Just a side note I thought of when someone above mentioned people not necessarily wanting to announce their membership in AA.
This is a very personal decision and my choice has been full, open disclosure. It was at first a gradual thing and a slightly different conversation with different people, but as I worked in the restaurant industry, it was something I felt comfortable having known - it's a place rife with addiction but absolutely a place one can be sober. At 14 mo I began leading a non-AA/NA recovery group for the restaurant industry, have since joined the Board and in all areas of my life, my RECOVERY is an open story. I certainly don't share all the gory details with anyone (except my sponsor through the steps and beyond) but between just normal talk about my life, my blog which is not explicitly about alcoholism but if you are familiar with recovery and addiction at all you see the theme threaded throughout, and in my promotion and fundraising and everything I do for our group.
This works for me. It is a beautiful thing how my story has unfolded and I can be of clarity and purpose when talking to others - if anyone is helped in some way by knowing that they could talk to me, or by an offhand remark I say that sparks a common topic or....that's more than worth any possible negatives being so public might have.
My husband is completely comfortable with this. My parents aren't so much; my mom and my parents as a couple are still very private about my mom's alcoholism, even with me. I respect their choices and they (mostly) respect mine.
The important thing for all of us is finding the help we need!