What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
Anonymous (A.A.) describes itself as a mutual aid fellowship of individuals struggling with alcoholism and alcohol abuse. At A.A. the members themselves provide support, advice, and companionship to each other, harnessing the transformative power of connection accountability and the 12 Step Program of Recovery. This group consists of thousands of similar groups in different parts of the globe that meet on a regular basis, often weekly.
Approximately 2 million people around the world attend A.A. meetings, work the 12 Step Programme of Recovery and receive A.A.’s other forms of support. Its doors are open to anyone who has a desire to stop drinking one day at a time. No entrance fee is charged to attend the meetings, and no dues are collected from members. Regular attendance earns one the privilege of considering oneself an A.A. member.
What to Expect at a Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting?
There are two types of A.A. meetings – open and closed. Open meetings are attended by people struggling with an alcohol problem or know someone who is, as well as family members of alcoholics. Attendees learn about the A.A. 12 Step Program and listen to speakers sharing their experience, strength and hope around alcoholism and the journey they have travelled upon during their recovery.
Closed meetings are exclusively for people who have acknowledged their alcohol addiction and have resolved to put an end to it. Anonymity is the rule (but often, participants share their first names when introducing themselves). During such meetings, experiences are shared, advice is given, and requests for help are expressed. All these take place in an atmosphere of mutual trust and support.
The 12 Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous
12 step interventions and mutual support programs for substance use disorders and addiction are all based on the famous 12 Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous, which was designed based on the experiences of the organisation’s founders.
In simplest form, the A.A. program operates when a recovered alcoholic passes along the story of his or her own problem drinking, describes the sobriety he or she has found in A.A., and invites the newcomer to join the informal Fellowship.
The heart of the suggested program of personal recovery is contained in the Twelve Steps describing the experience of the earliest members of the Society.
Below are the 12 steps of A.A. taken verbatim from their website:
- Step one
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Step two
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Step three
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- Step four
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Step five
Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Step six
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- Step seven
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- Step eight
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Step nine
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Step ten
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
- Step eleven
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
- Step twelve
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Newcomers are not asked to accept or follow these Twelve Steps in their entirety if they feel unwilling or unable to do so.
They will usually be asked to keep an open mind, to attend meetings at which recovered alcoholics describe their personal experiences in achieving sobriety, and to read A.A. literature describing and interpreting the A.A. program.
A.A. members will usually emphasise to newcomers that only problem drinkers themselves, individually, can determine whether or not they are in fact alcoholics.
At the same time, it will be pointed out that all available medical testimony indicates that alcoholism is a progressive illness, that it cannot be cured in the ordinary sense of the term, but that it can be arrested through total abstinence from alcohol in any form.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot
change, the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference
The History of Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, USA, by Bill Wilson and Bob Smith, two men who had struggled with alcoholism and who managed to gain sobriety with the help of members of The Oxford Group, a nondenominational Christian movement. Wilson and Smith came to believe that mutual support, plus faith in a higher power (typically, though not always, God), could help an individual break the cycle of alcohol abuse which was destroying them. Over the next couple of years, Wilson, in particular, developed a series of principles that became the central tenets of A.A., breaking away from The Oxford Group in 1937.
The story of Alcoholics Anonymous began in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, USA. During that year, two men – Bill Wilson and Bob Smith – founded the fellowship. Alcoholism was a problem both men struggled with, and with the help of the nondenominational Christian Group called The Oxford Group, they were able to achieve sobriety.
Through mutual support and faith in a higher power (identified by many as God and by others as some other higher power, being or force), one can escape the vicious cycle of alcohol abuse and life on a downward spiral. In 1937, AA broke away from the Oxford Group armed with a series of principles he developed that eventually became the 12 traditions of A.A.
The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous operates on the collaborative effort of all its members to support and help each other in their individual journeys to sobriety. Anonymity is of utmost importance, thus the choice of name. Being without a name breaks down the barriers of fear – of being judged or having their condition exposed to society.
