Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Effective Support Through 12 Steps

What is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)?

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global organization that was created to assist ex-drinkers in supporting one another while sustaining their sobriety. Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson formed the organization in Akron, Ohio, in 1935. AA organizations can now be found in places all over the world and in the United States. All ethnicities, ages, and genders are welcome at meetings, as well as the loved ones of alcoholics in recovery.

Attendees of AA meetings make a commitment to give up alcohol abuse and maintain sobriety. The meetings provide numerous opportunities to help with ongoing recovery, including a successful 12-step program for treating alcoholism. The 12 AA traditions were created with the goal of stabilizing the program and preventing outside influences. The group is operated by ex-alcoholics who assist individuals who are currently in recovery since it is regarded as a mutual-aid fellowship.

Meetings for Alcoholics Anonymous Into Action

The Alcohol Anonymous classes and Alcoholics Anonymous for family members are international fellowships for men and women who have had a drinking problem. Alcoholics Anonymous Step 12 is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere.  There are no age or education qualifications. Anonymous Alcoholic meetings’ membership and Alcoholics Anonymous locations are open to anyone who desires to do something about their drinking problem.

To overcome addiction and effective relapse prevention, make sure never to skip your treatment programs. The 12-step groups such as “Alcoholic Anonymous 12 Steps,” post-rehab therapy, and other rehab aftercare services after you undergo inpatient or residential treatment. But, on the other hand, never let your guard down;  thinking you are fully recovered can make it easy to go back to old obsessions and patterns  (which eventually lead to a relapse).

Top 3 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services FAQs

1. What happens during typical Alcoholics Anonymous meetings?

   There are numerous formats available for A.A. meetings, and each meeting has a distinct local flavor. In the majority of meetings, participants will discuss the effects drinking has had on them and the people around them. Most also talk about how they stopped drinking and how they live their lives now.

2. What is an Alcoholics Anonymous Intergroup?

   Intergroups are service organizations that only address local needs (e.g., publishing a list of local AA meetings, responding to questions about AA, taking, setting up, and following up Twelfth Step calls, setting up local public information committees) and are not part of AA’s larger decision-making/service structure.

3. What is the meaning of Alcoholics Anonymous?

   Their main goals are to maintain their sobriety and support the sobriety of other alcoholics. More than 2 million people worldwide who are in recovery from alcoholism belong to AA, an informal group.

Alcoholics Anonymous History

Since the book Alcoholics Anonymous first appeared in 1939, this introductory text has helped millions of individuals heal from alcoholism.

Currently available in the General Service Conference-approved Fourth Edition, the Big Book holds the stories of the co-founders and many members of distinct backgrounds who have encountered recovery in the worldwide Fellowship.

Relapse rates for substance use disorders (40 to 60 percent) are comparable to those for chronic diseases, such as diabetes (20 to 50 percent), hypertension (50 to 70 percent), and asthma (50 to 70 percent). [1] But individuals who take advantage of aftercare services experience lower relapse rates than people who do not participate in aftercare programs such as these A.A. meetings.

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What Is The Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book?

Alcoholics Anonymous Book: The “Big Book,” or Alcoholics Anonymous, offers the A.A. program for beating alcoholism. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous was first published in 1939 with the intention of illuminating the recovery process of the first 100 members of A.A. The Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous is still regarded as a fundamental alcohol anonymous book even after being translated into more than 70 languages.

The Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous pdf and the paperbacks were called The Big Book because it contains over 400 pages of recovery instructions.

Searching for “Alcohol Anonymous meeting near me,” or Alcoholics Anonymous online meetings zoom? If AA does not appeal to you but the 12-Step model does, Narcotics Anonymous (NA) uses the 12-Steps as its core tenants, too. NA is open to anyone struggling with addiction, including alcohol.

Alcoholics Anonymous Founder, The History of Alcoholics Anonymous, & Alcoholics Anonymous Logo

AA was first created on the tenets of the Oxford Group, a self-help organization with a Christian foundation. Initially, creator Bill Wilson had little success encouraging those who were battling with drinking issues to become and stay sober. Wilson was advised to focus more on the scientific facets of alcoholism treatment than the spiritual components of recovery. Soon after, Wilson made a trip to Akron, Ohio, where he met Dr. Robert Smith, a guy who was having problems staying sober. Wilson assisted Smith for 30 days prior to his decision to stop drinking on June 10, 1935. This day has now been designated as AA’s global anniversary.

Dr. Smith and Wilson were employed at the Oxford Group for a while. However, their methods were frequently questioned. They founded AA in 1937 after leaving the Oxford Group. Dr. Smith and Wilson made numerous adjustments even though they preserved many aspects of the Oxford group, like holding casual gatherings, going through steps, and working without pay. Millions of individuals throughout the world are now aware of the organization as a successful support group thanks to the addition of AA steps, meetings, and sponsors.

