Find strength and solace in meetingsthat understand your unique challenges and are dedicated to helping you navigate the road to sobriety. Connect Locally, Heal Collectively Find local AA meetings near you, a cornerstone for building a supportive community. These meetings areessential in your journey, offering a safe space for sharing experiences and gaining strength fromothers who understand your struggle. Embrace the camaraderie and find solace in the collective pursuitof sobriety. Meetings aren’t based on a specific religion, they do include spiritual aspects. For some, these aspects of the program can be a stumbling block.
The AA program
The empathy and encouragement you receive from group members can often both comfort and inspire you. Hearing the experiences of others may reduce any sense of shame you’re feeling and enhance your self-efficacy or self-belief. Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is an international program focused on supporting people during alcohol recovery, with a goal of helping them achieve and sustain sobriety.
The Serenity Prayer is commonly used in AA meetings as a tool for reflection and guidance. It was called the AA prayer in the 1940s.73 Often recited at meetings, it emphasizes the concepts of acceptance, courage, and wisdom, which align with the principles of the AA program. The prayer encourages individuals to accept things they cannot change, to find the courage to make changes where possible, and to seek the wisdom to distinguish between the two. Some who nida principles of effective treatment struggle with long-term heavy drinking may want to seek treatment beyond AA meetings alone. Contact a treatment provider today to learn more about rehab options near you.
- Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.
- Connect Locally, Heal Collectively Find local AA meetings near you, a cornerstone for building a supportive community.
- Start Your Path to Recovery Explore meeting details and easily register online.
- The Group Handbook contains a variety of resources that many groups find helpful.
- While most members accept and appreciate these aspects, it is important to be aware of them when considering membership.
- There are no dues, fees, requirements or restrictions of any kind.
Years since Alcoholics Anonymous started.
If you have a drinking problem, recovery support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can be helpful in staying sober. Discover how these groups provide hope, strength, and encouragement on the road to sobriety. AA meetings provide a community of support, practical advice from those who’ve faced similar struggles,and a set of guiding principles (the 12 Steps) to help maintain sobriety. Locate Your Path to Healing, State by State Effortlessly search for AA meetings in your area, spanning across all states. Our comprehensive directory ensuresthat no matter where you are, you can find a supportive community close to you. This tool simplifies the journeytowards recovery, making it more accessible and tailored to your location.
While AA emphasizes personal anonymity, many notable individuals have publicly acknowledged their participation in the program for various lengths of time. AA meetings serve as a space where individuals discuss recovery from alcoholism, with flexibility in how meetings are conducted. AA has faced criticism for various reasons.
The sessions can ultimately help you create a recovery plan with actionable steps. DRA has many similarities to does alcohol bother gallbladder AA, so if the 12 steps aren’t for you, DRA may not be the right choice, either. Another potential downside is the limited availability of meetings. Meetings are not as widely available as the sessions run by AA. However, the sessions may be more comfortable than AA if you want to engage in discussions that revolve around mental health.
An Overview of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.)
Registering is a step towards commitment – a commitment to yourrecovery and to the supportive network of AA. Often, the next step is to read a passage from the Big Book and reinforcement about the importance of member privacy and anonymity. Meetings typically close with a prayer, moment of silence, recitation of the Responsibility Statement, or by reading a section of another A.A. Group consisted of only Bill, Dr. Bob, and a patient at an Akron hospital.
Recommended Resources
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. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine.
For people recovering from addiction, many of whom struggle with anxiety, fear, sadness, depression, guilt, shame, and loneliness, this is often a positive dynamic. Therefore, potential members should be comfortable actively participating in this group setting. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the original how to wean someone off alcohol 12-step program for recovery. The program also recognizes six levels of recovery, ranging from acceptance of having an addiction to prioritizing emotional and spiritual growth. Smart Recovery emphasizes psychoeducation and the development of self-management tools, so some people find the sessions to be slow-moving and repetitive.