Frequently Asked Questions

Alcoholics Anonymous® is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.

• The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
• There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.
• A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organisation or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes.

Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

Nobody in AA can answer this question definitively for you. The only person who can truly determine this is you. However, we can share our experience:

You may be alcoholic if:

• When you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or
• When drinking, you have little control over the amount you take.

If you've said to yourself: "Yes, I'm powerless over alcohol. My life has become unmanageable. I can't stop drinking and I want help", you've made a good start on Step One.

Answer these questions honestly:

1. Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?
2. Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking?
3. Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?
4. Have you had a drink in the morning during the past year?
5. Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
6. Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?
7. Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
8. Do you ever try to get "extra" drinks at a party because you do not get enough?
9. Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to, even though you keep getting drunk when you don't mean to?
10. Have you missed days of work because of drinking?
11. Do you have "blackouts"?
12. Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?

If you answered YES to four or more questions, you may have a problem with alcohol. Thousands in AA have found this to be true for themselves.

If you think AA might be for you, we're here to show you how we stopped drinking. Just call our 24-hour helpline: 03 9429 1833.

Making a start in AA involves taking the first step:

• Acknowledge that you're powerless over alcohol and that your life has become unmanageable.
• Recognise that alcohol is "cunning, baffling and powerful."
• Apply AA's program of recovery to your life.

Remember, these principles can work for you as effectively as they have for others.

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

There are many misconceptions about AA. Here are some common myths and the facts:

• MYTH: I can't be an alcoholic because I can drink a lot.
  FACT: Some of our stories are about young people who had large capacities for alcohol. They are also alcoholics.
• MYTH: AA members want to drink all the time. They're miserable and grumpy.
  FACT: Most of us are very comfortable not drinking. We also have a lot more fun than we ever had before.
• MYTH: I can take one drink and get away with it.
  FACT: While many of us could sometimes take just one drink and not drink again that night or the next day, sooner or later we'd get drunk again.
• MYTH: AA makes you give up drinking for the rest of your life.
  FACT: AA doesn't "make" us do anything. We just stay away from one drink – the next drink – for one day at a time.
• MYTH: AA is for bums and old people.
  FACT: The illness of alcoholism strikes people of all ages, races, and economic situations. AA can and does help people from all walks of life.
• MYTH: AA means people telling me what to do.
  FACT: There are no musts in AA. People give us suggestions on how to stay sober, which are based on their own experience.

Consider these questions honestly:

1. Do you lose time from school or work because of drinking?
2. Do you drink to lose shyness and build up self-confidence?
3. Is drinking affecting your reputation?
4. Do you drink to escape from study or home worries?
5. Does it bother you if somebody says maybe you drink too much?
6. Do you have to take a drink to go out on a date?
7. Do you ever get into money trouble over buying liquor?
8. Have you lost friends since you've started drinking?
9. Do you hang out now with a crowd where alcohol is easy to get?
10. Do your friends drink less than you do?
11. Do you drink until the bottle is empty?
12. Have you ever had a loss of memory from drinking?
13. Has drunk driving ever put you into a hospital or jail?
14. Do you get annoyed with classes or lectures on drinking?
15. Do you think you have a problem with alcohol?

If you answered yes to several of these questions, you might want to take a closer look at your drinking habits.

In AA, we practice living "one day at a time". This means:

• Breaking life into manageable pieces
• Staying sober one day (or hour) at a time
• Tackling jobs and problems one at a time
• Cleaning up our past one step at a time

We also try to turn our lives over to a higher power and seek help from other AA members and sponsors.

A sponsor in AA is a vital part of your recovery. They:

• Listen and offer suggestions
• Share experiences of what works
• Point out trouble spots and help you address them
• Help you understand the AA program
• Guide you along the path of recovery

While sponsors can't solve your problems, they help you address them with honesty and courage, finding solutions through the AA program.

A Home Group in AA is:

• The main group you attend regularly
• Where you accept responsibilities and are challenged to grow
• A place where you feel you have many real friends
• A group where you can get sober, stay sober, and feel a part of

It's recommended to visit many groups to find the right Home Group for you. Your Home Group will be your solid foundation in AA.

Stay connected with AA through:

• Attending meetings regularly
• Participating in social events (Group Anniversaries, Dances, Weekends, etc.)
• Following AA Victoria on social media
• Using the 24-hour helpline: (03) 9429 1833
• Visiting the Central Service Office
• Volunteering at the CSO
• Staying in touch with AA while traveling

Remember, you're never alone in AA. We're here to support and guide you on your journey to recovery.

Essential AA literature includes:

• Alcoholics Anonymous (The Big Book)
• Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
• Living Sober
• A.A. Comes of Age
• As Bill Sees It
• Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers
• Pass It On
• Daily Reflections
• Language of the Heart
• Came to Believe

These books explain the AA program, our history, and traditions. They are a constant source of inspiration and understanding.

1. Our common welfare should come first, personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority-a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose-to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. A.A., as such, ought never be organised; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence, the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before Personalities.

Medical Opinion

Alcoholism is often referred to as "substance abuse" or "chemical dependency." While anyone may attend open AA meetings, only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings or become AA members. People with problems other than alcohol are eligible for AA membership only if they have a drinking problem.

Denial

Denial is symptomatic of alcoholism. Alcoholics tend to be evasive when questioned about their drinking and may resist suggestions of alcoholism or AA. Health care professionals can expect and anticipate this resistance. AA members, having broken through their own denial, are particularly suited to helping others break through theirs.

AA & Alcoholism

AA members believe that recovery involves abstinence from alcohol and fundamental changes in relationships with oneself, others, and a higher power. AA offers a continuing process of recovery through the principle of not drinking one day at a time, rather than a cure.

How AA Can Help Health Care Professionals

• Provide information about Alcoholics Anonymous
• Arrange AA speakers
• Offer materials for people with special needs (Braille, Sign Language DVDs, easy-to-read pamphlets)

For further information or an information pack, please contact Central Service Office Victoria.