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Alcoholics Anonymous Success Rate & Statistics

The biggest and most established alcohol support group in the world is called Alcoholics Anonymous. The group is committed to assisting its members in beating alcoholism. If you’re trying to find “Alcohol Anonymous meetings near me,” Alcoholics Anonymous meetings zoom, or if you have questions about treatment options for alcohol addiction? We Level Up NJ admissions navigators are available 24/7 to listen to your story and get you started with the next steps.

12 Steps Alcoholics Anonymous

Twelve-step programs have been around for almost a century and are a familiar topic within recovery communities.  For example, the 12 Steps program for alcohol abuse is often used alongside formal behavioral therapy and medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

The 12 Steps were designed to encourage participants to achieve and maintain sobriety.  Generalized in the early 20th century with the formation of Alcohol Anonymous, the success of the steps program for alcohol addiction led to the creation of its virtually identical counterpart, Narcotics Anonymous.

Notwithstanding the substance at hand, the purpose of the Twelve Steps is to empower recovering alcoholics from being introspective and take responsibility for their actions.  In doing so, individuals can learn to identify the source of their alcoholism, and triggers, and ultimately, find lasting support in moving past it.

A.A.’s program extends beyond abstaining from alcohol. Its goal is to effect enough difference in the alcoholic’s thinking “to bring about recovery from alcoholism” through “an entire psychic change,” or spiritual awakening.  A spiritual awakening is intended to be achieved by taking the Twelve Steps, and sobriety is furthered by volunteering for A.A. and regular A.A. meeting attendance or contact with A.A. members.

Members are urged to find an experienced fellow alcoholic, called a “sponsor,” to help them recognize and follow the A.A. program.  The sponsor should preferably know all twelve steps, be the same sex as the sponsored person, and avoid imposing personal views on the sponsored person.  Following the helper therapy principle, sponsors in A.A. may benefit from their relationship with their charges, as “helping behaviors” are associated with increased abstinence and lower probabilities of binge drinking.

What are the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps?

Alcoholics Anonymous steps were first begun in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Bob Smith. Learn popular AA 12 steps questions about the genesis of the 12 Steps in Alcoholics Anonymous program. Find what are the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous below.

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addiction—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We decided to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We have admitted to God, ourselves, and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when doing so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and practice these principles in all our affairs.

The 7th Step Prayer Alcoholics Anonymous: “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good & bad. Which stands in the way of my usefulness to you & my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here to do your bidding.”

Alcoholics Anonymous Third Step Prayer: “Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. To those I would help of Thy Power, Thy love, and Thy way of life, May I do Thy will always!”

What are the 12 Concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The 12 concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous are:

• I. Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. world services should always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship. 
• II. The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every practical purpose, the active voice and the effective conscience of our whole society in its world affairs.
• III. To insure effective leadership, we should endow each element of A.A.—the Conference, the General Service Board, and its service corporations, staff, committees, and executives—with a traditional “Right of Decision.” 
• IV. At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional “Right of Participation,” allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion to the responsibility that each must discharge. 
• V. Throughout our structure, a traditional “Right of Appeal” ought to prevail, so that minority opinion will be heard and personal grievances receive careful consideration. 
• VI. The Conference recognizes that the chief initiative and active responsibility in most world service matters should be exercised by the trustee members of the Conference acting as the General Service Board.
• VII. The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal instruments, that empower the trustees to manage and conduct world service affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A. purse for final effectiveness.
• VIII. The trustees are the principal planners and administrators of overall policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of the separately incorporated and constantly active services, exercising this through their ability to elect all the directors of these entities. 
• IX. Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for our future functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, once exercised by the founders, must necessarily be assumed by the trustees. 
• X. Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service authority, with the scope of such authority well defined. 
• XI. The trustees should always have the best possible committees, corporate service directors, executives, staff, and consultants. Composition, qualifications, induction procedures, and rights and duties will always be matters of serious concern. 
• XII. The Conference shall observe the spirit of A.A. tradition, taking care that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds and reserve be its prudent financial principle; that it places none of its members in a position of unqualified authority over others; that it reach all important decisions by discussion, vote, and whenever possible, substantial unanimity; that its actions never be personally punitive nor an incitement to public controversy; that it never perform acts of government; that, like the Society it serves, it will always remain democratic in thought and action. 

10 Most Common Alcoholics Anonymous AA FAQs

Alcoholics Anonymous Organization

Members of AA have overcome alcoholism and have the desire to help others control the organization rather than a leadership team. For AA and its more than two million members, this organizational model has been a huge success. Every year, AA adds additional chapters to its network; now, there are more than 100,000 organizations worldwide.

