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.
If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, if you get into
trouble, or if you have memory lapses when you drink, you may be an alcoholic.
Only you can decide. No one in A. A. will tell you whether you are or not. You can seek help. Alcoholics Anonymous can help. 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. 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 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.
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. 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 to 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. 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. 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., aand to this all members are free to contribute as much or as little as
they wish. No. Nor is it allied with any religious organization. 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. Family members or close friends are welcome at "Open" A.A.
meetings. Discuss this with your local contact. In our experience, the people who recover in A.A. (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
Look for Alcoholics Anonymous in your local telephone directory. Theses
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. 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.
What can I do if I am worried about my drinking?
What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
If I go to an A. A. meeting, does that commit me to anything?
What happens if I meet people I know in A. A.?
What happens at an A.A. meeting?
How can this help me with my drinking problem?
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.?
How much does A. A. membership cost?
Is A.A. a religious organization?
There's a lot of talk about God, though, isn't there?
Can I bring my family to an A.A. meeting?
What advice do you give new members?
are those who:
recovery. How can I contact A.A.?