Are You a Newcomer?
Welcome! You are in the right place.
"We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness." -Alcoholics Anonymous, page 83 (Into Action)
SISTX Newcomer Packet
Resources for AA Newcomers
Keep coming back, it works if you work it.
On this page and in our Newcomer Packet, you will find information for AA newcomers.
Request an online phone list for additional support by asking a Host or Co-host in any meeting.
We have four women's AA meetings a day, seven days a week!
Do you need to phone into a Meeting? Find the phone number and login information HERE
Find In-Person Meetings and AA Apps
Resources to find meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous
Online Intergroup of AA - A full directory of online meetings
Houston Intergroup - Meetings - Find meeting local to Houston, TX
Meeting Chair - Mobile App - Alcoholics Anonymous now has a mobile app to help find "Meetings near me" - App available for Android and iPhone
3 Key Suggestions to Stay Sober
1. The book, “Alcoholic Anonymous”
The first 164 pages of this book contains the program of recovery. Feel free to ask the Host at any AA meeting to help you get a copy of the book. You will also hear the book Alcoholics Anonymous most frequently referred to as the “Big Book”.
2. A Sponsor
A sponsor in AA is someone who has recovered through the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as outlined in the Big Book and is willing to take someone else through the same work.
3. A Home Group
AA members attend many different meetings but belong to one group that they call their “Home Group”. This is the group where they accept service responsibilities. With membership comes the right to vote on issues that affect the group and might also affect AA as a whole. As with all group-conscience matters, each AA member has one vote; this is voiced through the home group.
The 24-Hour Plan
The Plan
One of the most effective ways to stay sober is by focusing on the present—adopting the 24-Hour Plan. Live in today, leaving yesterday behind and not anticipating tomorrow. Take it one day at a time; if you make today count, you’ll do well.
Going to a meeting everyday will also help keep you focused on recovery. Sometimes you may hear us say, "Do 90 meetings in 90 days."
Remember: no matter how long you’ve been sober, just one drink can lead to a relapse. It’s the first drink that starts the cycle. Whether you’ve been sober for a day, a month, or a decade, commit to staying sober today.
Each morning, decide not to drink for that day alone. At night, reflect with gratitude on another day of sobriety. Repeat this simple commitment daily, and soon, you’ll have a week, a month, or even a year of continuous sobriety—still, one day at a time.
Take from a manual for Alcoholics Anonymous (the Akron Manual), first published in1939
Questions and Answers on Sponsorship
Understanding Sponsorship in A.A.
In A.A., sponsorship is a partnership between two equals—just as it was for Bill W. and Dr. Bob. It’s a vital relationship where an alcoholic, who has made progress in recovery, shares their experience, strength, and hope with another alcoholic who is seeking to find or sustain sobriety.
Starting in A.A. can feel overwhelming. Newcomers may feel lost, apprehensive, and unsure about how to “live sober.” Although questions are welcomed at meetings, they may not be enough to address the challenges we face between meetings. This is where the role of a sponsor becomes invaluable—a trusted A.A. member who offers continuous support, someone you can speak with freely and confidentially.
Finding a Sponsor
Choosing a sponsor is a personal decision. Look for someone you feel comfortable with and can trust to guide you through the early stages of your recovery journey. Sponsors are available for the asking—whether you’re a newcomer hesitant to reach out or a member who has been navigating sobriety alone, don’t delay. Sponsorship is part of how A.A. members “give away” their sobriety to keep it, strengthening their own recovery by helping others. For a Sisters in Sobriety Texas "Phone and Sponsor List" email: sisitersinsobrietytexas@gmail.com.
A Two-Way Street to Recovery
Sponsorship, though informal and unwritten, is fundamental to A.A.’s approach to recovery through the Twelve Steps. It’s a rewarding, long-term connection that benefits both the sponsor and the sponsored.
This page offers insights into sponsorship: for those seeking sponsors, for members eager to share their sobriety, and for groups interested in fostering sponsorship as part of their recovery community.
Text taken from the pamphlet: "Questions and Answers on Sponsorship" from AA.org. View pamphlet here.
Suggested Books to Start Reading
While there are many books on sobriety, the core solution of Alcoholics Anonymous and its Twelve Steps are laid out in the first 164 pages of the Big Book. This is the best place to begin your journey. We recommend finding a sponsor to guide you through the A.A. Twelve Steps, offering support and experience as you work toward lasting recovery.
The Big Book is our foundational text, available here online one chapter at a time. We encourage you to consider purchasing your own copy through your local Intergroup to support your recovery journey and have a complete reference as you grow. Start with the first 164 pages or these chapters below:
The Doctor's Opinion
Bill’s Story
There Is a Solution
More About Alcoholism
This essential guide explains each of the Twelve Steps and Traditions in depth. The online version provides access one chapter at a time. For ongoing reference, please consider buying your own copy through your local Intergroup.
Start each day with inspiration and focus from A.A. literature. The Daily Reflections page offers short meditations to keep you centered in the Program’s principles.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS SAFETY