Alcoholics Anonymous has systematised its organisational principles into what is called the Twelve Traditions.
Below are the 12 traditions of A.A. taken verbatim from their website:
- Tradition one
Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon AA unity.
- Tradition two
For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
- Tradition three
The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
- Tradition four
Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
- Tradition five
Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
- Tradition six
An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
- Tradition seven
Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
- Tradition eight
Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
- Tradition nine
A.A., as such, ought never be organised; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
- Tradition ten
Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
- Tradition eleven
Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
- Tradition twelve
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
How do you Become a Member of Alcoholics Anonymous?
There are no dues or fees for membership of A.A., just a simple desire to stop drinking. Simply attend A.A. meetings on a regular basis and you are considered a member. There are people whom A.A. officially employs; however, a large majority of those doing work for the organisation are volunteers.
Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work?
Alcoholics Anonymous and it’s 12 step program of recovery has been the key to the successful recovery of countless alcoholics around the world. However, A.A. will only work if the individual has a genuine desire to stop drinking and works to the best of their ability the 12 step program of recovery. The millions of individuals around the world who have successfully achieved sobriety and now live happy and meaningful lives is a testament to the immense power of the fellowship provided by A.A.
Finding a Meeting Group of Alcoholics Anonymous
There are Alcoholics Anonymous meetings all over the UK, with 3,585 held every week in England and Wales and 902 in Scotland. Deciding which one to attend depends on your personal preference; some choose to attend A.A. meetings near their home, while others prefer to pick a venue where the chances of running into someone they know or might recognise them are lower. Whatever the case may be with you, the important thing is that after deciding on a group you want to join, stick with it and religiously attend the weekly meetings because interacting with the same members will enable you to experience the full benefits of your regular A.A. attendance.
A list of A.A. meetings is available on the AA UK website.
Advantages of Alcoholics Anonymous
For people going through the process of recovery, being a part of an anonymous group can be very beneficial as it allows them to experience the fellowship and support of people who have gone through the same struggle with alcohol addiction and truly understand what it is all about. A.A. provides a safe and pressure-free environment for people who need help in overcoming their drinking problem and where confidentiality is of prime importance. With its free membership, A.A. welcomes people from all walks of life, and just like the NHS, it is a reliable and accessible source of help and support for those suffering from alcohol addiction.
Frequently asked questions
Alcoholics Anonymous is a mutual aid fellowship where people struggling with alcohol abuse who want to achieve sobriety can find the support and guidance that they need.
At A.A.’s free weekly meetings, members help each other by providing support, advice and fellowship. Regular attendance is the key to being able to experience the full benefits offered by Alcoholics Anonymous.
Numerous A.A. groups meet regularly in towns and cities across the UK; for more information, and to find an A.A. meeting near you, visit their website.
At A.A. meetings, members help each other by talking about experiences, giving advice, and supporting each other, all under conditions of anonymity.
No. Attending a meeting will not result in your being committed to anything.
Due to the sensitivity of the issue of alcoholism, anonymity and confidentiality are of prime importance for A.A. as an organisation. If you meet people you know at an A.A. meeting, respect their anonymity and keep the fact that you saw them in attendance, confidential. Remember, it works both ways so deal with them the way you want them to deal with you. Don’t forget they are there at the meeting for exactly the same reasons that you are – recovery and a solution to their addiction!
There are no dues of fees for membership of A.A., the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop taking drugs.
Yes, other organisations exist to help people who are addicted to other substances.
Anyone who has a desire to stop drinking and is willing to commit to the 12 step program of recovery can become an A.A. member.
To become a member of A.A., you just simply need to attend meetings regularly.
A.A. believes that there is no cure for alcoholism. Still, it is possible to remain sober through regular meeting attendance and working the 12 step program. The support and assistance of other members make this possible.
No, it isn’t. A.A. is not run nor affiliated with any religion, sect or denomination.
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