Here at the Road of Happy Destiny, the goal is to present any and everything related to Alcoholics Anonymous. Please note that this page is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or financed by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. I am not an authority on AA; the only authority on AA is the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

The idea is that all content on this page may be helpful to the alcoholic in recovery. Take what you want and leave the rest. That being said, take time to explore all the pages and enjoy!

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Friday, October 1, 2010

A Newcomer Asks...

The following is from the pamphlet "A Newcomer Asks..." (A.A. General Service Conference approved literature):

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
We are a Fellowship of men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking and have found ourselves in various kinds of trouble as a result of drinking. We attempt-most of us successfully-to create a satisfying way of life without alcohol. For this we find we need the help and support of other alcoholics in A.A.

Am I an alcoholic?

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 A.A. will tell you whether you are or not.

What can I do if I am worried about my drinking?
Seek help. Alcoholics Anonymous can help.

If I go to an A.A. meeting, does that commit me to anything?
No. A.A. does not keep membership files, or attendance records. You do not have to reveal anything about yourself. No one will bother you if you don't want to come back.

What happens at an A.A. meeting?
An A.A. meeting may take one of several forms, but at any meeting you will find alcoholics talking about what drinking did to their lives and personalities, what actions they took to help themselves, and how they are living their lives today.

Is A.A. a religious organization?
No. Nor is it allied with any religious organization.

There's a lot of talk about God, though, isn't there?
The majority of A.A. members believe that we have found the solution to our drinking problem not through individual willpower, but through a power greater than ourselves. However, everyone defines this power as he or she wishes. Many people call it God, others think it is the A.A. group, still others don't believe in it at all. There is room in A.A. for people of all shades of belief and nonbelief.

What advice do you give new members?
In our experience, the people who recover in A.A. are those who: (a) stay away from the first drink; (b) attend A.A. meetings regularly; (c) seek out the people in A.A. who have successfully stayed sober for some time; (d) try to put into practice the A.A. program of recovery.

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