(by LDonoyan, Water Gap Wellness) Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held throughout the United States on any given day of the week.
The AA website (aa.org) has a listing of all affiliated meeting groups, designated by state, city and county. Each of these meeting groups are run independently of each other and some have chapter heads, staff, even a website and offices. In order to get in contact with a group, individuals can contact these chapters individually.
Some of these groups are more established than others, and are part of a bigger “Inter Group” which are a conglomeration of smaller groups within a heavily populated area.
Local Groups are the groups in which individuals attend. The character of these groups vary greatly depending on the members within. Trying out different groups is recommended. Some have very unique qualities – younger individuals, older individuals or varied age population.
AA is very well organized and so there cannot be too many Local groups in a given area. There is also a differentiation within Local groups as far as logistics. Some meet for only an hour or so once a week, others are held every day, while some are much longer and may last an entire Sunday with members coming and going throughout. Some meetings are Open and some Closed. Open meetings are for anyone who wishes to join and observe, whether that be students or family members. Closed meetings are for those who identify as members of AA and are understandably designed to be more candid.
But despite all the varied aspects of AA, one common component is AA’s anonymity. Members are always allowed to conceal their identity, if they wish.
To find the nearest AA meeting near you, visit their website: https://www.aa.org/
