Do i have to participate in the discussion at an aa meeting?

Although you don't need to speak at any AA meeting, at some point you should share it. By sharing the problems you encounter working on the Twelve Steps and striving to lead a sober life, other members can offer suggestions or new perspectives. By not sharing, you run the risk of not seeing other perspectives. At both types of meetings, participants may be asked to limit their discussion to issues related to recovering from alcoholism.

Open (OD) or closed (CD) discussion meetings mean that someone will present a topic related to sobriety that the rest of the group will discuss. Speaker meetings, open (OS) or closed (CS), include a member with A and A who shares their recovery story. They will share what it was like when they were drinking and how they got to A, A. After the readings, and depending on the format of the meeting, there may be a debate, a speaker, an additional reading, or some combination of both.

At Big Book meetings, you'll study the principles on which AA is based and participate in discussions about recovery based on excerpts from the book. Meetings can take many forms, but at any meeting you will find alcoholics who will talk about what drinking has meant for their lives and personality, about the steps they have taken to help themselves, and about how they live their lives today. For more information on the different types of meetings and how to use the online meeting search, see Tips for finding a meeting. No member files or attendance records are kept, although some meetings have completely optional phone lists of local group members (regular meeting attendees).

You don't have to reveal anything about yourself. No one will bother you if you don't want to come back. If you meet people you know at a meeting, they'll be there for the same reason you are. They won't reveal your identity to other people and you'll maintain as much anonymity as you want; this is one of the reasons why we call ourselves Alcoholics Anonymous.

Meeting schedules for the Cleveland metropolitan area (Cuyahoga, Geauga, and Lake counties) are available in 2 formats. You can search our online calendar by location and meeting type. Watch this short video about what to expect at a first AA meeting. Learn more about what A, A.

isn't and the most frequently asked questions. You can help people affected by alcoholism by making a donation to the Cleveland District Office. However, open meetings can also be discussion meetings. During open debate meetings, AA members will share their experiences with the rest of the group.

They could explain why they started attending AA and how the group has helped them. These open meetings may focus, in particular, on how people who are not members can help support their loved one who is a member of the group. Open debate-type meetings focus more on an AA topic raised by a member and discussed by the group.

AA LGBTQ meetings

are also available for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and other members of the queer community.

If you choose to work with a sponsor, a peer mentor with experience in AA, and staggered work, you'll likely find them at a staggered meeting. This usually means that AA members and their loved ones, community members, co-workers, bosses, and anyone interested in learning more about AA can attend. You can attend open speaker meetings to hear experts talk about topics related to addiction and recovery, or to hear members tell their stories about alcohol use and recovery and how AA has helped them in the process. In many cases, AA meetings are only attended by people with personal experience with alcohol addiction.

Specific demographic meetings are tailored to these needs by creating safe spaces for AA members from common demographic groups...