Feb 02, 2020 yet birminghamlive was given complete access to find out what really happens inside an aa. If you would like to make notations in the text, obtaining a personal copy is useful. It is an amalgamation of how the first 100 members recovered from their drinking problems. Some meetings will cater to newcomers and others may be called book studies, which simply means that you will discuss a certain portion of the big book used in aa. Kensington big book washington area intergroup association. We do what the founders of the 12 step movement did.
We read small sections of the book alcoholics anonymous big book and have a lead share on the reading. Recovering alcoholics regularly refer to the big book as they progress in recovery, and they use it to help new members as they begin their recovery process. Always closed meetings across from the alpha plant on the corner of 54th and gaetz. Then there is a brief opening statement describing the purpose of a. The meetings evolved from a program of spiritual development to the group therapy type of meeting where we heard more and more about our problems and less and less about the program of recovery in the big book and the preservation of our fellowship by adhering to our traditions. On published schedules of 12step meetings, some are designated as open meetings, while others are shown as closed meetings. If youre wondering what happens at an aa meeting, you can rest assured that aa meetings are structured.
Aa meeting topics in the big book and suggested topics for a. We then open the meeting to group discussion on the weekly topic. Frequently asked questions from people new to aa alcoholics. Big book titled alcoholics anonymous at the links below or contact aa world services at their website. When aa isnt enough because the success of aa depends on the participants willingness to initiate change is his or her own life, the program cant really help those who arent yet ready to own up to their problem and take corrective action. Big book meetings, you read a chapter out of alcoholics anonymous book and have a discussion afterwards. Open meetings are open to the public while closed meetings are for members. The sense of community, family, and understanding helps many families cope with the stresses of having a family member who is an alcoholic or recovering alcoholic. The us aa site allows you to download individual chapters at a time in pdf format. If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, or if you get into trouble when you drink you may be an alcoholic. We have tried to answer the questions most frequently in the minds of people who are new to aa the questions in our minds when we first approached the fellowship. The text got this name because the first edition of the book had rather thick pages, making the book even thicker than its content would suggest. Aa meetings are supposed to be a place where we can find newcomers to work with and to carry the message of the instructions in the big book.
What to expect at your first aa meeting willow springs recovery. Aug 07, 2012 bs big book step study the focus is on some aspect of the 12 steps from the big book. Alanon is a 12 step support group for the families of alcoholics. What does big book mean, i know its the blue aa book. This chairperson either asks individual members to share their story with others, or opens the meeting up for anyone who has a need or desire to share. Your first aa meeting big book and step study meetings. If youve never attended one, you likely have fears and reservations. Experience the big book aa meetings available online. These meetings can be accessed go to thought and click on read more for how to accessfor free via computer, tablets and mobile devices, and also by telephone by calling the teleconference line. We look in our community for those who seriously want to recover and are out of options.
The washington area intergroup association is a service board of representatives from the groups in the washington area, including montgomery and prince georges counties, md, as well as washington, dc. Meeting types and descriptions alcoholics anonymous in. This is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism, is a collection of texts used by members of the alcoholics anonymous fellowship the book has undergone four revisions since william wilson, also known as bill w. This page is intended to provide basic information on alcoholics anonymous. The foreward to the first edition of the big book says to show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. Step meetings these meetings center around the 12 steps and the discussion about them. Dec 14, 2019 by the fall of that year, another group began meeting in new york, and by 1939, a third group started in cleveland. It is a spiritual journey and the big book is our travel guide. How it works 63 when we sincerely took such a position, all sorts of remarkable things followed. The big book of alcoholics anonymous verywell mind.
That same year, the big book of alcoholics anonymous was published, and suddenly this new method of sobriety was being touted as something of a breakthrough. Being all powerful, he provided what we needed, if we kept close to him and performed his work well. Spiritual experience sponsorship in the big book the belladonna treatment the principles behind the steps to thine ownself be true triggers what is the. You can attend alanon meetings even if the alcoholic in your family is not in alcoholics anonymous. Our text, eating disorders anonymous, is now available in paperback and epub editions. Home read the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions alcoholics anonymous. This is an early entry from my blog at light on the threshold 5.
The sense of community, family, and understanding helps many families cope with the stresses of having a family member who is an alcoholic or. This type of aa meeting revolves around discussing the text of alcoholics anonymous. The program of alcoholics anonymous is not an intellectual challenge. Home read the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions. The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism is often referred to in alcoholics anonymous meetings aa as the big book. The big book suggests that people share in a general way, what they used to be like, what happened and what they are like now. We do not sign court slips or offer proof of attendance. Frequently asked questions alcoholics anonymous great britain. Read the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions. This is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text.
So there you have the types of meetings that you might choose to attend, but what will actually happen if you chose to go to an a. Participants commonly bring their own copy of the appropriate book, but there are usually extra copies available at the. Step meeting an experienced aamember goes through all the twelve steps, along the big book, in 4 meetings the whole meeting in as many weeks. Mar 30, 2019 when its time for the scheduled meeting to begin, someone volunteers to chair the meeting. We focus on showing such a person what it was we did to get spiritually awakened. Big book the book alcoholic anonymous the big book is the text for these meetings. Those who have never attended a 12step meeting have some misconceptions about how meetings actually work. Members usually read a chapter from the book and then discuss it. The big book study guide helps us to examine the contents of virtually every sentence in the original text of the big book. Twelve step meetings what happens in 12 step meetings. These are suggested topics from the big book of alcoholics anonymous, as a guide to selecting a meeting topic for discussion meetings.
