Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHistoryWho Can JoinAbout the MeetingsEffectivenessIs A.A. for You?Finding a Meeting

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

History

Who Can Join

About the Meetings

Effectiveness

Is A.A. for You?

Finding a Meeting

Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is an international program focused on supporting people duringalcohol recovery, with a goal of helping them achieve and sustain sobriety. Meetings cost nothing to attend and are available almost everywhere.

What are A.A. meetings and how can they help? We’ll cover those topics here. We also discuss who can join Alcoholics Anonymous and what research has found about the effectiveness of attending these meetings when overcomingalcohol misuse or abuse.

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History of Alcoholics Anonymous

The first A.A. group consisted of only Bill, Dr. Bob, and a patient at an Akron hospital. In 1939, the program expanded, largely due to the publication of the book,Alcoholics Anonymous, which is known as the “Big Book.” The growth of people’s interest in A.A. increased more after a 1941 article in theSaturday Evening Postabout the group.

Who Can Join Alcoholics Anonymous

The only qualification for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no other requirements to join this fellowship and attend a meeting.

However, the organization reinforces that it is not interested in who made the referral to A.A. Instead, its only concern is the person attending.

A.A. is often thought to be affiliated with a certain religion due to “God” and “higher power” references in its literature, but this fellowship stresses that its membership is open to anyone regardless of their beliefs (or non-beliefs).

What Are A.A. Meetings?

There are four basic A.A. meeting formats:

Open vs. Closed 12-Step Meetings

What to Expect at an A.A. Meeting

What to Expect at a 12-Step Meeting

Effectiveness of A.A. Meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings may be accessible, but do they work? Do they truly help attendees achieve and maintain sobriety? According to research, the answer is yes.

A 2020 review looked at 27 studies involving a total of 10,565 participants and noted that A.A. and other twelve-step programs are effective for increasing abstinence.The authors also reported that these programs appear to be as effective as otheralcohol treatment methods.

Other studies have analyzed the effectiveness of peer support, in general, during substance use recovery and found that it contributed to a variety of improved outcomes.Outcomes were also improved for individuals withco-occurring substance use and mental health issues.

Is Alcoholics Anonymous for You?

While A.A. meetings aren’t based on a specific religion, they do include spiritual aspects.For some, these aspects of the program can be a stumbling block.

It’s also important to note that whether A.A. works depends, in part, on finding a meeting that’s a good fit. For example, an intercity group of A.A. members who are mostly homeless may not be as beneficial for other demographics.

Fortunately, there are many different types of meetings for people from different backgrounds or with similar situations. The only way to know for sure whether A.A. may be a good fit is to attend a meeting. There are no dues or fees, so it doesn’t cost anything to try it out.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

How to Find an A.A. Meeting

Individuals living in North America can find a local A.A. meeting via the Alcoholics Anonymous website. This website contains anA.A. meeting search option. Alternatively, it also allows site visitors to select a specific state or region, providing all meeting locations in that area.

How to Find a Support Group Near You

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mendola A, Gibson RL.Addiction, 12-step programs, and evidentiary standards for ethically and clinically sound treatment recommendations: What should clinicians do?.AMA J Ethics. 2016;18(6):646-655. doi:10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.6.sect1-1606Alcoholics Anonymous.Understanding Alcoholics Anonymous and spirituality.Kelly JF, Humphreys K, Ferri M.Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;3:CD012880. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012880.pub2Bassuk EL, Hanson J, Greene RN, Richard M, Laudet A.Peer-delivered recovery support services for addictions in the United States: A systematic review.J Subst Abuse Treat. 2016;63:1-9. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2016.01.003Additional ReadingAlcoholics Anonymous.History of A.A.Alcoholics Anonymous.What to expect at an A.A. meeting.Alcoholics Anonymous.What is A.A.?

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mendola A, Gibson RL.Addiction, 12-step programs, and evidentiary standards for ethically and clinically sound treatment recommendations: What should clinicians do?.AMA J Ethics. 2016;18(6):646-655. doi:10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.6.sect1-1606Alcoholics Anonymous.Understanding Alcoholics Anonymous and spirituality.Kelly JF, Humphreys K, Ferri M.Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;3:CD012880. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012880.pub2Bassuk EL, Hanson J, Greene RN, Richard M, Laudet A.Peer-delivered recovery support services for addictions in the United States: A systematic review.J Subst Abuse Treat. 2016;63:1-9. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2016.01.003Additional ReadingAlcoholics Anonymous.History of A.A.Alcoholics Anonymous.What to expect at an A.A. meeting.Alcoholics Anonymous.What is A.A.?

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Mendola A, Gibson RL.Addiction, 12-step programs, and evidentiary standards for ethically and clinically sound treatment recommendations: What should clinicians do?.AMA J Ethics. 2016;18(6):646-655. doi:10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.6.sect1-1606Alcoholics Anonymous.Understanding Alcoholics Anonymous and spirituality.Kelly JF, Humphreys K, Ferri M.Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;3:CD012880. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012880.pub2Bassuk EL, Hanson J, Greene RN, Richard M, Laudet A.Peer-delivered recovery support services for addictions in the United States: A systematic review.J Subst Abuse Treat. 2016;63:1-9. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2016.01.003

Mendola A, Gibson RL.Addiction, 12-step programs, and evidentiary standards for ethically and clinically sound treatment recommendations: What should clinicians do?.AMA J Ethics. 2016;18(6):646-655. doi:10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.6.sect1-1606

Alcoholics Anonymous.Understanding Alcoholics Anonymous and spirituality.

Kelly JF, Humphreys K, Ferri M.Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;3:CD012880. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012880.pub2

Bassuk EL, Hanson J, Greene RN, Richard M, Laudet A.Peer-delivered recovery support services for addictions in the United States: A systematic review.J Subst Abuse Treat. 2016;63:1-9. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2016.01.003

Alcoholics Anonymous.History of A.A.Alcoholics Anonymous.What to expect at an A.A. meeting.Alcoholics Anonymous.What is A.A.?

Alcoholics Anonymous.History of A.A.

Alcoholics Anonymous.What to expect at an A.A. meeting.

Alcoholics Anonymous.What is A.A.?

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