Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Michigan

What Is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international fellowship of men and women who come together to support one another in achieving and maintaining sobriety from alcohol addiction. AA meetings in Michigan provide a judgment-free zone for people to share their experiences, build a fellowship, and follow a 12-step program towards recovery.

AA Meeting Location 1

Meeting Times:

• Mondays at 7PM (open discussion meeting)
• Wednesdays at noon (literature study)
• Fridays at 5:30PM (speaker meeting)

At this downtown Detroit location, members gather in a church basement. Meetings involve members talking about their journeys, reading AA literature, and listening to a guest speaker’s personal story of addiction and recovery.

AA Meeting Location 2

Meeting Times:

• Tuesdays at 6PM (closed discussion for alcoholics only)
• Thursdays at 8PM (open speaker meeting)

This AA group meets in a community center classroom. The closed discussion meeting provides a safe space for members to talk honestly about their struggles, while the speaker meeting is open for anyone to come listen to a member’s inspirational story.

AA Meeting Location 3

Meeting Times:

• Sundays at 10:30AM (open literature study)
• Saturdays at noon (closed discussion)

Held in a local church meeting room, this AA group follows a more traditional format. The open Sunday morning meeting involves reading from AA literature, while the closed Saturday discussion allows members to speak openly about their experiences with alcoholism and recovery.

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 Michigan.

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Getting Started with AA in Michigan

Use the meeting search on udetc.org to find local meetings in your area. Both in-person and online/virtual meetings are available in most places across the state.

Attending Your First Local AA Meeting

There are two main types of AA meetings in Michigan:

• Open Meetings: Anyone is welcome to attend, including those curious about AA. These are good for first-timers.
• Closed Meetings: Only those who have a desire to stop drinking may attend. These can provide more intimate sharing once you’ve attended a few open meetings.

To prepare for your first meeting:

1. Arrive 10-15 minutes early and introduce yourself as a new local member. This will help you meet some friendly faces beforehand.
2. Share your experiences if you feel comfortable, but don’t feel pressured to speak up. Just listening is fine too.

You may receive welcome keychain tags marking your sobriety milestones at meetings:

• 30 days
• 60 days
• 90 days
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 1 year
• 18 months
• Years 2-50

The most important things are to keep an open mind, listen to others, and focus on your sobriety one day at a time. Meetings can provide community support as you work through the AA program.