Maggie’s and AA: What’s the Difference?

The Magdalen House & Alcoholics Anonymous 

Attending a meeting at The Magdalen House often feels exactly like attending an AA meeting. While the two have many similarities, The Magdalen House is not Alcoholics Anonymous. But why is that? While both serve the same purpose and use the same curriculum, several key differences exist.

So, what is the primary difference?

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who come together and help others to solve their drinking problem; membership is open to anyone who wishes to stop drinking.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who come together and help others to solve their drinking problem; membership is open to anyone who wishes to stop drinking.

AA is a separate entity where all members are equal and are not governed by a group or individual. It is an unstructured organization with each group following the traditions and rules of their group.

The Magdalen House is a non-profit organization offering social services to people in our community who are struggling with alcoholism. Just like other non-profits that help people who struggle with housing, domestic violence, mental health, or other public needs, our mission is focused on offering a solution to a problem that affects thousands of individuals in the DFW area.

Our agency is run as a business with operational infrastructure, budgets, paid staff, and strategic plans for growth to ensure that we consistently provide high-quality services to benefit our clients, volunteers, and the North Texas community.

Our agency is run as a business with operational infrastructure, budgets, paid staff, and strategic plans for growth to ensure that we consistently provide high-quality services to benefit our clients, volunteers, and the North Texas community.

The Magdalen House is mainly run by volunteers who freely give their time to help keep our budget sustainable. However, those individuals in recovery who lead our classes, speak at our workshops and sponsor our clients are participating in their recovery by carrying the message as a part of their spiritual program. The Magdalen House works with individual members of AA, who represent their respective AA groups, to connect our clients with the solution to alcoholism. Therefore, while our meetings are 12-step recovery meetings, they are not AA meetings.

The Magdalen House works with individual members of AA, who represent their respective AA groups, to connect our clients with the solution to alcoholism. Therefore, while our meetings are 12-step recovery meetings, they are not AA meetings.

We both use The Big Book

The Alcoholics Anonymous book, also known as “The Big Book,” is the basic text of AA. Essentially, it is the textbook used to outline a program of recovery from alcoholism. The Big Book not only outlines the problem of alcoholism, but it also presents the solution based on 12 Steps. Since The Big Book is not copyrighted, anyone can use it as a textbook, like The Magdalen House does, using the exact words, principles, and criteria heard in AA.

The Big Book is not copyrighted, anyone can use it as a textbook, like The Magdalen House does, using the exact words, principles, and criteria heard in AA.

We choose to base our curriculum on 12-step spiritual principles because it is a proven solution that works. We focus on educating individuals on the disease of alcoholism first and foremost while providing a safe space for them to begin their recovery journey and connect them to community resources to meet their needs. We also offer information on AA meetings and strongly encourage our clients to get involved in AA.

Some of our programs have intake requirements

By being a separate entity from Alcoholics Anonymous, we can be very specific in our services, procedures, and our structure.

By being a separate entity from Alcoholics Anonymous, we can be very specific in our services, procedures, and our structure.

For example, we provide gender-specific programs, meaning that men cannot attend meetings and workshops at our women’s house and vice versa. This allows us to ensure that we are providing a safe space for individuals to begin their recovery journey.

Additionally, while any individual in recovery can attend our meetings, we are very thorough in our phone screening process for prospective First Step and Next Step participants, and our volunteers go through orientations and trainings so that we ensure we are offering the best care possible.

Overall, The Magdalen House is an agency that provides recovery services to those who suffer from alcoholism and their families while at the same time aiming to shatter the stigma by educating our clients, their families, and the broader community on the disease of alcoholism.