Frequently Asked Questions

This is A. A. - An Introduction to the A.A. recovery program

Is A.A. for You?

Do You Think You’re Different? 

Frequently Asked Questions About AA

Woman in A.A.

Young People and A.A.

Too Young?

Is There an Alcoholic in Your Life? 

Alcoholism is a progressive disease, take it seriously, even if you feel you are only in the early stages of the illness. Alcoholism kills people. If you are an alcoholic, and if you continue to drink, in time you will get worse.

If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, if you get into trouble, or if you have memory lapses when you drink, you may be an alcoholic. Only you can decide. No one in A.A. will tell you whether you are or not. Take the quiz on the on AA's website to help you decide here: AA quiz 

We are a Fellowship of people who have lost the ability to control our drinking and have found ourselves in various kinds of trouble as a result of drinking. We attempt—most of us successfully—to create a satisfying way of life without alcohol. For this we find we need the help and support of other alcoholics in A.A. 

Nope. A.A. does not keep membership files, or attendance records. You do not have to reveal anything about yourself. No one will bother you if you don’t want to come back. You can add yourself to a membership list of our meeting but that is mostly so we can contact those who want to be contacted about anniversary celebrations and the occasional group communication.

They will be there for the same reason you are there. They will not disclose your identity to outsiders. At A.A. you retain as much anonymity as you wish. That is one of the reasons we call ourselves Alcoholics Anonymous. 

An A.A. meeting may take one of several forms, but at any meeting you will find alcoholics talking about what drinking did to their lives and personalities, what actions they took to help themselves, and how they are living their lives today. 

We in A.A. know what it is like to be addicted to alcohol, and to be unable to keep promises made to others and ourselves that we will stop drinking. We are not professional therapists. Our only qualification for helping others to recover from alcoholism is that we have stopped drinking ourselves, but problem drinkers coming to us know that recovery is possible because they see people who have done it. 

There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. AA is self supporting through our own contributions. An A.A. group will usually have a collection during the meeting to cover expenses, such as rent, coffee, etc., and to this all members are free to contribute as much or as little as they wish. 

No. Nor is it allied with any religious organization.

The majority of A.A. members believe that we have found the solution to our drinking problem not through individual willpower, but through a power greater than ourselves. However, everyone defines this power as he or she wishes. Many people call it God, others think it is the A.A. group, still others don’t believe in it at all. There is room in A.A. for people of all shades of belief and nonbelief.

Family members or close friends are welcome at “Open” A.A. meetings. Discuss this with your local contact.  However here at Virtual Sober Start all of our meetings are closed meetings except for the last Friday of each month which is our anniversary meeting at which family members are welcome!

In our experience, the people who recover in A.A. are those who: (a) stay away from the first drink; (b) attend A.A. meetings regularly; (c) seek out the people in A.A. who have successfully stayed sober for some time; (d) try to put into practice the A.A. program of recovery.  Some say simply "Don't drink, go to meetings, and ask for help!"

Use "Find AA Near You" to search for a local AA area Intergroup or hotline with contact info in your area.  These telephones and online requests are answered by A.A. volunteers who will be happy to answer your questions, or put you in touch with those who can. If there is no A.A. telephone service close to you, write or phone the A.A. General Service Office. 

You are an A.A. member if and when you say so. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking, and many of us were not very wholehearted about that when we first approached A.A.