There are certain instances in which a mandatory number of weekly AA meetings might be assigned. Once you move into your own living space and are no longer subject to the rules of a sober living facility, you can decide if going to AA meetings two times or more each week is right for you. As the organization grew in popularity, the group created the “12 steps” in the 1940s as a way to provide more structure and support for their growing meetings. Throughout the course of their recovery, AA members can turn back to the 12-step framework to help guide them through challenging moments and lessen their risk of relapse. Should they relapse, the 12 steps gives them a road map for returning back to sobriety and resuming their recovery. People find AA meetings useful because it gives them a safe space to discuss their addiction where they won’t be judged.
All meetings are either open or closed
Background for many topic meetings derives from A.A. Literature, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book), Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, As Bill Sees It, Daily Reflections, and from AA Grapevine. Online and telephone meetings are also available.
- Meeting via the Alcoholics Anonymous website.
- In other meetings, at the end of the prayer, everyone may say a popular AA slogan, such as, “meeting makers make it.”
- People can feel resistant to going to meetings at first but over time they will start to appreciate the benefits of having group support.
- New attendees are then encouraged to introduce themselves, though they don’t have to if they aren’t comfortable doing so.
How to Attend an Online AA Meeting
Some groups, with the consent of the prospective member, have an A.A. This may be provided on a slip that has been furnished by the referral source, or via a digital method if the group is online. The referred person is responsible for returning the proof of attendance. Speaker meetings often are open meetings. Sometimes, you just need a forum to talk out the issues that are diving you back towards your addiction. By expressing your feelings in a meeting, you are doing so in an environment that is safe from judgment.
How often do you go to AA meetings? Where are you in your recovery?
What’s really great about these programs is membership is free. These programs are open to anyone who has a desire to stop using/drinking or stay sober. There are many types of alcoholic anonymous bipolar disorder and alcohol meetings. Below are the most popular ones you’ll find. You can find an AA meeting a variety of ways but the most common way is online. Their website provides a list of AA meetings near you.
About Meeting Guide
We all need support groups and the meeting is the main way we interact with those in that group. One member, Barb M., relates that the thing she was most relieved about was the non-imposing feel that she got when she first began attending meetings. Some will be large while others are small; some are connected to a treatment program, and some meetings will feel more religious than others.
Here at BlueCrest Recovery Center, we believe strongly in the value of the 12-step recovery approach as a framework for understanding, managing, and overcoming addiction. Some will talk at length and others may just thank the speaker. This is such an important part how to stop drinking alcohol of the meeting and cannot be neglected. Friends and family members are welcome to attend open meetings. The power of attending an AA meeting is in finding we are not alone. People who put their number in this book do so because they really do want to help.
However, many still attend a few meetings a week even long after they have become completely sober. The connections that they make in the meetings can help them manage what is a lifelong illness that is never fully cured. A group that can help you grow will also listen and treat the discussions as opportunities they are for seeking change and healing.
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. Members who determine the format of their meetings.
If you need more information, visit the AA website for resources and details. Step (S), Tradition(T), Literature (Lit) or Big Book (BB). Because the Twelve Steps are the foundation of personal recovery in A.A., many groups devote one or more meetings a week to the study of each Step; some discuss two or three Steps at a time. These same formats may be applied to group meetings on the Big Book or the Twelve Traditions. Many groups make it a practice to read aloud from the Big Book or Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions at the beginning of the meeting. The longer a person is in recovery, they might start to go to meetings less often when they feel stronger.
You can also request more information from your regional correspondent at GSO. We are an unofficial subreddit about A.A. Our primary purpose is to provide a forum for discussing the A.A. Fellowship, its 12-step program of recovery, and related topics. Meeting Guide syncs with area, district, intergroup/central offices and international general service office websites, relaying meeting information from more than 400 A.A.
You can often check the meetings posted schedule to learn more. Literature, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book), Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, As Bill Sees It, Daily Reflections, and from the A.A. Imagine going through this process while being surrounded by those who are depressed or unmotivated. Their apathetic feelings toward recovery could be dangerously contagious. Many people go just to listen and others find a benefit with sharing, even if you don’t want to.
Local entities provide their meeting information voluntarily. Meeting Guide users can suggest additions or corrections to meeting listings by using links provided within the app to contact the local service entity responsible for the information. Studies show that volunteering can be a powerful tool for recovery from AUD and other substance use disorders. In one study, participants who did volunteer work showed better mental health outcomes and lower depression rates.9 Volunteering of any kind produced these mental health boosts for study participants. Thanks to the many AA chapter locations, you can usually find a meeting every day of the week.
Meeting via the Alcoholics Anonymous website. Alternatively, it also allows site visitors to select a specific state or region, providing all meeting locations in that area. It’s also important to note that whether A.A. Works depends, in part, on finding crack addiction a meeting that’s a good fit. Members who are mostly homeless may not be as beneficial for other demographics. Others attend due to pressure from a loved one or because they are required by the court, such as after being arrested for drunk driving.
Anyone can attend an open AA meeting, however a closed meeting is limited to self proclaimed members of AA who have identified as alcoholics and have a desire to stop drinking. AA recommends you attend a meeting everyday for the first 90 days. This is usually referred to as a “90 and 90”. If that is not feasible, you should attend as much as you are able early on.