Looking for “Alcoholic Anonymous near me,” or Alcoholics Anonymous meeting online? You might be familiar with the essentials of an AA meeting, but you might not realize how varied AA can be. Look for a group that suits you! There are several times and days that AA groups meet.

There are organizations for everyone, men, women, LGBT people, and teenagers. Numerous cities provide Spanish-speaking organizations as well. Many AA organizations do have their meetings in churches, but not all of them. Join a meeting at a different place, such as a community center or library, if the religious part of AA does not appeal to you.

Alcoholics Anonymous NJ

A.A.’s Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in nature, which, if followed as a way of life, can dismiss the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become joyfully and usefully whole.

If you’re wondering how to find “Alcoholics Anonymous meetings near me tonight,” or Alcoholics Anonymous virtual meetings, there are quite a few options available to you. Here are a few ways to find local “Alcoholics Anonymous open meetings near me”:

• Search online for “Alcoholics Anonymous online meetings near me,” or Step 12 of Alcoholics Anonymous in-person meetings” (or Narcotics Anonymous, etc.) plus your town. Many local groups list meetings online.
• If you still don’t find local AA meetings, refer to the meeting pages listed below and drill down to find resources near you. Some list meetings around the world, others have links to local listings; others have phone lines dedicated to meeting information. In many cases, these sites are also available in Spanish, French, and other languages.
• Alcoholics Anonymous: http://www.aa.org/lang/en/central_offices.cfm?origpage=373
• AA outside the U.S.: http://www.aa.org/lang/en/aa_international.cfm?origpage=31
• Al-Anon: http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/meetings/meeting.html
• Cocaine Anonymous: http://www.ca.org/phones.html
• Crystal Meth Anonymous: http://www.crystalmeth.org/cma-meeting-directory.html
• Marijuana Anonymous: http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org/meetings/in-person
• Narcotics Anonymous: http://www.naws.org/meetingsearch/
• Talk to friends or get involved with groups near you. Chances are that someone who is in AA or Al-Anon will be closer than you think. If not, there’s likely someone in your circle of friends that knows more.
• Check Yelp or even the Yellow pages (which is also available online, but printed versions are available at libraries.)
• Widen your search using broader search times like “addiction services,” “mental health resources,” or a city or county health agency. The people there can often refer you to local AA meetings and groups.

Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Traditions

What keeps people coming back to Alcoholics Anonymous is those who have experienced the Alcoholics Anonymous 9th Step Promises themselves through working this spiritual program and carrying the message to other alcoholics. The 9th Step Promises of Alcoholics Anonymous talk about no matter how bad the circumstances were for us and our active addiction, we can see how our experience can benefit other alcoholics and addicts in their journeys.

Chapter 5 Alcoholics Anonymous makes it clear that, after admitting that we need help from a power greater than ourselves, God is the answer. No other kind of help or greater power is discussed. Alcoholics Anonymous Tradition 5 tells us that each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose–that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Tradition 5 Alcoholics Anonymous clearly says that addicts and alcoholics must have a strong support system in order to stay sober.

Tradition 11 Alcoholics Anonymous encourages people to reach out to a source of inspiration, whether it be a God or some other spiritual or inspirational force, and work to achieve the strength to find recovery.

A.A.’s Twelve Traditions refer to the life of the Fellowship itself.  They outline how A.A. preserves its unity and relates itself to the world through it, the way it lives and grows. The 12 Traditions are:

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
2. There is but one ultimate authority for our group purpose —a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.  Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking/using.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
5. Each group has one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
6. An A.A. group ought never to endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. A.A. should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. A.A. as such ought never to be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. A.A. has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never to be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion;  we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

If you’re looking for “Alcoholic Anonymous meeting near me,” or Alcoholic Anonymous zoom meetings, check out the listings of virtual NA and AA meetings by visiting http://aa-intergroup.org/. Addiction doesn’t stop and neither does We Level Up NJ. We Level Up NJ wants anyone struggling with addiction to know that we are still open and still answering calls and accepting clients 24/7.

Reclaim Your Life with the Principles of Alcoholics Anonymous

Don’t wait to begin if you’re interested in joining support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. Programs for aftercare therapy lower your chance of relapsing and provide excellent opportunities to interact with and gain support from others in recovery.

You can find an “Alcohol Anonymous near me” by finding your local AA resource here. Select your state to be redirected to the local resource website. On the local sites, you can find a listing of meetings by city. Be sure to check the legend. Most listings provide symbols or abbreviations to let you know the special characteristics of the meeting, such as special populations or meeting format.

