Finding an Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting

For many people attempting to quit drinking, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings provide enormous help.

The get-togethers could be fantastic outlets for those taking care of recovery, with sets of others in similar situations offering support through comradery, advice, or even just active listening.

But finding the right AA meeting is practically as important as attending at all, to help ensure you interact with the group, fully engage with the meeting and its teachings, and give yourself perfect shot to have a successful experience with the program.
What Are AA Meetings Like?

Before working out just how to find the best Alcoholics Anonymous meeting for you, it could be helpful to know what an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting is much like generally speaking, so you've a concept of things to expect.

The majority of the time, the meetings are held in places linked to churches or community centers. You'll likely arrive as a tiny crowd is gathering, with members chatting, making coffee, or sitting quietly. Additionally, there are many online AA meetings as you are able to conveniently attend from the comfort of your home.

Eventually, everyone has a seat on one of many chairs arranged in a semi-circle. The meeting starts when the group leader—called the chairperson—experiences several readings, like the AA Preamble and the Serenity Prayer. Other members of the group will likely then recite other passages from the AA Big Book, like the 12 Traditions and the 12 Promises.

The chairperson then opens up the meeting. It might be a Step Study meeting, where the focus and discussion revolve around one of many 12 Steps. More likely, it will be an open meeting, where members can speak about anything recovery-related that's on their mind.

Once everyone who wants to share is completed, the meeting wraps up with another group prayer. All in all, an AA meeting takes around an hour.
Finding An Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting Near You

There are several ways to locate an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting near you.

Probably the easiest—and most to the point—is employing this AA Meeting Finder and trying to find your preferred location.

Indeed, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings could be held in any number of formats within our virtual world, including through online video conferencing, phone conferencing, group emails, or chatrooms.

You may even decide—when determining what the proper AA meeting for you personally is—that you'd prefer one of these simple formats to in-person meetings. Virtual meetings can in fact be quite ideal for individuals with tight schedules, transportation issues, or physical disabilities. Still, many experts propose that in-person meetings should at the least be tried whenever a person first begins the 12 Step program.

The portal organized by the OIAA should assist you to straighten out meetings by format, time zone, preferred language, and meeting type, among many other options.

Still, locating a meeting is only the first step toward finding the right meeting for you.

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