Alcoholics Anonymous was created by recovering alcoholics Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson in 1935 as a means for others afflicted with the disease to combine efforts in helping one another stay sober. Today, there are reportedly more than two million members and at least 115,000 thousand groups on the planet who use the now famous 12-step program. In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 1.2 million organization members. With this level of involvement, it is not difficult to find A.A. meetings online.
Community Based
If desiring to attend meetings in your community, simply type A.A. meetings in “city/state or state name.” The search engine then directs you to various websites in the state that offer links to specific locations. Merely type in the name of your community or choose the appropriate city or township from the drop down menu to find the link to the list of local sites. Each location typically provides the address where the meetings are held along with the times.
Online Based
Some may feel embarrassed at the thought of others knowing that they have a drinking problem. In this case, there are various websites that host regular A.A. meetings online. Some of the many options include:
• http://www.aaonline.net/
• http://www.aa-alive.net/
• http://www.aa-intergroup.org/
• http://www.stayingcyber.org/
A.A. Online offers website-based meetings seven days a week at various times throughout the weekday or weekend. By clicking on “links” at the bottom of the page, visitors may also scan through the list of various community and state sites. There are additionally links to anyone wishing to attend Gamblers Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or similar organizational meetings.
A.A Alive also features an outline of the meetings offered seven-days-a-week, four times everyday at specific times. Though the times listed are located in the Eastern Time Zone, an additional link enables site visitors to adjust times according to their time zone. Each meeting listed hosts a discussion of different topics.
A.A. Intergroup welcomes recovering alcoholics to join the discussion in one of 120 different groups. The site allows visitors to choose a group based on gender, ethnic background, profession, hearing impairment, former or current military members or sexual preference. The meetings are held via email, audio/visual presentations, chat or by telephone. Visitors simply choose a group category description, select and contact the preferred group for more information.
Staying Cyber features weekly A.A. meetings online. Each meeting is in text form that remains visible for an entire week. Visitors participate in the discussion by posting an entry of up to 500 words. However, participants are limited to one entry per day. Everyone is asked to respect the format and stick to the topic of alcohol recovery. The site also features The Coffee Pot, which provides guests with the chance to socialize and discuss other topics.