https://www.stepstorecovery.com/rehab-blog/where-did-the-12-steps-originate/Links to an external site.

Students: Click the link above to answer the questions below. You may also use other scholarly information.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, community-based program that was created tohelp those struggling with problematic drinking get sober with the support of their peers through daily meetings and discussions surrounding addiction.¹ AA gives men and women a place to come together and share their experiences, recover from alcoholism and maintain sobriety.¹ Its concept revolves around that premise that alcoholism is an illness that can be managed, but not controlled.

AA was founded by Bill Wilson and his physician, Doctor Bob Smith in 1935 and eventually grew to include two more groups by 1939.² That same year, Wilson published Alcoholics Anonymous, a text which explained its philosophy and methods.² We know it today as the 12 Steps of recovery. Over the years, the 12 Steps have been adapted by other self-help and addiction recovery groups, such as Gamblers Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, to those struggling with other forms of addiction. Additionally, many groups havechanged the explicitly Christian overtones of the original 12 Steps Links to an external site.to reflect more secular or agnostic philosophies.³

1. What Happens in an Alcoholics Anonymous or Other 12 Step Meeting?

2. How Do 12 Step Programs Work?

3. Do You Need to Believe in God to Attend a 12 Step Meeting?

4. If the Program Isn't Religious, Why Are 12 Step Meetings Held at Churches?

5. Are There Other Types of Addiction Recovery Support Groups?

6. How Do 12 Step Recovery Programs Help People Stay Sober?