Alcoholics Anonymous?

Question

Why is it called Alcoholics Anonymous when the first thing you do
is stand up and say, 'My name is Bob, and I am an alcoholic'?

Answer 1

you call yourself bob at these meetings then????

Answer 2

Two reasons or two levels.First level-alcoholics when they first come to AA are afraid that people they know will find out that they're alcoholics{it's an ego thing} so no one is suppose to tell anyone outside AA so&sos a alcoholic. But if the person is a real alcoholic they know anyway. Second level,this is so secret not many aas know. It has to do with the message.{Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps this is the message we tried to carry to alcoholics}. The spiritual awakening is I really have no self as I thought thus anonymous.

Answer 3

At the beginning of AA, American society was very judgemental of people who even admitted to having a problem with drink or drugs. People feared losing their jobs or families if they sought help. AA allowed people to be anonymous, but also get the help they needed. That's one explanation for the name.

It's true that members of AA and other 12-Step Groups often prefer to use only their first name and and initial of their surname, as in 'Hi, my name is Suzy Q.'

AA is really cool because they are not affiliated with any other group and stay focused on only one purpose: staying sober.

They don't have any dues or fees and they are entirely self-supporting -- this means they refuse money from the government or churches, etc.

Hundreds of people claim every year that AA saved their lives from the misery of compulsive drinking.

A lot of people like the AA way, because it's not 'organized' like a corporation or church is organized, but has an informal set of 'Traditions' which help members and groups to keep their focus on sobriety.

AA has no paid employees or ordained or credentialed leaders -- only successfully recovering alcohol addicts who volunteer to help other alcoholics -- the whole thing is very simple and straightforward.

Anonymity is one of the guiding principles of AA -- they apply the concept in a variety of ways -- one interpretation is this:

To be 'anonymous' means to realize they we are no better and no worse than anyone else.

AA is also cool because everyone is accepted there -- every age, gender, sexual identity, race, religion, atheist, and so on.

Members are encouraged not to discuss outside of meetings what happens inside of meetings; they have a saying: 'Who you see here, what you hear here, let it stay here -- Hear! Hear!'

The nice thing about AA is that it's like a welcoming family of people who only want to help each other -- no other motivation -- something unusual in this age when everyone seems to want to convert you to something or sell you something.

AA also emphasizes that addiction to alcohol, like addiction to drugs and all other compulsive behaviours is a 'disease' which anyone can contract, rather than a 'sin' or moral failure of the inidividual. This doesn't mean the individual isn't responsible for their actions while drunk -- they must face the consequences.

But treating alcohol as a medical and emotional problem was very modern for AA, which started in Akron, Ohio, in the 1930s. You could say that they were 'ahead of their time.'

Answer 4

Alcoholics Anonymous twelfth tradition states that "Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities."

The guiding truth of this tradition is not to protect people in AA from AA, but to protect AA from the people in AA. What good would this do if an individual would act as a representative of AA and got drunk, the reflection would show that AA would not work. Anonymity reminds us that we are to have a genuine humility. This allows us to have a recovery that is meaningful and rewarding.

02-15-2001 sober and happy!

Answer 5

Its called AA because the whole idea of this program is that its kept private to the people who attend and what is said in the meetings KEEPS IN THE MEETINGS.Alcoholism is a taboo subject and many people fear the truth about it.Those unfortunate people who have been strong enough to ad mitt there problem need assurance from the group meetings and above all only a alcoholic will ever understand another.If you dont have a problem with alcohol, Why you so bothered

Answer 6

As others have said, what goes on in the group stays in the group. The purpose of any 12 step programme(which is what AA invented) is to get the person to admit their addiction. Even if you call yourself fluffy pink ears, you are admitting to yourself and those around you that you have an addiction.

Recovery programmes have come a long way since AA started, and although it is still the most famous of these programmes, there is some criticism that its methods don't work too well. I think its success rate hovers around the 1% mark, when other recovery programmes claim better results.

Answer 7

We only use first names, not last names, in AA! That's how it's Alcoholics Anonymous!

Answer 8

One of us has got this the wrong way around (hic burp). I've always thought it was called AA because members were unknown to anyone other than themselves, allowing their addiction to be brought under control without the shame of public exposure. I know it's a serious subject, but have you seen the cartoon circulating on the internet?

It shows a dog up on two legs addressing a group of dogs as follows: "I'm Rex and I haven't licked my balls for a month". Thank God we can still laugh. Happy new year.

Answer 9

Because (1) you don't have to give your last name, (2) you don't even have to give your first name, (3), you can just say "I'm just here to listen" and people are okay with that.

What you say there, and what you here there, stay's there.

You can be totally anonymous if you want. Everybody there has been in the same place you've been.

Answer 10

They assume that everyone in the group will keep the names of ithers anonymous outside of the group.

Answer 11

From what I understand, you don't have to give your name -- and it's "anonymous" because nobody's supposed to talk about the meeting to anyone on the outside.

.