What Style Are AA Meetings Held in?

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a self-help group for people recovering from alcohol abuse. It uses the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions as the basis of its program. Although all AA meetings focus on helping members achieve and maintain sobriety, there are several different meeting styles. Some groups use one style for all of their meetings, while others switch between two or three styles. Knowing the different types of meetings will help you choose the best type for you own needs.

Discussion Meetings

• The agenda of a discussion meeting calls for each member of the AA group to talk about a specific topic. The leader gives the topic and shares some comments about it. Then she opens the floor for group members to share their own thoughts. Typically, each member has a limit of no more than three minutes for his comments, during which others aren't allowed to interrupt or make comments. Although comments should be related to the topic in this style of meeting, it's acceptable for group members to talk about something else if they have a pressing need. For example, someone who feels her sobriety is in danger can talk about that instead.

Big Book Meetings

• A Big Book meeting features a reading from The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous written by Bill W., who was one of AA's founders. Typically, the meeting covers a section that's a few paragraphs in length. The group leader may read the material out loud, or group members may take turns reading a paragraph each. Then group members share their personal comments about the content of the reading and how it relates to them.

Step and Tradition Meetings

• The discussion in a Step or Tradition Meeting focuses around one of the Twelve Steps or Twelve Traditions followed by AA. The leader typically reads the appropriate step or tradition and shares some personal comments about it. Other group members then share their own perspective on the material.

Speaker Meetings

• A Speaker Meeting has at least one speaker who shares his personal story. Some meetings feature more than one person speaking. The speaker tells about how he started drinking, the experiences that led him to AA and his recovery process. Most speaker meetings don't have any discussion by other group members. However, some meetings use a speak-discuss style in which discussion time follows the initial talk.

Open and Closed Meetings

• AA meetings can be either open or closed in style. Any person can attend an open meeting, whether she's an alcoholic or not. Although most attendees will be recovering alcoholics, family members, professionals doing observation and people who want to learn more about AA might also show up. Closed meetings are strictly limited to alcoholics only. Because it's difficult to maintain anonymity and confidentiality in the open style, many open AA meetings are speaker meetings with no group sharing. Meeting styles in which each member speaks are typically closed so that they can speak more freely.