AA Meetings in Los Angeles

For years, the program of Alcoholics Anonymous has helped millions of people around the world.

People who once felt that they were absolutely hopeless when it came to their addiction to alcohol or drugs have learned a better way of living. Many of the people who enter the program of AA were once those who struggled with chronic relapses. Through the program and fellowship offered at AA meetings in Los Angeles, they have been able to stay sober.

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. There are many people who struggle with the disease of addiction, but they refuse to give AA a try based on what they’ve heard. By having a better understanding of the program, you’ll see how the program may be able to help you with long-term recovery. It can also be a great supplement if you’re struggling with addiction and are seeking the help of an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).

Where to Find AA Meetings in Los Angeles

AA meetings are currently available in cities and countries all over the world.

The International Headquarters resides in Los Angeles. Each AA meeting is an entity unto itself. The meetings will typically be managed by an elected secretary who volunteers their services without compensation. Every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year, there are AA meetings taking place somewhere. In the US, multiple meetings are available every day in larger cities and at least one meeting once a week in most smaller cities.

What you will soon discover is AA meetings can come with different formats. It’s incumbent on you to decide which formats you prefer. Here’s a short listing of several common formats:

Sharing meetings
12 Step workshops
Gender-Specific meetings
Fellowship meetings

If you want information about AA meetings in Los Angeles, you can find day/time/location/format information on the Los Angeles AA website. Your rehab therapist should also be able to provide you with AA meeting information.

We encourage you to not take your sobriety for granted. It’s something you need to keep working on every day for the rest of your like. Our Nexus outpatient rehab in Los Angeles is available to help you start your journey towards the path of recovery. We can help you start that journey if you pick up the phone and call one of our representatives as soon as possible.

In addition to physical cravings, someone with an addiction issue will also spend a tremendous amount of time thinking about their drug of choice. These thoughts become a compulsion and impossible to control, which leads to drug-seeking behavior that can sometimes be criminal.

Feelings of depression, sadness, anxiety, despair, and the like are often at the root of substance abuse. The substance might temporarily mask these feelings, but they return once the high wears off, creating a vicious circle of drug abuse.

Taking a substance will temporarily stop the cravings and compulsion for it, but soon the same feelings return. In time, it takes more and more of the same substance to achieve the same effect it once had.

People addicted to drugs and alcohol may feel like they have no control over their drug use. Refraining from using or stopping seems to be an impossibility for them. The substance controls them, rather than the other way around.

Someone addicted to drugs or alcohol will continue to seek them out even if their addiction has made them lose friends, family, spouses, and jobs. Drug-seeking behavior can even lead to diseases such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.

About the AA Program

Membership in Alcoholics Anonymous is free. The only requirement levied on each member is they must have a desire to stop drinking. To pay for AA literature and the rent on meeting rooms, voluntary donations are collected at the end of each meeting.

The foundation of AA rests with the 12 Steps of Recovery. At some point after attending a few meetings and getting comfortable with the process, members are expected to seek a sponsor who will help them begin work on the 12 Steps. The beauty of sponsorship is it’s all about one alcoholism sufferer helping another alcoholism sufferer.

The 12 Steps of Recovery are consecutive and progressive in nature, much like a staircase to the salvation of recovery. There are four primary covenants built within the 12 steps. These covenants are:

Admit powerlessness over addiction and turning life over to a higher power
Take responsibilities for one’s past behaviors
Make amends to people whenever possible
Continue working on recovery and helping others

At this point, it’s worth noting AA is not affiliated with any religion or other outside groups. Any discussion about a higher power is simply a reference to anything outside of oneself that an individual can put faith in. It could be a religious symbol, a piece of stone or the program itself.

Should you decide to check out any number of AA meetings in Los Angeles, you should go in those doors with an open mind and heart. You will find the rooms filled with people who are in various states of recovery, including new members who had their last drink 30 minutes ago. Everyone is there for the same thing, help with their alcoholism. Over time, you will soon discover that what you get out of AA membership will be many times greater then what you will put into it if you work the program properly.

In the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, they also make very clear that if you’re struggling with mental health issues or need additional help, you should consider getting treatment.

“God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds. Do not hesitate to take your health problems to such persons.” – AA Big Book pg. 133

Statistically, most people who develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol also have underlying mental health issues. This is why 12-step programs are often the most successful when a person is working the program while also receiving dual diagnosis treatment.

If you are considering treatment for yourself or a loved one, call us today.

(310) 881-9151

History of AA

The program of Alcoholics Anonymous started in the 1930s when a seemingly hopeless alcoholic named Bill Wilson was visited by a friend. His old friend shared with him how he was able to stay sober, and this was incredible because most people during that time couldn’t maintain sobriety. Elements from the way Bill’s friend stayed sober would eventually become the 12-steps of recovery.

Bill W. practiced the steps and was able to stay sober for some time, but then the intense cravings came back. Then, he remembered that the most important step was the last one; and this step is about teaching others how to stay sober as well. Bill went to a local church to find out if there was an alcoholic he could help, and that’s how he met the co-founder Dr. Bob. These two had the first official meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.

In the months and years that have followed, both men continued helping each other while inviting others to join and address their drinking problems as well. Almost 85 years later, AA and dozens of other 12 Step programs have saved the lives of tens of millions of addiction sufferers from all over the world.

Treatment Options

There are many people struggling with addiction who have tried AA or other programs, but they didn’t work.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the program has failed, but it might mean they need additional help from mental health professionals. The 12 steps of recovery can only do so much, and working with a therapist at an outpatient program in Los Angeles can help you get down to the root issues.

By going to treatment, you’ll discover why you started drinking and using in the first place. One of the primary reasons a person begins drinking or using drugs is to self-medicate an underlying mental health issue. People struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and other disorders need to treat their mental health as well in order to stay sober.

Whether you’re already participating in Alcoholics Anonymous or not, Nexus Recovery is here to help you. We have a team of trained professionals who are here to help you understand the disease of addiction and find a new way of living. Our team uses evidence-based treatment methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other forms of therapy to help you strengthen your recovery. If you’d like more information about our program, contact us today.

If you or a loved one are suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, we’re here to help. Contact us today and speak with one of our trusted recovery advisors.