Laurel Recovery

Types of AA Meetings

11th Step Meditation: 11th Step Meditation is a spiritual-based stage in which members individually and collectively pray for greater strength to correct weaknesses and to make amends for injuries inflicted on others due to alcohol use disorder.

12 Steps & 12 Traditions: Maryland's AA embraces the 12 steps, providing essential support for those on the path to recovery. Open meetings offer a supportive community for individuals and their loved ones, promoting healing and growth.

As Bill Sees It: As Bill Sees It is a collection of essays and reflections from AA’s founder, Bill W., about the organization and its purpose. The book is often referenced in AA meetings to encourage members to individually and collectively discuss their recovery.

Big Book: Clients in Maryland AA centers often use the Big Book for inspiration. The book contains stories about real people who successfully controlled alcohol use disorder.

Closed: In Maryland, closed AA meetings are not accessible to the general public. The only people who can attend are current members and individuals who recognize they have a problem with drinking and want to find help. Discussions are informal and participation is encouraged.

Daily Reflections: Daily Reflections is an AA text that compiles insight, experience, and encouragement from various members. Selected contents may be topics of discussions in AA meetings. Members can also adapt reflections into their daily activities.

Discussion: AA discussion meetings in Maryland are designed to be conversational and informative. Leaders will choose a theme for discussion that relates to alcohol addiction and recovery, often pulling inspiration from an AA text, such as Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. After sharing briefly, they’ll invite others to join in.

Grapevine: Grapevine is a monthly magazine published by AA. Its contents, written by AA members, generally feature the experiences of individuals with alcohol use disorder, and articles are often discussed in AA meetings.

Living Sober: AA centers may have selected sessions set aside for Living Sober discussions. This text is secular in nature, and focuses on practical ways that members have used to stay sober one day at a time.

Meditation: Meditation AA meetings feature physical and emotional calmness as a main method of healing. The meetings open with 15 minutes of private mediation and close with an additional 5 minutes of meditation.

Open: In Maryland, anyone in the community can attend open AA meetings. This includes individuals seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder and nonalcoholics who want to understand more about the program. Family, relatives, and loved ones of alcoholics can attend AA meetings to learn about addiction and what to expect as their loved one recovers.

Speaker: Speakers are often part of an AA program to motivate audiences to harden their resolve against alcohol. In Maryland, speakers tend to use a mixture of humor, faith, charm, and raw emotions.

Step Meeting: Step meetings are a central part of AA programs in Maryland. Here, members read passages from AA texts like Twelve Steps, discuss how they have used these steps in their recovery, and make plans for improvement for their next meeting.

Women: Women’s AA meetings in Maryland are peer support meetings for women who are affected by alcoholism, including women with alcohol addiction and those who have loved ones who are addicted to alcohol. These meetings, which use a 12-step recovery program, are free for women of all ages to attend.