Frequently Asked Questions

Below there are frequently asked questions arranged by category.

It is understood by A.A. members that personal disclosures made in A.A. meetings are to be treated as confidential. For example, if friends outside…
Asking for special favors because of A.A. membership is not in the spirit of the anonymity Traditions.
This is entirely a personal matter, but it is usually best for all concerned to let the A.A. member decide who shall be told and when.
Members of the immediate family and close friends are usually pleased to learn about an alcoholic’s membership in A.A. As for colleagues at work, it…
Realizing that anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, it is recommended that talks by A.A. members as members be given in…
Yes, if full-face photographs and other easily identifiable photos of A.A. members (who are described as A.A. members) are published or broadcast,…
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 24-hour program” is a phrase used to describe a basic A.A. approach to the problem of staying sober. A.A.s never swear off alcohol for life,…
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…
Occasionally a person who has been sober through A.A. will get drunk. In A.A. a relapse of this type is commonly known as a “slip.” It may occur…
Anonymity at the personal level: At the personal level, anonymity provides protection for all members from identification as alcoholics, a safeguard…
A central office or intergroup is an A.A. service office that involves partnership among groups in a community — just as A.A. groups themselves are…