Plain-language guides to A.A.
How the program works, what the meeting formats actually are, and what to expect when you walk into a room for the first time. No marketing voice, no upsell, no pressure.
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Mar 12, 2025 · 8 min readWhat is Alcoholics Anonymous?
A field guide to the world's largest peer-led recovery fellowship: its origin, its program, and what to expect at your first meeting.
A.A. Basics
Meeting Types
Open Meetings
Open meetings welcome anyone — family, friends, professionals, newcomers — and double as the program's public face.
Apr 8, 202512 min read
Closed Meetings
Reserved for people who have a desire to stop drinking. Closed meetings are where the work tends to go deepest.
Apr 23, 202515 min read
Speaker Meetings
One or more members share their full story at length. Speaker meetings often orient newcomers and recharge regulars.
May 17, 202518 min read
Discussion Meetings
Conversation is the meeting. Members talk around a chosen topic, step, or passage of A.A. literature.
Jun 5, 202516 min read
Big Book Study
A close, slow reading of the basic text. Study meetings build fluency in the language of the program itself.
Jul 14, 202520 min read
Looking for a meeting?
Use the directory to find A.A. meetings near you by city, state, or format.