What is a 12 Step Meeting? (AA and NA Meeting)

What is a 12 step meeting?

12 step meetings are also called 12 step programs. 12 step meetings are held in churches, schools, office buildings, community centers and even theaters or other public places. They have anywhere from 5 to 12 people attend to about 30-50 people attending at any given time. These 12 step meetings are available every day of the week, starting anywhere between early morning all the way to nighttime or late into the night depending on your area.

What happens during a 12 step meeting?

12 step meetings are run by spiritual principles, not any one person or group of people. They are open to everyone, wherever you're at in your recovery journey. 12 step meetings are great places for family members and friends to go if they want support themselves or others who suffer from addiction…

What happens when someone walks into a 12 step meeting for the first time?

12 step meetings have a format that's familiar to anyone who's been to one before. People may socialize beforehand, but when it's time for the meeting to start, everyone sits down and prepares themselves for what will happen next…

12 step meetings may include talks from experts or people involved in the 12 step community. These might be specialized groups of people who want to share their experiences with other addicts…

Meetings can be held anywhere there is a willing host: public buildings such as schools and town halls, private homes, church community centers, correctional facilities…

The requirement for hosting a meeting is that there is a willingness to share 12 step recovery and an open-mindedness toward 12 step recovery, addiction treatment and support groups…

How should I prepare for a 12 step meeting?

12 step meetings may require that people get there early or just on time to take part in socializing before the 12 step meeting starts… 12 step meetings may have a sign-in sheet or something similar if it's a regular 12 step meeting you attend regularly. 12 steps meetings usually allow refreshments, but not always! People should remember to respect any 12 steps meeting they attend by being on time and respecting the environment of the 12 steps meeting…

Where can I find a 12 step meeting?

As a result of COVID19, 12 step meetings can be found not only in person at the organizations and facilities mentioned above, but there are now Zoom 24 NA or AA marathon meetings you can join in on, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. There are US based meetings as well as International meetings.

See the links below for more resources...

And remember, We Do Recover. Together.

💜 Jennifer Elisabeth Oram, a Grateful Recovering Addict and Alcoholic 💜

www.aa.org  Alcoholics Anonymous official website

www.na.org  Narcotics Anonymous official website

www.samhsa.gov Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

This article is written by a grateful, recovering addict.  Opinions expressed are not medical advice, but merely my personal experiences with addiction and alcoholism.