The organization does not accept outside contributions and relies heavily on literature sales. At Boardwalk Recovery Center, our treatment is holistic and includes the opportunity to collaborate with local A.A. Programs to set a strong foundation in recovery. This often includes “working the 12 steps” with a supportive sponsor.
That said, there are a large variety of meetings for different types of people, whether business executives, women, young adults, pilots, or medical professionals, and each will have its own feel. The chairperson asks if any newcomers or first-timers are attending the meeting who would like to introduce themselves by their first name. You may or may not be one of them as this is an option and not mandatory. It is the problem drinker who is our concern. Member serving as “leader” or “chair” opens the meeting using that group’s format, and selects a topic for discussion. Background for many topic meetings derives from A.A.
Demographic-Specific Meetings
Many AA meetings are open to the public. Sometimes friends or family of alcoholics also attend. At times people studying to be therapists attend, and frequently if the meeting is smaller there are all-around introductions and those who are not alcoholic identify as visitors1. These meetings are crucial to welcome people who aren’t sure they’re alcoholic and don’t want to identify as such but they still feel a need to reach out for help. The primary purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is to help newcomers to recover.
What to Know About Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Many groups make it a practice to read aloud pertinent material from the Big Book or Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions at the beginning of the meeting. At both types of meetings, it may be requested that participants confine their discussion to matters pertaining to recovery from alcoholism. AA’s sister meetings can help those close to you understand the disease of addiction, identify how they may have contributed to your problem, and learn how to support you in recovery. Demographic-specific AA meetings include men’s and women’s AA meetings. LGBTQ AA meetings are also available for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and other members of the queer community. In Big Book meetings, you will study the principles behind AA and participate in discussions about recovery based on excerpts from the book.
There are no other requirements to join this fellowship and attend a meeting. We also discuss who can join Alcoholics Anonymous and how long after taking muscle relaxer can you drink alcohol what research has found about the effectiveness of attending these meetings when overcoming alcohol misuse or abuse. The book Alcoholics Anonymous describes the A.A.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
A.A.’s Twelve Steps are a set of spiritual principles. When practiced as a way of life, they can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to recover from alcoholism. Join our supportive sober community where each day becomes a step towards personal growth and lasting positive change. Anyone who grew up in a home that was unstable, unsafe, or chaotic due to an individuals addiction can benefit from Adult Children of Alcoholics meetings. AA speaker meetings are a great way to unwind after a hard day.
This helps AA members feel hopeful that they can make a change and that treatment is possible. AA uses a 12-step program to help alcoholics recover from alcoholism and maintain sobriety. These steps involve a spiritual journey of self-discovery. AA meetings are there to help people who want to stay sober find a way to recover. Even if you have been sent to AA on a court card, nobody expects you to do anything you are not comfortable doing.
- Meetings aren’t based on a specific religion, they do include spiritual aspects.
- This pamphlet answers many of the common questions people have about alcoholism and A.A.
- The referred person is responsible for returning the proof of attendance.
- For some, these aspects of the program can be a stumbling block.
- What the leader does is to share about their own story for a few minutes before opening up the meeting to the group.
- AA’s sister meetings can help those close to you understand the disease of addiction, identify how they may have contributed to your problem, and learn how to support you in recovery.
Many people in recovery have a dark sense of humor and we mainly laugh at ourselves. After years and sometimes decades of drinking we’re easy targets to poke fun at.AA speakers tell their story and frequently the story is sad (but also funny). It’s easy to laugh when somebody at the podium cracks a joke about, for instance, going to jail and being the smelliest bum in the holding cell. You may be shocked to hear the whole room laughing about something most people wouldn’t find very funny. But we’ve survived, made our amends where possible, and we have a newfound freedom and joy in life.
Some meetings are purely discussion meetings where the topic is random and more derived by an interest that one of the members may have. Speaker’s meetings feature a person chosen to talk about their experience, strength, and hope in regard to their recovery. The meeting begins with the chairperson reading the AA Preamble, then leading a group prayer, the Serenity Prayer (short version). Afterward, different members of the meeting read sections of AA literature, including the “Alcoholic Anonymous” book (commonly referred to as “The Big Book”) and “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.”