AA and Outside Issues
A.A. keeps one primary purpose while meeting alcoholics in a world of medicine, treatment, courts, religion, politics, other fellowships, and professional services.
This section walks through how primary purpose, singleness of purpose, nonprofessional status, non-affiliation, outside issues, group autonomy, and cooperation but not affiliation define those relationships.
AA and Religion
A.A. is not a religious organization or allied with one; its spiritual program includes members with different beliefs and no religious belief.
2AA and Medicine
A.A. does not diagnose or provide medical treatment; no member should play doctor, and medical advice belongs with a qualified physician.
3AA and Psychiatry
A.A. is nonprofessional and does not provide psychiatric treatment; members with mental health issues may also receive qualified professional care.
4AA and Therapy
A.A. meetings and sponsorship share recovery experience; they are not psychological or therapeutic treatment.
5AA and Treatment Centers
Treatment Committees carry the message in treatment settings and bridge people to community A.A. while remaining non-affiliated.
6AA and Other Twelve-Step Fellowships
Singleness of purpose keeps A.A. focused on alcoholism; other Twelve-Step fellowships remain separate organizations.
7AA and Drugs
A.A. addresses alcoholism and problems other than alcohol through singleness of purpose, meeting access, and qualified medical boundaries.
8AA and Politics
Tradition Ten keeps the A.A. name out of political and other outside controversies while members retain personal views.
9AA and Courts
A.A. welcomes court referrals and cooperates with court professionals without supervision, progress reporting, or affiliation.
10Court-Ordered Attendance
Proof of attendance is not A.A. procedure; there is no set method, and each autonomous group decides whether it will cooperate.
11AA and Professional Treatment
A.A. provides nonprofessional recovery help; diagnosis and treatment remain the work of qualified professionals.
12What AA Does Not Do
The complete A.A.W.S. boundary: no recruiting, records, diagnosis, treatment, welfare services, outside contributions, affiliation, or controversy.
13Non-Affiliation
Tradition Six says an A.A. group does not endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to an outside enterprise.
14Cooperation Without Affiliation
C.P.C. service shares accurate information, accepts appropriate referrals, and improves access while keeping responsibilities separate.
Related tools and references
Official A.A. sources for this section
These A.A.W.S. sources establish the vocabulary and boundaries used throughout the fourteen walkthroughs.
- The Twelve TraditionsPrimary purpose, group autonomy, non-affiliation, nonprofessional status, self-support, and outside issues.
- A.A. Fact SheetThe official working summary of what A.A. does and does not do.
- A.A. can support professionalsPersonal recovery, continued sobriety, defined limits, and cooperation but not affiliation.
- How A.A. Members Cooperate with ProfessionalsConcrete examples of cooperation while preserving the Twelve Traditions.
- Information on Alcoholics AnonymousSingleness of purpose, open and closed meetings, and what people referred to A.A. should expect.