How to Use an AA Sponsor

A sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellow recovering person who has been working the program longer than you have and can help you learn the basics of the AA program. A sponsor guides you through the 12 steps and acts as a sounding board for your new way of thinking. In order for a sponsor to be effective, you must use that person on a regular basis.

Instructions

• 1

  Call your sponsor everyday for the first couple of months to get accustomed to the practice. After you feel more confident of your ability to stay away from a drink, you can ease off and call less frequently. Let your AA sponsor advise you on the number of days you should be in touch.

• 2

  Set up a regular standing appointment with your sponsor. You can discuss your feelings and your questions. You may receive writing or reading assignments and can discuss those during your regular meetings. These appointments can be done on the phone or in person, depending on your location, availability and your sponsor's direction.

• 3

  Join the same Alcoholics Anonymous home group that your sponsor belongs to. The home group is a weekly meeting that you make a commitment to attend every week. You can help set up the meeting and clean up, as well as see your sponsor at least once a week.

• 4

  Go to the same meetings as your sponsor if you choose another home group. Find out what other meetings your sponsor attends and make them regularly.

• 5

  Do the assignments that your sponsor gives you. They hold the key to your own personal growth based on the experience of your sponsor. Sponsors typically pass on the lessons that they learned from their own AA sponsors.