Significance

• Members of Alcoholics Anonymous have come to realize that they have a problem with alcohol and have come together to support each other as they embrace sobriety and learn to live without it. AA is composed of people from all walks of life, all cultures and all creeds. AA does not endorse or support any particular religion, organization, group or cause. Members of AA have decided that alcohol is a problem for them and have decided to make a change.
  
  

Alcoholism

• Although much is still unknown about alcoholism, we do know that it is a problem that has been around since the beginning of recorded history. Doctors know more about alcoholism today, and modern medicine is beginning to define and study the causes and behaviors of alcoholism in more depth than ever before. Most AA members agree that their drinking is both a physical and mental compulsion, and an obsession not easily overcome. Alcoholism does not go away because there is no cure. There might not be a cure, but AA believes it offers hope.
  
  

Alcoholism as an Illness

• Alcoholism has been accepted by the medical world as an incurable illness. There is nothing shameful about having an illness as long as it is dealt with and properly handled. Members of AA understand that they have an "allergy" to alcohol, and that for some unknown reason, they cannot drink without having an adverse reaction.
  
  

Making the Decision

• Most people who join AA do so because they have come to the conclusion that their drinking is harmful to them and those around them. They have made a conscious decision to do something about it. Members of AA have had to admit that they could not control their drinking and that alcohol controlled them. This is often the biggest decision of their lives and the hardest reality for members to admit. But AA members agree that this is the most important step in recovery.
  
  

12 Steps

• The 12 steps of AA are quite well known today. In fact, a person facing any addiction, major life change or personal struggle can learn from the 12 steps. Some steps include admitting you are powerless over alcohol (or any addiction), believing that there is a power greater than yourself (God, as the individual understands Him) which can restore you, admitting the exact nature of your wrongs and making amends to those you have wronged. Going through the 12 steps helps bring an individual to a point where they have faced all that is wrong in their life. Once the steps have been taken care of, they can begin to create a new life.
  
  

What AA Does Not Do

• The purpose of AA is not to convert, coerce, shame or guilt people. AA is not militant about its rules. In fact, AA has few rules, and meetings are usually run by volunteers who have had success in the program. Meetings are informal and often held in local churches or meeting halls. Members are free to come and go as they please. AA does not require fees or official memberships. AA does not force anyone to believe or follow its ideas. It is there for people who want it.