First Steps Guide
Welcome
If you’ve just attended your first AA meeting—or one of your first—you are especially welcome.
Everything on this page is based on the shared experience of our group and is intended to help newcomers feel welcome and find their first steps in recovery. It is not Conference-approved AA literature.
Nothing is more important to us than giving every newcomer the opportunity to recover.
Three things we hope you’ll remember
Keep coming back. Find a sponsor as early as you can. You never have to do this alone. |
Must I stop drinking before coming?
No.
The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.
You do not have to be sober before attending a meeting. Many of us came to our first meeting while we were still drinking.
Come anyway.
What if I've been drinking today?
You are still welcome.
If you have been drinking, we simply ask that you respect the meeting and the other people attending it. If you feel unwell or unable to participate comfortably, let someone know—we will do our best to help.
Many of us attended our first meeting after having had a drink. Taking that first step through the door can be the hardest part.
Will I have to speak?
No.
You’re welcome to simply listen.
If you are invited to share and would rather not, it is perfectly acceptable to say:
“I’d just like to listen today.”
There is no pressure to speak until you feel ready.
What is a sponsor?
A sponsor is an AA member who has experience staying sober and is willing to share that experience with someone newer in recovery.
Sponsors are not therapists, doctors, financial advisers, or life coaches. They are fellow alcoholics who have found a way to live sober and want to help someone else do the same.
A sponsor will often help you:
- begin working the Twelve Steps
- understand how AA works
- stay connected between meetings
- get through difficult days without drinking
- build an honest and lasting recovery
Why is finding a sponsor so important?
Meetings are essential—but meetings alone are often not enough.
Recovery happens between meetings as well as during them.
Having someone you can call before taking the first drink can make an enormous difference.
Many members have found that finding a sponsor as early as possible gave them the best chance of building lasting sobriety.
You do not need to find the “perfect” sponsor. Simply look for someone whose sobriety and way of living you respect.
If, over time, another sponsor seems like a better fit, it’s perfectly acceptable to make a change.
Do I need to believe in God?
No.
AA is a spiritual program, not a religious one.
Members come from many different faiths, and many have no religious beliefs at all. Some identify as atheists or agnostics.
You do not have to change your beliefs to recover in AA. We simply encourage you to keep an open mind.
What if different members give different advice?
You’ll probably hear different suggestions from different members. That’s completely normal.
AA is a fellowship built on shared experience, not rules.
No individual member speaks for AA as a whole.
Listen with an open mind, talk things over with your sponsor, and decide what supports your own recovery.
What is fellowship?
Recovery doesn’t only happen during meetings.
Many of us found it easier to stay sober after getting to know other members, staying for coffee, exchanging phone numbers, and asking for help when we needed it.
You never have to do this alone.
What if something doesn't feel right?
AA is built on mutual respect, honesty, and service.
Most members are kind people who simply want to help another alcoholic recover. At the same time, everyone deserves to feel safe and respected.
If another member’s behaviour makes you feel uncomfortable, pressured, intimidated, or unsafe, you don’t have to deal with it alone.
Please talk to your sponsor, bring it up during the meeting if you feel comfortable doing so, or speak with one of the group’s trusted servants after the meeting.
Keeping uncomfortable experiences to yourself rarely helps. Recovery grows through honesty, not secrecy.
Longer sobriety means greater responsibility to serve—not greater authority.
Should I avoid relationships in early recovery?
Many members have found it helpful to keep life as simple as possible during early sobriety.
Whenever possible, we suggest focusing on getting sober before making major life changes or beginning a new romantic relationship.
There will be time for those decisions later.
Your sobriety comes first.
Does AA cost anything?
No.
There are no dues or fees for AA membership.
Many meetings pass a collection basket to help pay for rent, tea, coffee, literature, and other group expenses.
Contributions are entirely voluntary.
If you’re new, please don’t feel any obligation to contribute. Your presence is enough.
Our meetings also offer QR codes for secure digital contributions if you don’t carry cash.
Still have questions?
Please don’t hesitate to ask.
If you’re unsure about anything you’ve read here—or simply want to talk—please speak with any member after the meeting.
We’d be happy to answer your questions, help you find a sponsor, or simply listen.
You never have to figure this out on your own.
You don’t have to understand everything today.
You don’t have to decide whether AA will work for the rest of your life.
You only have to give yourself the chance to come back.
We’re glad you’re here.