Alcoholics Anonymous

How Does AA Help People With Alcohol Addiction?

Alcoholics Anonymous helps people recover from alcoholism using a well-known 12-step program and similar beliefs that the founder adopted during his recovery. These principles are designed to guide people toward overcoming the problems addiction has caused in their lives. The steps are as follows:

1. Admit our addiction is causing problems in our lives, and we need to overcome it.
2. Believe recovery is possible if we can lay aside our egos for something greater than ourselves.
3. Decide to turn our lives over to something we can place our faith in — such as God, our support systems, our innate strength or the recovery process itself.
4. Take an honest look at ourselves and our behavior to uncover both our strengths and weaknesses.
5. Confess to ourselves and the people around us that our behaviors have caused harm.
6. Let go of the harmful behaviors we’ve been using to cope.
7. Humbly admit we need help overcoming specific life problems.
8. Acknowledge the hurt our behaviors have caused others and become willing to make amends.
9. Make amends if possible and try to repair any harm we’ve caused others.
10. Continually grow in our recovery by recognizing triggers and justifications that could lead to relapses.
11. Make an effort to understand the path our Higher Power has for us — whether we believe this higher power is the path we want our life to take, God, mental health professionals or others recovering from addiction.
12. Help others recover from their alcoholism as we continue to practice these steps.
13. Beyond these 12 steps, AA helps people with alcohol addiction by allowing them to share their stories and encourage others. Many times, you can find healing by merely knowing you aren’t alone.

Who Should Attend an AA Meeting?

Just as alcoholism is a problem affecting all kinds of people, anyone who struggles with alcohol abuse is welcome to come to an AA meeting. People of all ages, genders, nationalities, religions and occupations find healing with regular AA attendance. You can attend open AA meetings even as a non-drinker, but only those who struggle with alcoholism can become members.

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