Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Ohio

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. AA groups meet regularly to help members achieve sobriety through following the 12-step program.

First Methodist Church

Address: 236 Oak St, Columbus, OH 43215

Meetings:

• Monday at 8:00 PM (open discussion)
• Wednesday at 6:00 PM (closed meeting for alcoholics only)
• Friday at 7:00 PM (speaker meeting)

St. Mary’s Community Center

Address: 1801 NW 38th St, Cleveland, OH 44113

Meetings:

• Tuesday at 6:30 PM (closed meeting, step study)
• Thursday at 8:00 PM (open discussion)
• Saturday at 10:30 AM (open speaker meeting)

Riverbend Church

Address: 876 Mill Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Meetings:

• Sunday at 7:00 PM (closed meeting, Big Book study)
• Wednesday at 8:00 PM (open discussion)
• Friday at 6:00 PM (open beginners meeting)

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 Ohio.

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. 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.

The 12 steps aim to help members take responsibility for their alcoholism, seek support in sobriety, make amends for past harms, and help others in recovery. The spiritual aspects encourage members to connect with a higher power.

Getting Started with AA in Ohio

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

Attending Your First Local AA Meeting

There are two main types of AA meetings in Ohio:

• Open meetings – Anyone is welcome to attend, including those who are not addicted to alcohol. 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 for those working in the program.

When attending your first local meeting:

• Arrive 10-15 minutes early and introduce yourself as a new member
• Share your experiences if you feel comfortable

Receive welcome keychain tags marking sobriety milestones:

• 30 days
• 60 days
• 90 days
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 1 year
• 18 months
• Multiple years