The history of Alcoholics Anonymous began in 1935 following a meeting between Bill W., a stockbroker from New York, and Dr. Bob. Both were alcoholics who had tried many ways to stop drinking and failed. Bill realized that the only way to maintain his sobriety was to share his experience and carry the message to other alcoholics.

The Revolutionary Discovery: Not a character defect, but an illness

At that meeting, Bill shared with Dr. Bob a medical insight he learned from his physician, Dr. Silkworth: Alcoholism is not a moral failure, but an illness of the mind, emotions, and body. This understanding, along with the deep identification created between them, helped Dr. Bob get sober. Both began to work immediately with other alcoholics, with the clear understanding that cooperation between alcoholics provides a power like no other.

The Birth of the Fellowship and 'The Big Book'

The first groups began to grow, and the first members decided to put their experience into writing to carry the message forward. The Fellowship published its basic textbook, where recovering members first recorded their stories and the principles they believed helped them. The book combined personal stories intended to instill hope and prove to readers that recovery is a possible reality for anyone.

From a Small Movement to Global Hope

The significant public breakthrough came in 1941, after a sympathetic article about the program was published in the 'Saturday Evening Post' magazine by journalist Jack Alexander. The article led to a flood of inquiries from desperate alcoholics and their families, and the number of members began to soar rapidly.

English: Over time, A.A. grew to immense proportions worldwide, while maintaining its most basic rule: The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop drinking. Today, we continue to offer free help, while maintaining the principle of attraction rather than promotion and the anonymity of our members.