AA is nonprofessional – it doesn’t have clinics, doctors, counsellors or psychologists. All members are themselves recovering from alcoholism. There is no central authority controlling how AA groups operate. It is up to the members of each group to decide what they do. However, what does aa stand for alcohol the AA program of recovery has proved to be so successful that almost every group follows it in very similar ways. AA is an informal society of more than 2 million recovering alcoholics throughout the world.
The Science of Alcoholics Anonymous
There are many different ideas about what alcoholism really is. The explanation that seems to make sense to most A.A. Members is that alcoholism is a progressive illness that can never be cured but that, like some other diseases, can be arrested. Before they are exposed to A.A., many alcoholics who are unable to stop drinking think of themselves as morally weak or, possibly, mentally unbalanced. Concept is that alcoholics are sick people who can recover if they follow a simple program that has proved successful for more than two million people. Once alcoholism has set in, there is nothing morally wrong about being ill.
What Are AA Meetings?
It also has a Facebook group and the related group Women for Sobriety, which is based on the S.O.S. principles. A 2020 review found that Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step facilitation treatments produced benefits that were similar to other treatments. The research also found that these 12-step approaches were superior to other methods for maintaining continuous abstinence and reducing remission rates.
Big Book ASL – Appendix II – Spiritual Experience
He is the medical director at Alcohol Recovery Medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These newsletters include information about A.A. History and current activities; sharing from groups, service committees, and individual A.A.
Current Membership
Many meetings close with members joining in a moment of silence followed by a prayer, or perhaps by reciting the Responsibility Statement or other A.A. 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 in rotation; 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 pertinent material from the Big Book or Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions at the beginning of the meeting. This anonymity is for the good of the fellowship rather than protecting the member’s identity.
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.74 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.
We do not impose our experience with problem drinking on others, but we do share it when we are asked to do so. We know our own sobriety depends on connecting with other alcoholics. A.A.’s Twelve Steps are a set of spiritual principles. When practiced as a way of life, they can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to recover from alcoholism.
- We strive to make known our program of recovery, not individuals who participate in the program.
- Individuals living in North America can find a local A.A.
- AA has faced criticism for various reasons.
- This process can be interrupted if the group spends part of the allotted time for discussion of outside activities.
- Many meetings begin with a reading from the Big Book — frequently a portion of Chapter 5 (“How It Works”) or Chapter 3 (“More About Alcoholism”).
Connect with local A.A.s
That’s not to say that members can’t be doctors and professionals, but they leave those outside affiliations at the door. It’s how the 12-step programs work. There is a saying in the rooms, « In order to keep it, you must give it away. »
- Alcoholics Anonymous helps guide addicts to understand that their immediate problem is alcohol.
- Members come into the rooms each week seeking help from the experience, strength, and hope of other members.
- In 1939, the program expanded, largely due to the publication of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, which is known as the « Big Book. » The growth of people’s interest in A.A.
- This flyer presents basic information on Alcoholics Anonymous both for those who think they may have a drinking problem and for those who come in contact with them.
- Basically, those who attend these 12-step meetings either feel a sense of « belonging, » or they do not and move on.
- AA’s twelve steps are a “suggested”—but not required—continuing self-improvement “program of recovery” in which in divining and following the will of an self-defined “God as we understood Him” is essential.
- Membership, as the organization supports itself through community contributions.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Book
Educated us to the true nature of the illness. Alcoholics Anonymous is a voluntary, worldwide fellowship of people from all walks of life who meet together to attain and maintain sobriety. Going to a professional counselor is different from going to a group of others who are in recovery. Twelve-step groups are different from professional recovery services, offering the support that the members feel in sharing and listening to each others’ stories. There is no authority the member can rebel against.
- There is a saying that there is no right or wrong way to hold a meeting, but the group can cease carrying the message if it strays too far from its traditions and concepts.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as the “Big Book,” presents the A.A.
- What happens if that person relapses?
- Members simply stay away from one drink, one day at a time.
- There are no age or education requirements to participate.
Although the strength of our program lies in the voluntary nature of membership in A.A., many of us first attended meetings because we were forced to, either by someone else or by inner discomfort. Educated us to the true nature of the illness… It is the problem drinker who is our concern…
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