Often, the next step is to read a passage from the Big Book and reinforcement about the importance of member privacy and anonymity. Meetings typically close with a prayer, moment of silence, recitation of the Responsibility Statement, or by reading a section of another A.A. Group consisted of only Bill, Dr. Bob, and a patient at an Akron hospital. In 1939, the program expanded, largely due to the publication of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, which is known as the “Big Book.” The growth of people’s interest in A.A.
Personal Stories
Please read the meeting’s description to find the meeting password, if one is required. Some meetings request you to contact the group directly for meeting information or password. The blue “Email” button allows you to contact groups directly. Use the filter options to find upcoming meetings on specific days or types such as “Tuesday” “Big Book”, “Speaker”, or “Proof of Attendance”. To find meetings by name, use the search function. Many AA members refer back to the Big Book once they complete the 12-Step program and as they work with others on their recovery.
The 12 Steps of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous)
You can then either call to learn about meeting locations and times or browse the meeting listings on their site. Some meetings have online options as well. AA offers a supportive addiction recovery program to those who need it. The only requirement is that a new what does aa stand for alcohol member has the desire to stop drinking. In AA, participants are encouraged to pair up with a sponsor to work through the Steps. The sponsor is an AA member with significant time in the program and who supports other AA members as they move through the steps.
Personal Stories – Part III
To find Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings near you, you have options. You can start by visiting the official AA website, which includes local listings. You can also contact local community centers, churches, or healthcare facilities for more information on AA and other 12-Step meetings near you. AA meetings serve as a space where individuals discuss recovery from alcoholism, with flexibility in how meetings are conducted. AA has faced criticism for various reasons.
- Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.
- Meetings appear as upcoming by time and are shown in your local time zoneTo check or change your local time zone, look underneath the search and filter options.
- Each meeting is a step forward in your journey towards lastingsobriety and personal growth.
Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu. If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, you may be an alcoholic. Information for people who may have a drinking problem. Also useful for those in contact with such people.
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Membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. Is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. AA meetings vary in format, with some focusing on personal stories, readings from the Big Book, or open discussion. Meetings may cater to specific demographics, but they generally welcome anyone who desires to stop drinking. AA is self-supporting, with donations from members covering expenses, and it operates through an “inverted pyramid” structure, where individual groups function autonomously.
- We do not impose our experience with problem drinking on others, but we do share it when we are asked to do so.
- People in AA regularly refer to the Big Book as they progress in addiction recovery, and they use it to help new members as they begin their recovery process.
- Bysimply inputting your sobriety start date, our Sobriety Calculator will reveal your exact time of beingalcohol-free up to the present day.
- AA meetings provide a community of support, practical advice from those who’ve faced similar struggles,and a set of guiding principles (the 12 Steps) to help maintain sobriety.