Residents in Melbourne’s north, the following is a message from Alcoholics Anonymous Central Service Office:
What is AA?
Alcoholics Anonymous is an organisation whose primary purpose is to help its members stay sober and help others to achieve sobriety.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no fees necessary for membership and we are self-supporting through our members’ contributions.
This makes AA one of the most accessible and affordable ways to get help. For many, the support and community it provides are indispensable.
Who is AA for, and how does it work?
AA is for those struggling with their alcohol consumption and would like to attempt sobriety through a Twelve Step program.
AA may also be helpful for those who don’t respond to treatment efforts and find abstinence extremely difficult to maintain by themselves.
They relapse and their drinking inevitably gets worse over time. Consequences of drinking might escalate.
Drink driving, job loss, hospitalisation, imprisonment, relationship breakdowns, mental illness, isolation and homelessness are all in the potential mix. Chances are they are suffering from their alcoholism, which is a serious illness.
It’s at this stage that many people will reach out to Alcoholics Anonymous because they find it impossible to stay on the wagon without help. It should be said that there is no requirement that alcoholics have already sought help elsewhere to join AA. Neither do they have to experience extreme crisis before they do.
When the newcomer arrives, older AA members share their experiences in recovery from alcoholism on a one-to-one basis and in meetings. If they stay around, people can go through the 12 Steps of Recovery which is the solution AA offers. Evidence of the 12 Steps working in people’s lives is abundant. AA members who were once beaten by alcoholism become happy and productive people who enjoy life.
The principle of Anonymity helps the Fellowship to govern itself by principles rather than personalities. We openly share our program of recovery, but not the names of the individuals in it.
AA Meetings
Attendance at AA meetings is the best way to get to know AA members and be introduced to the AA program. In Victoria there are around 400 meetings per week. Open meetings welcome everyone including the support network of the alcoholic, whereas closed meetings are for alcoholics only.
People can attend both face-to-face and online meetings. For more information, visit www.aavictoria.org.au/ or phone (03) 9429 1833.
