If You're New to AA...

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. 

Reprinted from the AA Preamble with permission from AA Grapevine, Inc.

If you're looking for a meeting within District 12, you may find a meeting list of both in-person and online meetings here. If you are looking for meetings within Connecticut and outside of District 12, you can find a list through ct-aa.org or by clicking here. The Meeting Guide App is also a useful tool, which can be downloaded through Google Play here or through the Apple App Store here.

There is no sign up required to attend your first AA meeting. Anyone with a desire to stop drinking is welcome. You don't have to pay anything to attend or join. 

You can visit a meeting and share about your situation, or you can just sit and listen to learn more about recovery.  

AA at a Glance is a helpful pamphlet to learn more about our fellowship. You can find it here.

The 36 Principles of Alcoholics Anonymous are the Twelve Steps, The Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts. Many AA members find it necessary to learn these principles by going through some AA Literature with a sponsor, which is described below. 

A sponsor in AA is someone with a working knowledge of the 12 Steps of Recovery. The pamphlet Questions and Answers on Sponsorship provides a detailed breakdown on how to obtain a sponsor.  Service in AA is anything from greeting people at a meeting to giving presentations to the professional community. A service sponsor is someone with AA service experience who is knowledgeable about the 12 Traditions and 12 Concepts. 

We utilize many different pieces of literature to aid in recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous- the AA "Big book." This book written in 1939, outlines our program of recovery in the first 164 pages. The second half of the book is short stories written by members past and present, outlining their experiences as problem drinkers and their path to recovery. Find it here.

12 Steps and 12 Traditions- 12 essays written by Co-founder Bill W. that expand upon each of the 12 steps and 12 traditions. Find it here.

Visit the AA bookstore to find these and other pieces of literature.