What to Expect in Alcoholics Anonymous

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What to Expect in Alcoholics Anonymous

If you are about to attend your first Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, meeting, you are to be commended for taking the first in a series of steps that will hopefully help you find your way home – to the land of the sober. You may feel a bit apprehensive about attending your first Alcoholics Anonymous, but that is absolutely normal. Taking the first steps towards sobriety after a life of alcoholism is frightening, especially without the alcohol to blunt the edges of reality. Rest assured, though, many others have taken the steps before you and forged a path that hopefully, you will be able to follow.

For those who have never attended an AA meeting, misconceptions about the organization sometimes cloud your perception, but do not let this deter you from attending. The best ways to face your anxieties is to face them boldly. Here’s what you can expect in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous is a program for recovering alcoholics based upon 12 guiding steps/principles that are designed to help you work through and deal with your addiction to alcohol. Rather than traditional counseling, it is a group based fellowship in which men and women share their experiences with alcoholism in hopes of helping and supporting other recovering alcoholics.

The very strength of the program is that is its ‘non-tradition’. There is no certified counselor on duty. Group sessions are led by others just like you who struggle with the demons of alcohol on a daily basis. The beauty of Alcoholics Anonymous is that it puts you in touch with others who have shared experiences that may be similar to yours.

What Is a Typical Meeting Like?

A typical AA meeting is pretty informal, and is usually held in a non-threatening atmosphere such as a church or community center. Some meetings may be small while others may be larger. The ‘anonymity’ factor helps recovering alcoholics feel comfortable in sharing their experiences. There is no judgment, and anything shared within in a meeting is not to go beyond the meeting walls.

Though the meetings are pretty informal, they still adhere to a certain structure. Some meetings may be “step” meetings, in which one of the guiding steps of AA is discussed while members share their experiences related to that particular step. Other meetings may be topic based, in which the meeting chair introduces a topic and members share experiences related to that particular topic. Still other meetings may be “free share”, in which members are free to share whatever they wish.

Group members typically introduce themselves at meeting. At your first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, when you introduce yourself as an alcoholic and a newcomer to the group, you will be given literature concerning AA. This will usually consist of a meeting/topic schedule as well as names and numbers of people you can call if you need help.
Once you surpass the hurdle of attending your first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, you will likely discover was not nearly as intimidating as you might have imagined. Attending your first AA meeting may be your ticket to a new life, and making the effort to move past any fears or misconceptions you have are often well worth the trouble.

Copyright 2010 C.King, M.Ed. Sober Sources Network