A Newcomer Asks
The doubts we had when we arrived at Alcoholics Anonymous
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If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, if you get into trouble, or if you have memory lapses when you drink, you may be an alcoholic. Only you can decide. No one in AA will tell you whether you are or aren't.
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Seek help – Alcoholics Anonymous may help.
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Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of men and women who have lost the ability to control their drinking and have become involved in all sorts of problems as a result. Most of us try, with reasonable success, to create a satisfactory way of life without alcohol. To do this, we need the help and support of other alcoholics in AA.
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No. A.A. does not keep files on its members, nor does it keep an attendance register. It doesn't need to disclose anything about you. No one will bother you if you don't want to come back.
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They will be there for the same reason you are. They will not reveal their identity to outsiders. In AA you have the anonymity you want. That's one of the reasons we call ourselves Alcoholics Anonymous.
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An AA meeting can be conducted in many ways, but at any meeting you will find alcoholics talking about the influence alcohol has had on their lives and personalities, what they did to cope with it, and how they are living now.
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We in AA know very well what it means to be dependent on alcohol and unable to keep the promises we made to others and to ourselves that we would stop drinking. We are not professional therapists; the only qualification we have to help others recover from alcoholism is our own recovery. Problem drinkers who come to us know that recovery is possible because they see examples of recovered people.
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We at AA believe there is no such thing as a cure for alcoholism. We can never return to normal drinking, and our ability to stay away from alcohol depends on maintaining our physical, mental, and spiritual health. We can achieve this by attending meetings regularly and putting into practice what we learn there. Furthermore, we believe it is good for our sobriety to help other alcoholics.
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You will be a member of AA if and when you want to. The only requirement for being a member of AA is the willingness to stop drinking, and many of us weren't entirely convinced of that when we first went to AA.
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There are no dues or fees to be a member of AA. There will be a collection during the meeting to cover running expenses such as rent, phone, coffee, etc., and each member will contribute what they feel is best.
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No, it is not affiliated with any religious organization.
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Most AA members believe they have found the solution to their drinking problem not through their own willpower, but through a force greater than themselves. However, each person interprets this force or higher power as they understand it. Many people call it God, others believe in the power of the AA group, and still others refuse to believe in it at all. In AA, there is space and a place for anyone, regardless of their beliefs or lack thereof.
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Family and friends are welcome to AA's "open meetings." Talk about this in your group.
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According to our experience, those who recover in AA are those who: 1. Stay away from the first drink; 2. Regularly attend AA meetings; 3. Seek out those in AA who have had some time of sobriety; 4. Try to put the AA recovery program into practice; 5. Obtain and study the Alcoholics Anonymous book.
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217 162 969 or email: info@aaportugal.org All contacts are kept confidential.