AA is a program created to help its members get sober. Attendance is free at an AA Meeting in Bourbon, Illinois as the funding is accepted on a donation from its members.
AA is one of most commonly known programs in the United States and around the world that helps countless men and women achieve sobriety in the pursuit of lifelong recovery. They are usually small groups of recovering alcoholics who share their recovery journey and are there to help new members get sober.
Alcohol Addiction is a disease of the mind, body, and soul. AA has curated meetings to help with each individual piece of your sobriety. If you are in search of a meeting on the first three steps, you should choose a beginner meeting. If you are looking to get more in touch with your spiritual side, attending a meditation meeting would be an ideal choice. If you are in search of stories of inspiration for overcoming alcoholism, a speaker meeting is a good starting point. If you are through your steps and are now working on the traditions of AA, a tradition meetings will help. If you want to attend a single gender group, you can go to a men’s or women's meeting where you won't find anyone of the opposite gender there. The fact of the matter is there is a meeting for everyone. Try different meetings out until you find one that fits your needs.
In order to benefit the most from your first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting you should remain open minded. Everyone had preconceived notions of what these meetings were and generally it is the same misconception. The best advice I ever got was to sit down, shut up, listen to the message, and humbly ask for help. Regardless of the meeting, there will be the same message of recovering from hopelessness. The process of recovering from that hopeless state is in asking for help from another person suffering from alcoholism which you will find in any meeting you choose to start with.