AA Meetings and Alcoholic Resources

Some people would rather keep their recovery separate from the rest of their life, hence closed meetings. Others thrive on the support that loved ones can provide during meetings, hence open meetings. Founded by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous began as a community-based fellowship to encourage sobriety for other recovering alcoholics. what is alcoholics anonymous The pair developed the 12 steps to govern AA meetings, and later introduced the 12 traditions to help further define the group’s purpose. Alcoholics Anonymous is an international peer-led mutual aid fellowship meeting online and in-person dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually-inclined Twelve Step program.

• Others thrive on the support that loved ones can provide during meetings, hence open meetings.
• Several concepts used in AA add to the success of the program, including sponsorship, anniversaries, and social support.
• After graduation, he decided to pursue his passion of writing and editing.
• Additionally, 12 Step programs allow for self reflection and growth in order to change for the better.
• The purpose of this site is to provide information and social networking to support our fellow AA members.

The organization was founded in 1935 by Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson in Akron, Ohio. Today, AA groups can be found in cities across the United States and around the world. Meetings are open to people of all races, ages, and genders, including https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the family members of recovering alcoholics. In 1941, interviews on American radio and favorable articles in US magazines, including a piece by Jack Alexander in The Saturday Evening Post, led to increased book sales and membership.

How to Find a Meeting

We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed. The Minnesota/Hazelden or 12-Step Model has been evaluated empirically in diverse populations. The model has been compared to other forms of treatment in quasi-experimental and randomized experimental designs.

AA has no dues or fees, so it won’t cost you anything to visit a meeting. The effect of AA can be best seen when a correct “dose” is given, typically 90 meetings in 90 days. Clearly, faith-based programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous are not for everyone.

What To Expect From An AA Meeting

The Glaser article says that “nothing about the 12-step approach draws on modern science”, but a large amount of scientific research has been done with AA, showing that AA increases abstinence rates. The Glaser article criticizes 12-step programs for being “faith-based”, but 12-step programs allow for a very wide diversity of spiritual beliefs, and there are a growing number of secular 12-step meetings. Alcoholics Anonymous is an international organization of recovering alcoholics that offers emotional support through self-help groups and a model of abstinence for people recovering from alcohol dependence, using a 12-step approach.