Alcoholics Anonymous (known commonly as "A.A." or "AA") is a global  camaraderie of alcoholics whose primary goal is to remain sober and carry the message of recovery from alcoholism through the Twelve Steps. A.A. is the original twelve-step program and has been the source and model for all subsequent and separate ones, such as Gamblers Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and Al-Anon/Alateen,...

An earlier group for alcoholics, known as the Washingtonians, fell apart when it tried to branch out to different goals, which A.A. has attempt to keep away from.

A.A. is thought to be the most successful treatment for alcoholism ever invented. A.A. draws a line between a "real alcoholic" and a "hard drinker", believing that unlike a hard drinker, who may have the habit badly enough to cause gradual physical and mental impairment but retain the ability to stop or moderate drinking, a real alcoholic has a disease and no amount of logic or urging or aspiration can bring a real alcoholic to lasting abstinence. A.A. deems alcoholism to be a diagnosis which can only be completed by oneself, and has no belief on abstinence for others.

There also exist a number of purely secular non-12 step programs which encourage abstinence as a recovery objective, as well as programs which promote an objective goal of self-control for "problem drinkers" as opposed to "alcoholics."