About Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous is a remarkable organization that is international in scope and generally anyone can locate a meeting in almost any city in the United States and in many foreign countries. In fact it is possible to talk via the Internet to anyone in the world regarding AA. Worldwide recovering alcoholics on a daily basis are communicating with each other and sponsoring each other and sharing the highlights of their day with each other from Brooklyn to Berlin and from Russia to Rhode Island and everywhere in between. Through this wonderful and incredible organization no one anywhere at any time needs to feel alone and helpless or hopeless in regards to getting help so they can stop drinking.

The following is a brief but comprehensive overview based upon information that is published by AA World Services Inc. We hope it will be helpful in making a decision regarding your drinking or it will provide you with the needed information and or direction to take regarding someone you care about who has a drinking problem or you believe to be an alcoholic.

Most of this information is available in more detail in literature published by A.A. World Services, Inc. The telephone number and E-Mail address are located at the bottom of this page.

What Is A.A.?

1. Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem.
2. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere.
3. There are no age or education requirements.
4. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem.
5. Singleness of Purpose and Problems Other Than Alcohol

Although Anyone with or without a drinking problem may attend open A.A. meetings, only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings. Although a drug addict or someone with any substance abuse problem may attend and are equally welcome to attend any OPEN AA meeting but in regards to attending a CLOSED AA meeting they would need to be referred to a more appropriate meeting for their particular problem. It should be noted that there is a requirement for AA membership and it is not that you have to admit that you are an Alcoholic but you do need to admit that you have “a desire to stop drinking.”

It has been determined that it is most effective and beneficial when a Closed Meeting is reserved only for those who admit they are an alcoholic or that they “have a desire to stop drinking.”
What Does A.A. Do?

1. A.A. members share their experience with anyone seeking help with a drinking problem; they give person-to-person service or “sponsorship” to the alcoholic coming to A.A. from any source.
2. The A.A. program, set forth in our Twelve Steps, offers the alcoholic a way to develop a satisfying life without alcohol.
3. This program is discussed at A.A. group meetings.

The following is a description of the format of each type meeting available:

• Open speaker meetings — open to alcoholics and nonalcoholic’s. (Attendance at an open A.A. meeting is the best way to learn what A.A. is, what it does, and what it does not do.) At speaker meetings, A.A. members “tell their stories.” They describe their experiences with alcohol, how they came to A.A., and how their lives have changed as a result of Alcoholics Anonymous.
  
• Open discussion meetings — one member speaks briefly about his or her drinking experience, and then leads a discussion on A.A. recovery or any drinking-related problem anyone brings up. (Closed meetings are for A.A.s or anyonewho may have a drinking problem.)
  
• Closed discussion meetings — conducted just as open discussions are, but for alcoholics or prospective A.A.s only.
  
• Step meetings (usually closed) — discussion of one of the Twelve Steps.
  
• A.A. members also take meetings into correctional and treatment facilities.
  
• A.A. members may be asked to conduct the informational meetings about A.A. as a part of A.S.A.P. (Alcohol Safety Action Project) and D.W.I. (Driving While Intoxicated) programs. These meetings about A.A. are not regular A.A. group meetings.

What A.A. Does Not Do
A.A. does not:

1. Furnish initial motivation for alcoholics to recover
2. Solicit members
   
3. Engage in or sponsor research
   
4. Keep attendance records or case histories
   
5. Join “councils” of social agencies
   
6. Follow up or try to control its members
   
7. Make medical or psychological diagnoses or prognoses
   
8. Provide drying-out or nursing services, hospitalization, drugs, or any medical or psychiatric treatment
   
9. Offer religious services or host/sponsor retreats.
   
10. Engage in education about alcohol
    
11. Provide housing, food, clothing, jobs, money, or any other welfare or social services
    
12. Provide domestic or vocational counseling
    
13. Accept any money for its services, or any contributions from non-A.A. sources
    
14. Provide letters of reference to parole boards, lawyers, court officials, social agencies, employers, etc.

Members From Court Programs and Treatment Facilities
In recent years, A.A. groups have welcomed many new members from court programs and treatment facilities. Some have come to A.A. voluntarily; others, under a degree of pressure. In our pamphlet “How A.A. Members Cooperate,” the following appears: We cannot discriminate against any prospective A.A. member, even if he or she comes to us under pressure from a court, an employer, or any other agency.

Who made the referral to A.A. is not what A.A. is interested in. It is the problem drinker who is our concern.... We cannot predict who will recover, nor have we the authority to decide how recovery should be sought by any other alcoholic.

Literature
A.A. Conference-approved literature is available in French and Spanish please write or call the General Service Office. The A.A. Grapevine, a monthly international journal — also known as “our meeting in print” — features many interesting stories about recovery from alcoholism written primarily by members of A.A. It is a useful introduction and ongoing link to A.A.’s diverse fellowship and wealth of recovery experience. The Spanish-language magazine Viña, is published bimonthly.

For Grapevine information or to order a subscription to either the AA Grapevine or La Viña: (212) 870-3404;fax (212) 870-3301; Web site: www.aagrapevine.org.

Conclusion
The primary purpose of A.A. is to carry its message of recovery to the alcoholic seeking help. Together, we can do what none of us could accomplish alone. We can serve as a source of personal experience and be an ongoing support system for recovering alcoholics.

A.A. World Services, Inc., Box 459, Grand Central Station,
New York, NY 10163. Tel. (212) 870-3400. www.aa.org