Is A.A. for You? How the Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Works

Updated

A.A. may be for you if you have a desire to stop drinking. That is the only requirement for membership, according to the A.A. Preamble published on the Area 23 | Southern Indiana website. There are no dues or fees, and A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution. The fellowship brings together men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope to solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism.

What A.A. Is and How It Works

The Area 23 site describes Alcoholics Anonymous as a fellowship built on mutual sharing rather than professional treatment. Members exchange their own experience with one another, which is how the group supports recovery. The site's stated purpose is to provide information for the Area, its Districts, Groups, individual A.A. members, professional communities, and the general public, and to encourage participation in A.A.'s service structure.

Area 23 serves Southern Indiana, starting in an area just north of Indianapolis. It covers approximately 21 Districts across 54 counties.

The Three Legacies of the Program

The site links to three core documents that define how A.A. operates:

Document What it covers
The Twelve Steps The program of personal recovery
The Twelve Traditions How groups relate to one another and to the outside world
The Twelve Concepts The framework for A.A. service work

If you are new to A.A., the Steps are the usual starting point. The Traditions and Concepts matter more once you are involved in group or area service.

Checking Whether A.A. Fits You

The Area 23 site includes an "Is A.A. for You?" page intended for visitors who want to assess whether the fellowship matches their situation. The Preamble gives the short answer: the only requirement is a desire to stop drinking. You do not need to meet a diagnostic standard, pay anything, or adopt any religious or political position.

A.A. describes itself as self-supporting through members' own contributions. It does not wish to engage in controversy, and it neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Its stated primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.

What to Expect at the Group Level

The site's structure reflects how A.A. is organized: individual members belong to Groups, Groups are grouped into Districts, and Districts make up the Area. For someone considering attendance, the practical entry point is a local Group meeting rather than the Area office. The Area 23 website exists to point members of the public and professional communities toward that information.

The Responsibility Statement

The site closes with A.A.'s Responsibility Statement: "I am responsible... When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am truly responsible." For a newcomer, this is the clearest signal of what the fellowship expects of its members — that help is available when someone asks for it.

Where to Start

  • Read the "Is A.A. for You?" page on area23aa.org if you are unsure whether the fellowship suits you.
  • Review the Twelve Steps if you want to understand the recovery program itself.
  • Use the Area and District information on the site to find groups in Southern Indiana.
  • If you are outside Southern Indiana, use the Area 23 site only for general information and look for the A.A. structure serving your own region.