Reasons for starting a new group vary, but the ways to go about it are basically the same. Group is the need for one as expressed by at least two or three alcoholics; the cooperation of other A.A. Once the group is off to a good start, it would be helpful to announce its presence to neighboring groups; your local intergroup (central) office, if there is one; your district and area committees; and the General Service Office. Contact GSO for copies of the New Group Form, which should be completed and returned for the new group to be listed.

These meetings are a great way to gain a deeper understanding of what the book means and how others relate to it. By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses.

& 12 AA Meetings

According to AA traditions, the only qualification for membership is a desire to stop drinking. It’s crucial to remember that people who attend AA are struggling and need support. If people cannot feel safe going to AA meetings they may die of alcoholism. Every member of AA has a network of family, friends, neighbors, and pets, other drivers on the road, employers, and many others who are affected by their drinking in a negative way.

Like Alcoholics Anonymous itself, any AA online meetings must be free of outside affiliations. Neither the meetings nor the groups running them should receive money from ad placement or funding from any outside organizations other than AA itself. It’s a different experience than what you may expect or be used to, but it makes for a great alternative option, whether you’re concerned with convenience, anonymity, or your health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Al-Anon meetings have no membership lists and don’t take attendance.

Step Series

But recovery is all about moving past traumas and harmful behavioral cycles through personal growth, which is much easier to achieve with a group that encourages members to speak and reflect on their experiences. A group that can help you grow will also listen and treat the 5 types of alcoholics discussions as opportunities they are for seeking change and healing. Most of the time, the meetings are held in places connected to churches or community centers. You’ll likely arrive as a small crowd is gathering, with members chatting, making coffee, or sitting quietly.

• You do not have to be of a practicing faith to attend Al-Anon meetings.
• Learn about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a self-help fellowship for people with current or past alcohol use problems.
• AA meetings can be spiritually inclined, but they are not inherently so.
• Service entities full control of their local meeting information while collecting it in one place, making it easy for anyone to find a meeting.

AA membership is open to anyone with a drinking problem and a genuine desire to stop drinking. There are no age or education requirements needed to participate. If you want to learn more about Alcoholics Anonymous, you can find the closest in-person meeting to you online.

Meeting Guide is a free-of-charge meeting finder app.

Speaker meetings are where there is a guest speaker who talks to the group. The speaker is invariably somebody with a few years or even decades sober. You may find yourself leaving the speaker meeting with the feeling that you just enjoyed a standup comedy act.

More likely, it will be an open meeting, where members can talk about anything recovery-related that’s on their mind. Member serving as “leader” or “chair” opens the meeting using that group’s format, and selects a topic for https://ecosoberhouse.com/ discussion. Literature, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book), Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, As Bill Sees It, Daily Reflections, and from AA Grapevine. Meetings are held in-person, online, or on the telephone.

What is AA? How it Works, History & Types of Meetings

All meetings open with a short prayer; frequently a common abbreviated version of the The Serenity Prayer written by Reinhold Niebuhr. After the readings and prayer, what happens at the meeting will depend on what type of AA meeting it is. The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.