Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Virginia

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What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. AA groups meet regularly to help members achieve sobriety through following the 12-step program.

Fairfax, VA

St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church
Address: 5222 Sideburn Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032

Meetings:

  • Monday at 8:00 pm (Closed Discussion)
  • Friday at 8:00 pm (Big Book Study)

Richmond, VA

Recovery Center Meeting Hall
Address: 4926 West Marshall St, Richmond, VA 23230

Meetings:

  • Tuesday at 6:30 pm (Open Speaker)
  • Thursday at 6:30 pm (12&12 Study)
  • Saturday at 10:30 am (Open Discussion)

Virginia Beach, VA

Sentara Princess Anne Hospital
Address: 2025 Glenn Mitchell Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Meetings:

  • Wednesday at 7:30 pm (Closed Step Study)
  • Sunday at 6:30 pm (Candlelight)

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 Virginia, United States.

The 12 steps are:

  • Step 1: Admitting one is powerless over alcohol and that life has become unmanageable.
  • Step 2: Coming to believe that a Power greater than oneself can restore sanity.
  • Step 3: Making a decision to turn one’s will and life over to the care of God as understood.
  • Step 4: Making a searching and fearless moral inventory of oneself.
  • Step 5: Admitting to God, to oneself, and to another human being the exact nature of one’s wrongs.
  • Step 6: Being entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
  • Step 7: Humbly asking Him to remove shortcomings.
  • Step 8: Making a list of all persons harmed and becoming willing to make amends to them all.
  • Step 9: Making direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when doing so would injure them or others.
  • Step 10: Continuing to take personal inventory and when wrong, promptly admitting it.
  • Step 11: Seeking through prayer and meditation to improve conscious contact with God as understood, praying only for knowledge of His will and the power to carry that out.
  • Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, trying to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all affairs.

Getting Started with AA in Virginia

Use the meeting search on wfmh.org to find local meetings in your area. Virginia has both in-person and online/virtual AA meetings available in most places.

Attending Your First Local AA Meeting

Virginia has both open and closed AA meetings:

Meeting Type Description
Open Meetings Open to anyone, including non-alcoholics
Closed Meetings Only for individuals with a desire to stop drinking

When attending your first local Virginia AA meeting:

  • Arrive early and introduce yourself as a new local member
  • Share your experiences if you feel comfortable

Receive welcome keychain tags marking abstinence milestones such as:

  • 30 days
  • 60 days
  • 90 days
  • 6 months
  • 9 months
  • 1 year
  • 18 months
  • Years 2-10
  • Years 11+