Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a worldwide fellowship of men and women who help each other maintain sobriety and who offer to share their recovery experience freely with others who may have a drinking problem.

The program AA suggests consists basically of “Twelve Steps” designed for personal recovery from alcoholism.

The Fellowship today is in more than 180 counselling or treatment groups.

Approximately two million alcoholics have achieved sobriety with the personal sobriety in AA, but members recognise that their program is not always effective with all alcoholics and that some may require professional counselling or treatment.

AA is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to the fellowship for help.

The movement does not engage in alcoholism research or medical or psychiatric treatment, and does not endorse any causes- although AA members may participate as individuals.

The movement has adopted a policy of “co-operation but not affiliation” with other organizations concerned with the problem of alcoholism.

Alcoholics Anonymous is self-supporting through its own groups and members and decline contribution from outside sources.

AA members preserve personal anonymity at the level of press, films, and broadcast media.

From the beginning, many AA members have come to believe that alcoholism is a progressive illness-spiritual and emotional (or mental), as well as physical.

The alcoholics who join the programme seem to have the power to control their drinking.

The AA Estcourt branch hosts meetings every Tuesday at Forderville Primary School from 7pm to 8pm. Contact Desigan on 082 849 3014.