Are You Going to Too Many AA Meetings?
95,000 Americans die from the effects of alcohol every year, which is why many choose to seek recovery through organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
When in early recovery, surrounding yourself with a good, strong support network is key to continued sobriety success. One way addicts can achieve this is by attending local AA meetings, whether online or in person.
But can you be going to too many AA meetings? How many should you aim for? Is there such a thing as too many meetings? If you want the answer to these questions, keep reading as we explain.
What Is Alcoholics Anonymous?
Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, is a non-religious community-run fellowship that assists alcoholics in overcoming their drinking problems. There is no membership fee, and any age is welcome. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop drinking.
AA members host meetings where alcoholics seeking recovery gather. Here they share their struggles and accomplishments to help fellow alcoholics recover. Alcoholics Anonymous employs a 12-Step program to follow, which members work through with their sponsor.
Sobriety is measured in milestones, and members are awarded tokens representing the time they've remained sober.
How Do Meetings Work?
Meetings are held in several formats, but the structure remains the same throughout. The purpose of local AA meetings is for recovering alcoholics to share their "experience, strength, and hope" with other addicts so that together they may recover from alcoholism.
Anyone looking for recovery literature can buy AA-produced books available at most meetings or online for a nominal fee.
Finding Meetings
You can find a listing of meeting locations by visiting the AA website, and these are held face-to-face, over the telephone, or online. In-person meetings can occur in:
- Churches
- Treatment centers or rehabs
- Offices
- Community centers
Online AA meetings use video calling software like Zoom to host the meeting and its attendees.
AA encourages new members to complete "90-in-90" in early recovery, which is one meeting a day for ninety consecutive days. New members are also encouraged to attend several different meetings before picking their AA Home Group.
Meeting Types
Not all meetings are the same type, however. Meetings are listed as either "open" or "closed." Open meetings are for anyone interested in or battling alcoholism, whereas AA reserves closed meetings for members only or people looking to get sober.
All meetings are anonymous regardless of type, and attendees should keep who they saw and what they heard confidential.
Are You Going to Too Many AA Meetings?
While AA encourages new members to attend ninety meetings in ninety days, you might wonder after some time if you are going to too many AA meetings.
How many meetings you attend depends entirely on your recovery progress. Some members attend multiple meetings in one day, while others are fine with attending once a week or less. Your sponsor should also help you identify if you are neglecting other aspects of your life to attend meeting after meeting instead.
Regardless, it's a personal choice, and, as many long-term members do, you might find yourself attending fewer meetings as you get several years of sobriety under your belt.
Milestones Are Worth Celebrating
No matter how long you've been in Alcoholics Anonymous, you will always have a milestone to celebrate, regardless if you think you're going to too many AA meetings. There is always something to commemorate your achievement, from your first 24 hours to annual celebration tokens. These tokens, chips, or coins serve as inspiration and reminders of how long you've been sober.
If you're looking to supply your AA Home Group with quality milestone tokens, visit our store, where you can find our starter set of AA chips, coins, tokens, and more.