To the Newcomers
IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A DRINKING PROBLEM YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE
WHAT IS AA?
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who come together to solve their drinking problem.
It doesn’t cost anything to attend A.A. meetings. Most meetings will pass a basket for "7th tradition donations, however, there is never any requirement that you contribute, and your participation is welcomed regardless of whether or not you are able to contribute.
There are no age or education requirements to participate. AA does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, or any other characteristics. However, some meetings are described as either open (allow non-AA guests to attend) or closed (allow only AA members to attend), Women, Mens, Queer, etc. for the purpose of creating spaces where individuals feel more comfortable sharing what is on their hearts and minds.
A.A.’s primary purpose is to help alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
The program of Alcoholics Anonymous has helped millions of people just like you stop drinking, and improve their lives.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
AA's Twelve Steps are the basic program of AA. When practiced as a way of life, they can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to recover from alcoholism.
The Twelve Traditions are the twelve principles that govern AA as a whole. They outline how AA maintains its unity and remains true to its primary purpose of helping people recover from alcoholism.
The book, Alcoholics Anonymous, sometimes referred to among members as "the big book," is the programs basic text and describes the program of recovery. It contains details on how to practice the twelve steps, as well as stories about how other people have found recovery through AA.
If you can't imagine living life with or without alcohol. You may be at what we call a jumping off point. You are welcome among us. And we are glad you are here.
WHAT NOW?
We strongly recommend that if you want to recover from alcoholism, you:
Go to Meetings: The more meetings you go to in early sobriety, the better as it helps to fortify it as part of your routine, and provides protection as you switch your routine away from drinking. It is often recommended that you go to a meeting a day for at least the first 90 days. You will sometimes hear this referred to as 90 in 90. When you go to more meetings you will start to get a feel for where you feel most comfortable as different groups have different formats and cultures.
Get a home-group: A home-group is a meeting you commit to going to on a regular basis and one that you offer to do service work to ensure the meeting happens. Service opportunities vary by group, and often include, greeting people, making coffee, setting up, or cleanup after the meeting.
Get a Sponsor: A sponsor is someone who has gone through what you are going through, they have taken the twelve steps and they have recovered and are now prepared to take you through the steps as a guide. Sometimes you will pick a sponsor and sometimes a sponsor will pick you. If you are unsure talk to people you meet in meetings, they can help guide you to someone.
Do the steps: "Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path." (pg. 58 of Alcoholics Anonymous) We have found through many years of experience and many different people, of different genders, cultures, religions, orientations, all across the world, that people who are able to be honest, open-minded, and willing to do the steps of this program, do recover. While we say they are suggested. They are the foundation of our program, and the basis of a way of life that leads to experiences beyond your imagining. "We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. " (pg 83-84 of Alcoholics Anonymous)
HELPFUL LINKS
Here are some things that we've found helpful:
Intergroup Guide to Portland Area meetings
Covering Milwaukie, Clackamas, West Linn, Oregon City, Canby, Molalla & surrounding areas - regular meetings are where we find hope, support, and the A.A. message of recovery.
Note that anyone is welcome at "open" meetings, while "closed" meetings are limited to those who want to stop drinking and stay sober.
Some helpful information from our national office:
Provides general information about AA.
Answers the most frequently asked questions regarding recovery.
Covers sponsorship; what it means and what to expect.
Commonly referred to as the "Big Book", "Alcoholics Anonymous is the basic text with the program is named after; essential reading for long term recovery, it explains A.A.'s view of what alcoholism is and our program of recovery.
Contact Us:
Got a question? Need to talk with someone? Want someone to accompany you to your first meeting?
or call
Portland AA Intergroup Hotline:
503-223-8569
You can also call 988 for non-life threatening mental health and addiction crisis
(*For Medical Emergencies please dial 911)
Additional Reading
The A.A. Preamble - A brief explanation of what AA is and what it does.
How It Works - From Chapter 5 of the Big Book
The 12 Steps - The AA program of recovery in 12 Steps.
The 12 Traditions - The principles of how AA functions as a fellowship.