Meeting
A gathering of people in recovery who come together to share experiences, provide mutual support, and discuss recovery topics. Meetings can be open (anyone welcome) or closed (members only).
Recovery meetings are the backbone of 12-step programs. Held in community centers, church basements, hospitals, and online, they provide a structured space where people in recovery gather to share their stories, celebrate milestones, and support one another. Meetings are open to anyone who wants to stop drinking or using, and no prior commitment is required to attend.
A typical meeting includes a brief reading of program literature, a main speaker or open sharing period, announcements, and milestone celebrations. When a member reaches a sobriety milestone, they are invited to receive their chip or key tag in front of the group — a public acknowledgment of their achievement and a moment of community pride.
The variety of meetings is enormous: open meetings welcome anyone curious about recovery; closed meetings are for members only; speaker meetings feature one person sharing their story at length; step study meetings focus on one step at a time. Finding meetings that resonate is a personal process, and most members attend multiple meetings per week, especially in early recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Terms
Home Group
A home group is the specific recovery meeting a member regularly attends and considers their primary community, where milestones are celebrated.
Fellowship
Fellowship is the community of people in recovery who support one another, share their experiences, and build a sober life together.
AA Chip
An AA chip is a token given at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to mark sobriety milestones, with different colors representing different time periods.