal experiences, discussing the steps of AA, or listening to scheduled speakers.
No, it is not mandatory to speak at a meeting. You can choose to remain anonymous and attend as an observer.
If you repeatedly drink more than you intend, get into trouble, or have memory lapses when drinking, you may be an alcoholic. However, it is up to you to decide whether you are an alcoholic and if you want to seek help from AA.
The goal of AA is to provide a safe and confidential space for people to talk about their addiction to alcohol, discuss challenges, and support each other on their journey to recovery. AA believes that recovery is achieved through a power greater than oneself, which members are free to define as they wish.
