What can I do if I am worried about my drinking?
Seek help. Alcoholics Anonymous can help.
What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
We are a Fellowship of men and women who have lost the
ability to control our drinking and have found ourselves in various
kinds of trouble as a result of drinking. We attempt—most of us
successfully—to create a satisfying way of life without alcohol.
For this we find we need the help and support of other alcoholics in
A.A.
If I go to an A.A. meeting, does that commit me to
anything?
No. A.A. does not keep membership files, or attendance
records. You do not have to reveal anything about yourself. No one
will bother you if you don’t want to come back.
What happens if I meet people I know?
They will be there for the same reason you are there. They
will not disclose your identity to outsiders. At A.A. you retain as
much anonymity as you wish. That is one of the reasons we call
ourselves Alcoholics Anonymous.
What happens at an A.A. meeting?
An A.A. meeting may take one of several forms, but at any
meeting you will find alcoholics talking about what drinking did to
their lives and personalities, what actions they took to help
themselves, and how they are living their lives today.
How can this help me with my drinking problem?
We in A.A. know what it is like to be addicted to alcohol, and to be
unable to keep promises made to others and ourselves that we will
stop drinking. We are not professional therapists. Our only
qualification for helping others to recover from alcoholism is that
we have stopped drinking ourselves, but problem drinkers coming to
us know that recovery is possible because they see people who have
done it.
Why do A.A.s keep on going to meetings after they are cured?
We in A.A. believe there is no such thing as a cure
for alcoholism. We can never return to normal drinking, and our
ability to stay away from alcohol depends on maintaining our
physical, mental, and spiritual health. This we can achieve by going
to meetings regularly and putting into practice what we learn there.
In addition, we find it helps us to stay sober if we help other
alcoholics.
How do I join A.A.?
You are an A.A. member if and when you say so. The only
requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking, and
many of us were not very wholehearted about that when we first
approached A.A.
How much does A.A. membership cost?
There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. An A.A. group
will usually have a collection during the meeting to cover expenses,
such as rent, coffee, etc., and to this all members are free to
contribute as much or as little as they wish.
Is A.A. a religious organization?
No. Nor is it allied with any religious organization.
There’s a lot of talk about God, though, isn’t there?
The majority of A.A. members believe that we have found the
solution to our drinking problem not through individual willpower,
but through a power greater than ourselves. However, everyone
defines this power as he or she wishes. Many people call it God,
others think it is the A.A. group, still others don’t believe in
it at all. There is room in A.A. for people of all shades of belief
and nonbelief.
Can I bring my family to an A.A. meeting?
Family members or close friends are welcome at “Open”
A.A. meetings. Discuss this with your local contact.
What advice do you give new members?
In our experience, the people who recover in A.A. are those
who:
(a) stay away from the first drink;
(b) attend A.A. meetings regularly;
(c) seek out the people in A.A. who have successfully stayed sober
for some time;
(d) try to put into practice the A.A. program of recovery.
How can I contact A.A.?
Look for Alcoholics Anonymous in your local telephone
directory. These telephones are answered by A.A. volunteers who will
be happy to answer your questions, or put you in touch with those
who can. If there is no A.A. telephone service close to you, write
or phone the A.A. General Service Office.
Here is a list of A.A. pamphlets which may be particularly
helpful to you:
Is There an Alcoholic in Your Life?
A.A. — 44 Questions
Is A.A. for You?
Do You Think You’re Different?
A.A. for the Woman
Young People and A.A.
Too Young?
Remember that alcoholism is a progressive disease. Take it
seriously, even if you feel you are only in the early stages of the
illness. Alcoholism kills people. If you are an alcoholic, and if
you continue to drink, in time you will get worse.
This
leaflet is intended for people approaching Alcoholics Anonymous
(A.A.) for the first time. In it we have tried to answer the
questions most frequently in the minds of newcomers—the
questions which were in our minds when we first approached the
Fellowship.