Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, is an international fellowship group of both current and recovered alcoholics who provide mutual support to each other in order to achieve and maintain sobriety. Founded in 1935, the group follows a set of principles known as the Twelve Steps, which have a distinct spiritual essence but are relatively nondenominational, and the Twelve Traditions, which outline both the internal functions of AA groups and how they should interact with society as a whole. Members of AA are encouraged to acknowledge that they are powerless over alcohol and to seek help from a “higher power” of their own understanding.
