When someone has a drinking problem...
WHO
ARE A.A.
MEMBERS
TODAY
When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, we want to be there.
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of people who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about their drinking problem.
More than 6,000 A.A. members were randomly selected and surveyed in 2022 by the General Service Office for the U.S. and Canada. The Membership Survey, which has been conducted periodically since 1968, provides a snapshot of the A.A. fellowship and its members. This survey is not a census. The survey results may be of interest to the professional community, the media, and the general public — anyone who wants to know more about A.A. in keeping with the primary purpose of A.A. to carry the message to those who suffer from alcoholism.
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 A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. 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.
Copyright © The AA Grapevine, Inc.
Reprinted with permission
In Your Life
If someone you care about has a drinking problem, A.A. might have a solution for them. A.A. has helped more than two million alcoholics stop drinking. Recovery works through one alcoholic sharing their experience with another.
Al-Anon
A.A. is made up of alcoholics helping alcoholics recover.
Al-Anon Family Groups is another Twelve Step program of recovery. Their members are made up of people concerned with someone’s drinking problem.
Attending Meetings
There are a variety of formats for A.A. meetings and each meeting takes on the feel of their local area. At most meetings you will hear members talk about what drinking did to them and to those around them. Most also share what actions they took to stop drinking and how they are living their lives today.
Meetings are typically listed as “open” or “closed” meetings.
- Open meetings are available to anyone interested in Alcoholics Anonymous’s program of recovery from alcoholism. Nonalcoholics may attend open meetings as observers.
- Closed meetings are for A.A. members only or for those who have a drinking problem and “have a desire to stop drinking.”
At both types of meetings, it may be requested that participants confine their discussion to matters pertaining to recovery from alcoholism.
Professionals
Professionals who work with alcoholics share a common purpose with Alcoholics Anonymous: to help the alcoholic stop drinking and lead a healthy, productive life. We can serve as an ongoing support system for recovering alcoholics, sharing personal experience with alcoholism.
A.A. is considered by many professionals to be a valuable resource for alcoholics who want help. When there is a good working relationship between A.A. members in the community and professionals who see alcoholics in the course of their work, , the sick alcoholic is the winner – they get the help they need from both.
Alcoholics Anonymous has many A.A. members and service committees who are available to provide professionals with information about Alcoholics Anonymous. A.A. has a long history of cooperating but not affiliating with outside organizations and being available to provide A.A. meetings or information about A.A. upon request. A.A. communicates with professionals such as: doctors and other health care professionals, members of the clergy, law enforcement and court officials, educators, social workers, alcoholism counselors, therapists, and others who deal with problem drinkers in the course of their work.
For Professionals...
Media Resources
Friendly support and cooperation from the media has made it possible for Alcoholics Anonymous to carry its message of hope in the U.S. and Canada, and far beyond these borders. We know that A.A. would not have reached many thousands of people without this assistance.
For information referring to our Tradition of Anonymity at the level of the media, press releases concerning events in Alcoholics Anonymous, public service announcements (P.S.A.s), and estimates of A.A. membership, please visit the A.A. World Services Website.