Mini Series 6 - Myth: AA meetings are secret

Busting Addiction and Its Myths

In this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth:
Myth: AA meetings are secret.

1. Some AA meetings are known as "closed" meetings which are private (not secret) affairs open to those who would prefer to keep their membership private.
2. The second type of AA meeting is called an "open" meeting which is open to the public. This is where an AA member, and often an Al-Anon member, shares their stories as a way of educating the public on how they have recovered. Al-Anon was founded 70 years ago for the families and friends of alcoholics to give them the means to recover themselves.
3. In fact, very little is not disclosed in the fellowship of AA. It is a 501C3 not-for-profit organisation that has its books open to the public for inspection and is obliged to file tax returns and provide a full accounting on an annual basis.
4. The idea of secrecy stems from the days when there was a stigma associated with membership in AA, and there still is to an extent. We feel that every AA member has the right to privacy, and even though I can disclose my membership, I have no right to disclose yours.

Although the idea of AA being a "secret society" is a myth that still lingers, our responsibility as AA members to share the truth endures as well.