A Professional Working With Alcoholics

AA’s primary purpose, as stated in our Preamble, is: “to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.” The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. Members share their recovery experiences from alcoholism one-on-one and introduce the newcomer to AA’s Twelve Steps of personal recovery and its Twelve Traditions, which sustain the Fellowship.

At the heart of the program are its meetings, which are conducted autonomously by AA groups in cities and towns worldwide, including jails, institutions, and military bases.

Anyone may attend open meetings of AA. These usually consist of talks by one or more speakers who share impressions of their past illness and their present recovery in AA Some open meetings—to which helping professionals, the media, and others are invited—are held for the specific purpose of informing the nonalcoholic (and possibly alcoholic) public about AA.

Closed meetings are for alcoholics only. Alcoholics recovering in AA generally attend several meetings each week.

Anonymity helps the Fellowship govern itself by principles rather than personalities, by attraction rather than promotion. We openly share our program of recovery but not the names of the individuals in it.

AA does not:

• furnish initial motivation for alcoholics to recover
• solicit members
• engage in or sponsor research
• keep attendance records or case histories
• join “councils” or social agencies (although A.A. members, groups and service offices frequently cooperate with them)
• follow up or try to control its members; make medical or psychological diagnoses or prognoses
• provide detox, rehabilitation or nursing services, hospitalization, drugs, or any medical or psychiatric treatment; offer religious services or host/sponsor retreats
• engage in education about alcohol
• provide housing, food, clothing, jobs, money or any other welfare or social services
• provide domestic or vocational counseling
• accept any money for its services or any contributions from non-AA sources
• provide letters of reference to parole boards, lawyers, court officials, social agencies, employers, etc.

Today, numerous AA members come to us from judicial, health care, military or other professionals. Some arrive voluntarily; others do not. AA does not discriminate against any prospective member. Who made the referral to AA is not what interests us — our concern is the problem drinker.

Some professionals refer to alcoholism and drug addiction as “substance abuse” or “chemical dependency.” Nonalcoholics are, therefore, sometimes introduced to AA and encouraged to attend AA meetings. However, AA’s Tradition Five states that “Each group has but one primary purpose–to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.” Nonalcoholics may attend open AA meetings as observers, but only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings.

AA does not provide medical advice; all medical advice and treatment should come from a qualified healthcare professional. The suggestions in the pamphlet “The AA Member — Medications and Other Drugs” may help AA members minimize the risk of relapse.

You can refer someone to AA in New Hampshire at www.nhaa.net or by searching online for “Alcoholics Anonymous” or “AA”