What discussion meetings are
An A.A. discussion meeting is a meeting whose body is conversation. The chairperson or a member introduces a topic, often drawn from the Steps or from A.A. literature, and members share around it in turn.
Discussion meetings are the most common A.A. format and the easiest to drop into. They run the same shape almost everywhere, which means once you know one, you know the basic geometry of the rooms.
Format
A discussion meeting usually runs 60 to 90 minutes. Five beats make up almost all of them.
- Opening readings
- The chair opens with standard readings: Preamble, How It Works, Serenity Prayer.
- Topic introduction
- Chair, a member, or a piece of literature introduces the topic for the meeting.
- Sharing in turn
- Members speak one at a time, briefly, from their own experience around the topic.
- No cross-talk
- Members don't respond directly to other shares. Everyone is heard without debate.
- Closing
- Announcements, the basket, and a closing reading (often the Lord's Prayer or the Responsibility Statement).
How to participate
You can listen, you can share, and you can pass. Most newcomers listen for the first several meetings, which is encouraged. When you do share, you'll typically be invited by the chair or it will come around in turn.
Speak from your own experience. The principle "experience, strength, and hope" means describing what happened to you, what you've learned, and what you've found that helps, rather than offering advice to other members. The room's collective wisdom emerges from the shares accumulating, not from any one person solving anything.
Who benefits
Discussion meetings carry weight for several kinds of members.
- Newcomers
- Discussion meetings make the program approachable. You learn the language by listening and you get a sense for the range of experience.
- Members with time
- Long-timers find discussion meetings keep the program fresh. Familiar topics surface new angles.
- People between meetings
- Discussion meetings often run during the workday or evening hours when speaker or study meetings are scarcer.
- Members on the road
- If you're traveling, a discussion meeting is the most generic format and the most likely to feel like home.
Etiquette
- Keep shares short
- Most groups suggest three to five minutes. The room is here to hear from everyone.
- Speak from experience
- Share what worked for you. Avoid giving advice.
- No cross-talk
- Don't reference other shares directly during your turn. Everyone is heard on their own.
- Pass freely
- If you don't want to share, say 'I'll pass' and the meeting moves on.
- Anonymity holds
- What's said and who said it stays in the room.
Types of discussion meetings
Discussion meetings vary mainly by what shapes the conversation.
- Topic meetings
- A specific topic is chosen by the chair (e.g., gratitude, fear, sponsorship) and members share around it.
- Step discussions
- A particular Step is the focus. These often rotate through the Twelve Steps over a year.
- Tradition discussions
- Less common, focused on a particular Tradition. Useful for understanding how A.A. governs itself.
- Open-share
- No specific topic; members share whatever is on their mind in recovery that week.
- Literature discussions
- A short passage from A.A. literature is read; members share around what it brings up.
Finding a discussion meeting
Discussion is the default format in most A.A. meeting listings, so any meeting that doesn't specifically say "speaker," "Big Book study," or "step study" is probably a discussion meeting. Filter the directory by your day, time, and the open/closed preference.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Find a discussion meeting
Browse meetings near you and filter by format.
A note on independence. The AA Directory is an independent service for finding A.A. meetings. For official information, visit aa.org.
Sources
This article was fact-checked against the following authoritative sources.