Frequently Asked Questions

Below there are frequently asked questions arranged by category.

We in A.A. believe there is no such thing as a cure for alcoholism. We can never return to normal drinking, and our ability to stay away from alcohol…
No. 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…
A.A. members don’t have to attend any set number of meetings in a given period. It is purely a matter of individual preference and need. Most members…
As stated in A.A.'s Responsibility Pledge, “I am responsible … when anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be…
Members of A.A. have a selfish interest in offering a helping hand to other alcoholics who have not yet achieved sobriety. First, they know from…
The answer is that A.A. will work only for those who admit that they are alcoholics, who honestly want to stop drinking — and who are able to keep…
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, their…
They will be there for the same reason that you are. They will not disclose your identity to outsiders. At A.A. you retain as much anonymity as you…
Reasons for starting a new group vary, but the ways to go about it are basically the same. Important to establishing an A.A. group is the need for…
Anonymity at the personal level: At the personal level, anonymity provides protection for all members from identification as alcoholics, a safeguard…
Group membership requires no formal application. As stated in Tradition Three, “The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking…
To help support A.A.’s essential services, the General Service Conference suggests that individual groups, through an informed group conscience,…