You do not need to know anything. You do not need to have decided anything. You do not need to be ready. The room is open, the schedule is fixed, and the only thing required to attend is the willingness to entertain the idea of a life without the substances that have been running yours.
Here is everything else you might want to know before the first meeting.
The schedule
AWNA meets online every day of the week. The full schedule, with its current next-meeting countdown, is on the homepage. The pattern is:
- Every day — 3:00 PM Eastern on WhatsApp
Meetings run for an hour. The WhatsApp link is on the homepage. You do not need to register.
What happens in the hour
The chair welcomes everyone. Someone reads the Preamble — the short statement of who we are and what we do. Someone reads Our Primary Purpose — the reminder that we are here for recovery from substances, not for general life advice. Someone reads the Twelve Steps.
Then a member shares for a few minutes — usually about what is working in their recovery, or about a step they are on, or about a difficulty they are sitting with. After the chair share, the room opens for everyone else. Members raise hands and share, one at a time, for two or three minutes each. Nobody interrupts. Nobody gives advice.
In the last few minutes, someone reads the Closing Prayer — the Serenity Prayer walked through line by line. The chair thanks everyone. The room ends on time. Members often stay on the line for a few minutes afterward to talk informally, and you are welcome to stay too.
How to stay anonymous
The fellowship's name has Anonymous in it for a reason. You can attend with your camera off. You can use any name on WhatsApp — most members use a first name only, or just a first name with a last initial. You do not need to give your real name, your job, your address, or anything else. There is no sign-in. There is no list of attendees kept anywhere.
If you are worried about being recognised, you can attend a meeting in a different time zone from where you live. You can attend without a microphone. You can attend without a camera. Several members have, for years, simply listened.
The principle in the rooms is that what you hear in the meeting stays in the meeting, and who you see in the meeting stays in the meeting. We don't gossip. We don't repeat what was shared. We respect the anonymity of everyone in the room, including ourselves.
What to do during the hour
Find a quiet room. Put your phone on silent. Make a cup of herbal tea — not coffee. Sit in a chair where you can stay comfortable for an hour. Open the meeting link a couple of minutes before the meeting starts. On WhatsApp, mute your microphone and choose whether to have your camera on or off.
Then listen. If you find that you are barely paying attention because of nerves, that is fine. The first meeting is not for absorbing content. It is for being in the room.
What if you have to leave early
Leave. Quietly close the laptop. No one will be offended. No one will follow up. Members come in late and leave early all the time. There is no etiquette to learn. The meeting is on whether you are there or not.
If you want more than the meeting
Between meetings, the fellowship gathers on WhatsApp. The group is moderately active — members check in, share readings, post when they are struggling. You can join silently and read. You can post. You can leave when you no longer need it.
If you want a sponsor — a member who will walk you through the steps and be available between meetings — listen at a few meetings, identify someone whose recovery sounds like one you would want, and message them. Most members are honoured to be asked. Sponsorship is one of the ways recovery stays alive.
If you want to do more than attend, ask the chair after the meeting whether anyone needs help. The fellowship is run entirely by members, on a volunteer basis. The opportunities are simple and many.
And if you don't come back
That is also fine. The door is open and stays open. We will be here every day at three, on WhatsApp. When you are ready, the room will be ready.