If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably an alcoholic. In A.A. we don’t diagnose you as an alcoholic however, we can share our own experiences with you and ask you a few questions which will help you diagnose yourself.
The best thing you can do is seek help. You don’t have to do it on your own. Come along to an A.A. meeting or get in touch with us and we will connect you with an A.A. member to talk to. You can call us for free on 0800 229 6757 (0800 AA WORKS) or email us at [email protected].
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who come together to solve their drinking problem. It doesn’t cost anything to attend A.A. meetings. There are no age or education requirements to participate. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about their drinking problem. A.A.’s primary purpose is to help alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Learn more.
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.
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. You are not required to pay any fees or sign any forms to become a member – if you have a problem with alcohol and are interested in the programme of recovery on offer in A.A. you are welcome to join us.
No, nor is it allied with any religious organisation. 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 they wish. 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 non-belief.
Alcoholism and drug addiction are often referred to as “substance abuse” or “chemical dependency.” Therefore, alcoholics and non-alcoholics are sometimes introduced to A.A. and encouraged to attend A.A. meetings. Anyone may attend open A.A. meetings but only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings or become A.A. members. People with problems other than alcoholism can be A.A. members only if they have a drinking problem.
If you are attending meetings for the first time, we encourage you to listen for the similarities, not the differences. Identification is a powerful tool in A.A. and our Fellowship is founded on one alcoholic helping another. In our experience, the people who recover in A.A. are those who: attend meetings regularly, seek out the people in A.A. who have successfully stayed sober for some time, practice the A.A. programme of recovery, and help others.
Where it all begins – information on how groups function and how to get started.
