About AA Meetings

No one but the alcoholic can choose to get help with his drinking or choose the best way to manage his addiction. For many struggling with this debilitating condition, the support they need can be obtained from AA meetings. Organized through the organization Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., numerous AA meetings are conducted all over the world each and every day to provide support to people who struggle against their addiction to alcohol.

Concept

• The concept of AA meetings is premised on the principle that the alcoholic's best support is provided by fellow alcoholics--people who understand firsthand what it is like to be an alcoholic and struggle to overcome it. What's more, it not only takes great strength to admit to yourself that your drinking is out of control and that you need help, but even greater strength to stand up in a roomful of strangers and declare to them: "I am an alcoholic."

Features

• Although the AA's 12 steps include mention of a "higher power, " the AA in general and AA meetings in particular are not religious meetings. They simply comprise a group of alcoholics who gather to support and get support from fellow alcoholics. It provides a vital nonjudgmental environment where the alcoholics can acknowledge their disease and the task of rebuilding their lives can begin.

Location

• To locate an AA meeting, you can contact one of the AA's central offices, which are listed in the local phone book under "Alcoholics Anonymous." You may also visit the AA official website (see "Additional Resources," below) for a state-by-state listing. No fees or dues are charged for membership or attendance. You do not need to have given up drinking in order to attend an AA meeting; you just need the desire to stop.

Participants

• There are only alcoholics at AA meetings--no official counselors, social workers or doctors. What's more, everyone is equal--there is no formal group leader. AA meetings are confidential and anonymous, and you are usually known only by a first name of your choice. There is no requirement for active participation. You can just go and listen to other alcoholics speak; you will not need to talk and no one will question you.

Cyber-meetings

• With the increasing access to and popularity of the Internet and social media, a number of AA meetings are held online. These cyber-meetings are coordinated and conducted via the World Wide Web, so that attendees need not physically be in the same room to participate in a meeting. Social media such as Instant Messenger, Skype and chat rooms are used to conduct the meetings. Google calendars are a popular means for coordinating the meetings.