Start where you are
You do not have to solve everything today.
Whether you are worried about your own drinking, trying to understand AA, or watching someone you love struggle, begin with the question in front of you.
If anyone may be in immediate danger, experiencing severe withdrawal, or at risk of harming themselves or someone else, contact emergency services or a qualified medical professional.
Choose your route
What brings you here?
Pick the closest answer. Each path leads to a focused guide, not another wall of information.
I think I may have a problem
Start with practical questions, what early recovery can look like, and where to find help.
Open the newcomer guide → Alcoholics AnonymousI am new to AA
Understand meetings, common language, sponsorship, and what is suggestion rather than rule.
Learn how AA works → Someone I care aboutI am worried about another person
Learn what you can do, where your responsibility ends, and how to protect your own footing.
Read the family guide → Life after early sobrietyI have been sober for a while
Explore responsibility, relationships, purpose, and the questions that arrive after the crisis passes.
Explore later recovery →For the next 24 hours
Keep the first moves simple.
Say clearly what is happening to one trustworthy person.
Use professional care when needed and peer support when it helps.
Attend a meeting, make a call, or read the guide that fits your situation.
Common questions
Useful context before you go further.
What this site can do
Offer experience, not a diagnosis.
Pause When Agitated is an independent resource based on lived experience. It does not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous and cannot replace medical, psychiatric, or emergency care.
Read the medical disclaimer and AA disclaimer. Questions about the site may be sent through the contact page.