Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a support group designed to help individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. It offers a free program with regular group meetings held across various locations, including Arlington, Tarrant, Texas, USA. You can find more details about aa meetings arlington tx.
What is AA?
AA is a free support group for those struggling with alcohol addiction. The program is based on a 12-step model that provides a path to recovery through peer support, sober living, and spiritual growth. AA meetings are available in cities across the U.S., offering a community environment where members can share their experiences and support each other in their journey to sobriety.
1226 S Bowen Rd, Arlington, TX 76014
This location hosts AA meetings every day, providing multiple opportunities for attendees to engage with the community:
– Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm.
– The meetings are designed to be supportive environments where members can share their experiences and connect with others in recovery.
– Open meetings are available for anyone interested, while closed meetings are specifically for those who have a desire to stop drinking.
Primary Purpose, 1802 West Division Street, Arlington, TX 76001
Primary Purpose offers a wide range of meeting times:
– Meetings are held throughout the day, including morning, noon, and evening sessions, seven days a week.
– The variety of meeting times caters to different schedules, making it easier for participants to find a time that suits them.
– Meetings include discussions, speaker sessions, and step study groups, offering diverse formats to suit different preferences.
Unity Church of Arlington, Triangle Group
The Triangle Group meets at the Unity Church of Arlington:
– Saturday meetings are held from 9:00 am to 10:00 am.
– This group focuses on Big Book studies, where members read from and discuss the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.
– The Big Book serves as a foundational text for AA, providing guidance and principles for recovery.
The 12 Steps of AA
The 12-step program is the core of AA’s philosophy, aiming to motivate members toward positive change by encouraging them to take responsibility for their actions, make amends, and develop a spiritual awareness. Here is a detailed list of each step:
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
This step involves acknowledging one’s addiction and its impact on life. It’s about recognizing that alcoholism is a disease and that one cannot control it through willpower alone. By admitting this powerlessness, individuals begin their journey to recovery, accepting that their addiction has caused them significant distress and is beyond their control. - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
This step encourages individuals to have faith that a higher power can help them achieve sobriety. It does not require adherence to a specific religion but rather an openness to the idea that there are forces beyond one’s individual control that can aid in recovery. By embracing this belief, members start to build a foundation for spiritual growth and reliance on something greater than themselves. - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Here, individuals decide to surrender their lives to a higher power, letting go of their ego and self-reliance. This step requires trust and willingness to follow a path guided by spiritual principles rather than personal will. It is about surrendering one’s addiction and life circumstances to a power beyond oneself, allowing this power to guide and support recovery. - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
In this step, members conduct a thorough and honest examination of their past, including their actions, feelings, and motivations. It involves identifying flaws, resentments, and fears to understand how these factors may have contributed to alcoholism. By doing so, individuals gain insight into their character and behaviors, paving the way for personal growth and change. - Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
This step is about sharing the moral inventory from Step 4 with someone else, usually a sponsor or trusted friend. It involves confessing past wrongs and behaviors, which helps build trust and accountability within the AA community. By admitting these wrongs to oneself, a higher power, and another person, members experience relief and prepare for further personal growth. - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Here, individuals prepare themselves to let go of their character defects. It involves recognizing that these flaws are obstacles to sobriety and spiritual growth, and being willing to have them removed by a higher power. Members must be fully committed to this process, willing to surrender their old self to embrace a new, sober life. - Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
In this step, members humbly ask their higher power to remove the character defects identified in previous steps. It requires humility and faith in the higher power’s ability to effect change. By doing so, individuals continue to grow spiritually, focusing on self-improvement and personal development. - Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
This step involves creating a list of individuals harmed by one’s actions during active addiction. Members must become willing to make amends to those on this list, taking responsibility for past wrongs and preparing to repair relationships. By acknowledging harm done and becoming willing to make things right, individuals prepare for the next steps in recovery. - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
In this step, members take action to make amends to those they have harmed, unless doing so would cause further harm. It’s about restitution, reconciliation, and healing relationships. By making amends, individuals continue their journey toward personal growth and healing. - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
This ongoing step involves continued self-examination, recognizing when mistakes are made, and promptly admitting them. It helps individuals maintain awareness of their actions and thought patterns, fostering continued growth and self-awareness throughout their recovery journey. - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Here, members engage in prayer and meditation to improve their connection with a higher power. This step is about seeking guidance, understanding God’s will for oneself, and seeking the strength to follow it. Through these spiritual practices, individuals deepen their understanding of themselves and their place in the world. - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
The final step involves sharing the message of recovery with others and applying the principles learned from AA in all areas of life. It’s about giving back to the AA community and living the 12-step principles daily to maintain sobriety and promote continuous spiritual growth.
Getting Started with AA in Arlington, Tarrant, Texas, USA
To find local AA meetings in Arlington and surrounding areas, individuals can use the meeting search on wfmh.org or similar platforms. Both in-person and online/virtual meetings are available, providing flexibility and accessibility for those seeking support.
Attending Your First Local AA Meeting
When attending a local AA meeting for the first time, it’s helpful to know the difference between open and closed meetings:
| Type of Meeting | Description |
|---|---|
| Open Meeting | Open to anyone interested in attending, including family members and friends. These meetings offer a supportive environment where individuals can learn about AA and its recovery process. |
| Closed Meeting | Restricted to those who have a desire to stop drinking. Closed meetings provide a more intimate setting for members to share their experiences and work on their recovery. |
When attending your first meeting:
- Arrive Early: Get to the meeting early to settle in and be prepared for the start.
- Introduce Yourself: When introduced, mention that it is your first meeting. Most groups will welcome you and offer support.
- Share Your Experiences: If comfortable, share your story or experiences. You can also choose just to listen during your first meeting.
New members often receive welcome keychain tags to mark sobriety milestones:
- 30 Days: A 30-day chip symbolizes the early stage of recovery and is often the first milestone reached.
- 60 Days: This milestone reinforces progress and encourages continued commitment to sobriety.
- 90 Days: Achieving three months of sobriety is a significant accomplishment, marking the initial phase of long-term recovery.
- 6 Months: This milestone indicates a significant period of continuous sobriety, reflecting commitment and growth.
- 9 Months: At this point, individuals have demonstrated sustained sobriety for nearly a year, showing strong progress in recovery.
- 1 Year: Celebrating one year of sobriety is a major achievement, marking a full year of recovery and commitment to AA principles.