what is an aa meeting

An AA meeting is a gathering where recovery from alcoholism is discussed. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global peer-led mutual aid fellowship dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through their 12-step program. AA meetings are available to anyone interested in Alcoholics Anonymouss program of recovery from alcoholism. Non-alcoholics may attend open meetings, but closed meetings are for alcoholics only. AA meetings do not exclude other alcoholics, though some meetings cater to specific demographics such as gender, profession, age, sexual orientation, or culture. There are a variety of meeting types, and weekly meetings are listed in local AA directories in print, online, and in apps. During the meeting, a basket is passed around for voluntary donations, as AAs 7th tradition requires that groups be self-supporting, "declining outside contributions". The meeting formats vary, and groups have the autonomy to hold and conduct meetings as they wish "except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole".