Sober Living through the Books

Types of AA Meetings

Discussion: AA discussion meetings in Pennsylvania are structured around a central topic related to alcoholism and recovery. After opening the meeting and sharing the topic, leaders may share briefly from a related AA text. Then, they’ll add their own insights and encourage others to participate in the conversation.

Literature: Pennsylvania literature-led AA meetings are support group meetings for people who are impacted by alcohol addiction, including those suffering from alcoholism and those who have loved ones addicted to alcohol. These no-cost community meetings are based on the Big Book of AA and other literature by AA founders and leaders as part of a 12-step addiction recovery program.

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.

Open: In Pennsylvania, open AA meetings are accessible to all local community members who want a firsthand look into how the program operates and what the 12 strep recovery model includes. This may include individuals looking for help with alcohol addiction as well as their supporters.

Secular: Secular AA meetings lack a faith-based component of healing and tend to focus on practical experiences and challenges. Secular meetings are usually attended by atheist, agnostic, and non-religious members.