You can also call your local AA resource for more “Alcoholic Anonymous meetings near me today,” or Alcoholic Anonymous online information. Ask your local AA resource if they offer a Bridge the Gap or Temporary Contact program. Through these programs, you will be connected with a long-time AA member who can accompany you to your first meeting.

Do you have a loved one that searches for “Alcoholics Anonymous zoom meetings near me,” or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on zoom? Isolation and boredom are two things many people are struggling with right now – and for those in active addiction or recovery, they can be triggers. Fortunately, help is still available with online recovery meetings.

Alcoholics Anonymous Online Zoom Meetings

The Online Intergroup AA Directory features a variety of online AA meetings, worldwide; featuring various formats such as video, telephone conferences, email, or chat, and in many languages. Browse the https://aa-intergroup.org/ directory for the next available meeting or search to find a meeting that speaks to you. You may also call one of our representatives that can help you find a meeting near you.

AA offers the “Meeting Guide” app that gives A.A. service entities full control of their local meeting information while collecting it in one place, making it easy for anyone to find “Alcoholics Anonymous near me,” or online Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Local entities provide their meeting information voluntarily. Meeting Guide users can suggest additions or corrections to Alcohol Anonymous online meeting listings, or “Alcoholics Anonymous meeting near me today,” by using links provided within the app to contact the local service entity responsible for the information.

Alcoholics Anonymous Items & Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book Promises

AA groups and central offices provide recovery books and unique recovery gifts, including AA coins and medallions, recovery books, and more. You can find recovery gifts and AA books to help you celebrate life moving forward by contacting local groups, Central Service Offices, or the General Service Office of AA.

• Alcoholics Anonymous Chips – AA chips are small, round tokens that are given to people in recovery. They signify how long a person has been sober and serve as a physical reminder to take one day at a time. Although AA sobriety chips are not a mandatory part of the 12-Step Program, it’s a common practice to use them and it’s a part of AA culture.
• Alcoholics Anonymous Gifts – In recovery self-care is prioritized. A great way to show that you support your loved one’s sobriety is by giving them something that supports their long-term recovery.
• Alcoholics Anonymous Coins – A sobriety coin is a token given to AA or other twelve-step program members representing the amount of time the member has remained sober. It is traditionally a medallion the size of a poker chip, 34 mm (1.34 in) (standard) or 39 mm (1.5 in) in diameter.
• Alcoholics Anonymous Jewelry – The use of AA jewelry is to signify the importance of the recovery process for you or a loved one and it can show great care and kindness.
• Alcoholics Anonymous Literature – Literature published by A.A. World Services, Inc., is a resource for recovering alcoholics and other individuals.

Alcoholics Anonymous Preamble Change

The first sentence of the A.A. Preamble be changed from:

1. “Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.”

To: “In Alcoholics Anonymous we share our experience, strength, and hope with each other that we may solve our common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.”

2. The first sentence of the A.A. Preamble is revised with gender-neutral language by replacing the words “men and women” with the word “people” to read: “Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.
3. ”The pamphlet “A.A. for the Native North American” be updated to include language that is both respectful and inclusive of all Indigenous peoples as well as adding fresh stories and updating inaccuracies contained in the current pamphlet and that a draft pamphlet is brought back to the 2022 Conference Committee on Literature.
4. The Preamble revision replacing the words “men and women” with the word “people” be presented to the General Service Board for approval as the new revised A.A. Preamble.

The AA Preamble

“Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other, that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.

AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.”

12-Step Program at We Level Up New Jersey

“Find Alcoholics Anonymous meetings near me,” or zoom Alcoholics Anonymous meetings today.

At We Level Up New Jersey, we passionately believe that the best chances of success at alcoholism recovery are when clients are given the right tools.  But that is still only half of the battle; making those resources accessible and convenient plays a significant role in the possibility of proper recovery.  As such, we are pleased to offer our aftercare services and treatment programs (individual counseling, group therapy, and 12-step program meetings that are the same as Alcoholics Anonymous) at the same facility.  This means less headache and annoyance for our clients, who can spend more time focusing on getting better.

 If you or a loved one is dealing with an addiction to alcohol or other drugs, especially if you have experienced multiple relapses in the past, then look no further.  With an incredible success rate for long-term recovery, We Level Up Treatment Centers, including New Jersey We Level Up, offers one of the most comprehensive addiction recovery programs available in The United States, bringing hope to families every day.

We provide treatment services to all local communities including but not limited to New Jersey.  However, we also serve clients from around the United States who need the best drug and alcohol treatment options that best meet their needs. 

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Please speak with one of our 24/7 Addiction Advisors.

Top 10 “12 Step Alcoholics Anonymous” FAQs

What is AA? How AA Works? What are the 12 Steps of AA? Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings Video

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