WHAT IS A.A.? Alcoholics Anonymous is a voluntary,
worldwide fellowship of men and women from all walks of life who meet together
to attain and maintain sobriety by sharing their experience and hope with
each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to
recover from alcoholism and related problems. Our primary purpose
is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
MEMBERSHIP The
only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There
are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self supporting through
our own contributions. A.A. is not aligned with any sect, denomination,
politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy;
neither endorses nor opposes any causes.
THE 24 HOUR PLAN We
take no pledges, we do not say that we will "never" drink again.
Instead, we try to follow what is called in A.A. as the "24 hour plan."
We concentrate on keeping sober just the current 24 hours. We simply
try to get through "one day at a time" without a drink. If we feel
the urge for a drink, we neither yield nor resist. We merely put
off taking that particular drink until tomorrow.
SPONSOR Members
that have made themselves available to new or needy members. A sponsor
will have successfully stayed sober for some time, (usually a year or more)
and will help members put into practice the A.A. program of recovery.
OPEN MEETINGS Everyone
can attend an open meeting. An open A.A. meeting may take on one
of several forms, but at any meeting you will find drinkers and alcoholics
talking about what drinking did to their lives and personalities, what
actions they took to help themselves, and how they are living their lives
today.
CLOSED MEETING Advanced
members, those members who have a problem with alcohol, working on recovery,
early and unsure members are not usually members of the closed group.
Those with substantial motivation, activity, and a relationship to the
A.A. principles will be attending the closed groups.
BIG BOOK STUDIES An
open meeting that studies the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book containing
the philosophy and story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered
from alcoholism. The big book is considered the basic text for our
society and has helped men and women in recovery.
THE 12 STEPS Twelve
principles around which we live our lives in trying to put into practice
the A.A. program of recovery.
WHAT ARE ALATEEN
& AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS?
Each Al-Anon or Alateen Family Group has only one purpose: to help
families and friends of alcoholics. This is achieved by "offering
comfort, hope, and friendship to the families and friends of compulsive
drinkers, providing the opportunity to grow through living by the Twelve
Steps adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous, and sharing experience in coping
with the disease of alcoholism and how the program helps in understanding
and encouragement of the alcoholic."
ALATEEN MEETINGS
ALATEEN meetings are for young people (usually ages 12 to 20) whose
lives have been affected by someone else's drinking.
Where there are no Alateen Meetings, young people are encouraged to attend
Al-Anon meetings.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS