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What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other so they may solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism.
Zion Church Basement
987 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03105
- Closed men’s meeting Wednesdays at 6:00 PM
- Open women’s meeting on Fridays at 8:00 PM
First Congregational Church
456 North State St, Concord, NH 03301
- Closed speaker meeting Mondays at 7:30 PM
- Open literature study meeting Thursdays at 5:30 PM
Community Church
789 Islington St, Portsmouth, NH 03801
- Open beginner’s meeting on Saturdays at 10:00 AM
- Closed mixed meeting on Tuesdays at 8:00 PM
The 12 Steps of AA
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) outlines a 12-step program to help members achieve and maintain sobriety. The steps aim to motivate members toward positive change across New Hampshire.
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends with them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when doing so would injure them or others.
- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
- 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.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
The 12 steps aim to help members take responsibility for their alcoholism, seek support in sobriety, make amends, and commit to lifelong sobriety while helping others do the same. The program offers a path to recovery for alcoholics across New Hampshire.
Getting Started with AA in New Hampshire
Use the meeting search on wfmh.org to find local meetings in your area. Both in-person and online/virtual meetings are available in most places across New Hampshire.
Attending Your First Local AA Meeting
New Hampshire AA meetings come in two main types: open and closed.
- Open meetings welcome anyone who is interested in attending, including those who are not struggling with alcohol themselves but want to support a loved one.
- Closed meetings are specifically for those seeking help with their own drinking issues.
When arriving at your first meeting, try to come early and introduce yourself to some of the other attendees as a new local member. Share a bit about what brings you there if you feel comfortable. While not required, opening up can help you make connections.
Many AA groups give keychain tags to members reaching sobriety milestones. These provide tangible encouragement to keep going and give newer members goals. Common keychain milestones include:
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 1 year
- 18 months
- Multiple years
Remember that every journey starts with a first step. Attending that initial meeting is challenging but rewarding. Keep an open mind, listen to others’ stories with empathy, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’ve got this!