This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism. What the big book really says by jay westbrook on december 29, 2014 in living in recovery, living with addiction alcoholics anonymous, and the myriad of other 12step programs, can be invaluable to the recovering alcoholic or addict. If you have a drinking problem, we hope that you may pause in reading. If you cant even get to the point where you can communicate with them on the meeting app, call them on their cell phone again, this happens often when people have trouble joining a meeting. As important, is the number who actually attend the meetings. The longer a work remains unchanged and unchallenged the more sacred it becomes. The classic text on alcoholism, recovery this is the book that started off the whole 12 step phenomenon. Mens and womens meetings these meetings are specifically designed for either men or women. A daily telephone meeting that focuses on reading and discussing the aa big book, covertocover. The big book of alcoholics anonymous, also referred to as alcoholics anonymous.
Meetings archive alcoholics anonymous in rhode island. Recovery literature in english us narcotics anonymous. Copyright alcoholics anonymous world services, inc. The big book can be read for free online, as can the other texts associated with aa. Recovery literature in english us we offer all available information pamphlets and na booklets here, in all currently available languages, in order to serve our members and potential members. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. I realize that it is the directions to recovery and played a very important part of my own recovery. One of the only big book meetings, has decided to read the first 164 pages, rather than the recovering personal stories. Also just curious do all meeting end by saying the lords prayer. We are a fellowship of men and women who have lost the.
I hope you try it with all of your heart, doing it by the book. Alcoholics anonymous believes that recovery is a lifelong process, so the big book is a continual companion in a recovering alcoholics life. Is sober, has done the steps as laid out in the big book, and can demonstrate that by. It is common knowledge that the big book is called a gift from god and aas bible by many members. Jul 17, 2019 the book alcoholics anonymous, affectionately known by members as the big book, is the textbook for the original 12step recovery program now known by the same name. Aa speaker turn our will and our lives over to the care of god new 20 duration. Most book clubs expect members to prioritize meetings.
During this type of aa meeting, members are free to ask the coordinator of the group any questions. Mar 23, 2020 buddy t is an anonymous writer and founding member of the online alanon outreach committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Important questions to ask at your first book discussion. Difference between 12step meetings and big book meetings. I really love these meetings, i know around here we dont have enough big book meetings.
Due to the covid19 pandemic, the experience the big book meetings will be accessible online as zoom video conferences, starting sunday, march 22, 2020 at 6pm central time. Welcome to the happy, joyous, and free big book meeting of alcoholics anonymous. Discussion meetings tend to lie somewhere along a spectrum of anything goes to solutionoriented. Alcoholics anonymous great britain and english speaking continental europe.
We abide by the 12 traditions and ask attendees to not take screenshots or recording of any kind. To read a pdf version of the fourth edition of alcoholics anonymous. Usually at the big book discussions, books are provided and sometimes given to new members. If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, if you get into trouble, or if you have memory. This video will hopefully help answer some questions that you may have in regards to what an aa alcoholics anonymous or na narcotics anonymous meeting is. Buddy t is an anonymous writer and founding member of the online alanon outreach committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Monday morning, 9 am est alanon spiritual principles of big book recovery phone number.
The book describes the recovery process and the value of aa programs. Whats all this talk about the alcoholics anonymous big book. The big book the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. These are often big meetings 100300 people, and are usually open meetings, meaning that one does not have to identify as an alcoholic in order to attend. A big source of angst in many book clubs is when regular attendees get frustrated when others rarely show up. What happens at an alcoholics anonymous or narcotics. But the process of starting a healthy meeting is simple. You can learn a number of beneficial lessons by reading the big book and attending aa meetings.
People and places in the big book revising the big book seeking professional help serenity prayer in aa literature set aside prayer shortest sentence in the big book spiritual awakening vs. This continue reading how do i start a big book study. Alcoholics anonymous the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions, the latter explaining aas fundamental principles in depth. Big book study groups, big book meetings, back to basics groups, and the like further cement this view. Big book or basic text meetings these meetings are about studying the big book which is the main text of aa and the basic text which is the main book of na. But it is neither unreasonable nor dogmatic to want more contemporary literature about the fundamental nature of alcoholism and recovery from aa world services, which crescentdave points out hasnt happened in half a century.
The other meeting is one we just started doing so we started at the beginning of the big book and read a chapter every week for the first three weeks then the last week of the month we read out of as bill sees it and have open discussion. The individual sections of this study guide material reflect ideas, emotions and attitudes you might hear from the. What can you expect when you attend a 12step or alcoholics anonymous meeting. During any such meeting to study the aa big book, you would expect to encounter a wide variety of viewpoints on the portions under consideration. Alcoholics anonymous big book audio read aloud youtube. Apr 27, 2010 the idea of the big book as a bs filter is good, and funny. Something happens alcoholics anonymous miamidade intergroup. Alcoholics anonymous publishes several books, reports, pamphlets, and other media, including a periodical known as the aa grapevine. Since the first edition appeared, in 1939, it has helped millions of men and women recover from alcoholism.
Last thursday night a airline stewerdress sat next to me in the meeting. Big book meetings this is one of several meeting types that the discussion is centered around the big book or the book that all 12 step groups follow. What really happens inside an alcoholics anonymous meeting in. Alcoholism12 step support aa meetings and the coronavirus just curious has this virus affected your face to face aa group. The stories afterwards are good too and are as valid a part of the big book as the first section, but of less importance if you are in a position to get to lots of meetings and so hear first hand the personal experiences of many alcoholics in aa. Home about aa newcomers frequently asked questions. Some reflections and general guidelines on how a big book step study meeting might be conducted. These meetings are devoted to the study of the big book of alcoholics anonymous or to the twelve steps and twelve traditions12 and 12 written by bill wilson, a cofounder of aa. When the focus is on a specific text, usually the group supplies copies of the book for attendees.
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