• People will be much more welcoming than you can imagine – introduce yourself as a newcomer to a few people. 
• Don’t worry about bumping into someone you know, you are both there for the same reason! 
• Each meeting will have a different vibe – it’s advisable to go to a few different ones before you make any lasting decisions as to whether AA is for you.
• Some stories may seem ‘worse’ than yours – it’s tempting to think, ‘my drinking is not that bad, I don’t belong here’ . Try to look for the similarities rather than the differences, and remember the feeling that brought you to the rooms in the first place – something isn’t right, or you probably wouldn’t be looking for help? 
• Get some phone numbers at the end from people you could relate to and feel you could reach out to if needed.

There are some core reasons why many people find success with AA:

• Owning the problem out loud and admitting we need help and cannot do it alone (we can be a secretive, self-isolating bunch!)
• Community, friendship and fellowship during a time which can be very lonely.
• Shared experiences with real people who ‘get it’, away from the standard pro-alcohol messages we get in regular life.
• Listening and talking – Regular reminders of how alcohol effects us and where it could take us if we continue drinking.
• Shared celebration of successes and support during difficult times.
• Looking closely at the events and behaviours that kept us drinking, working on changing and making amends
• Helping others through service 

AA is an anonymous meeting where anyone with a desire to stop drinking is welcome. You do not have to be sober to attend, but you are asked not to drink during the meeting. There is no fee to attend, meetings are self-supported through individual contributions (usually a pot is passed around at the end of the meetings and you can put as little or as much in as your wish) because of this, the meetings are usually held in churches or community halls. A meeting will typically last from 1 to 1.5 hours and there is often tea, coffee and biscuits available to those attending at no cost, or for a small contribution. AA is based on a 12 Step Program of recovery in a similar way to other addiction groups (Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous etc). 12 Step programs are also often used in treatment centres, hospitals and jails.

People often wrongly assume AA is a religious program because the word God is frequently used. It is in fact a spiritual program, the word ‘God’ is used to denote a ‘higher power of your understanding’ – that higher power can be anything you believe in, many see it as the power that is in the rooms and the collective union of the people in AA – you may hear people say that for them God mean ‘Groups Of Drunks’ (i.e the people of AA trying to make their lives better).

Before the meeting

New people are welcomed without judgment – all those attending understand the newcomer and have been one themselves at some point. People arrive from 5 – 15 minutes before the designated start time to find a seat and get settled, get themselves a tea or coffee and often chat to others. 

During the meeting

Each meeting varies slightly, but they should usually follow a similar format. There will be someone chairing the meeting, who will start things off, and guide the meeting through to the end. There will usually be some AA announcements to start (if there are any) and participants may be given the opportunity to introduce themselves by first name only. There will be short readings from the AA Big Book, and there may be a predesignated main sharer to start with, who will talk about their experience for about 15 – 20 minutes. Once they are finished, the rest of the room will be given an opportunity to speak also. You may speak if you wish about anything related to your problems with alcohol. Similarly you can choose not to speak if you would rather. There is no pressure to share. Some meetings may celebrate sobriety time with AA coins/chips. The first coin (and many agree the most important) is the 24 hours sobriety coin. Each month is celebrated up to one year, then 18 months and each year thereafter.

End of the Meeting 

The chair will wrap up the meeting about 5 minutes before the designated end. The pot will be passed round for voluntary contributions towards the running costs, and there will be some short readings such as Tips for Newcomers and The Promises. The meeting will often end with the Serenity Prayer. Members help tidy away the chairs and can stay after the meeting to talk to others and exchange phone numbers if wanted.

Zoom has enabled us to attend meetings anytime and anywhere in the world. Online Zoom meetings pretty much follow the same format as physical meetings, aside from you can log on from anywhere you have internet connection. They are useful if you are unable to drive or otherwise get to a face to face meeting. People with young children, health issues or unusual working hours find them particularly useful. 

Again, each one will vary slightly, but you will have the opportunity to share if wanted, usually by using the ‘raised hand’ feature of Zoom, but the chair of the meeting will explain how things work in the beginning. It is of course not allowed to take screen shots or record the meeting in any way for anonymities sake.