Challenging Alcoholic's Anonymous As The Leading Form Of Addiction Treatment

Opposing Views ^ | 02/13/2014 | By Will Hagle

[Responsibility2nd]

Alcoholics Anonymous and its related groups for other substances are undeniably the de facto standard for addiction treatment. The AA meeting is so prevalent throughout society that it has become a cliché in cinema and television. To many, it seems like the only solution. 

Pacific Standard recently ran a piece with the headline “After 75 Years of Alcoholics Anonymous, It’s Time to Admit We Have a Problem.” According to the article, “90 percent of American addiction treatment programs employed the 12-step approach” by the year 2000." The article argues that although it is the dominant form of addiction treatment, Alcoholic’s Anonymous’ religious-based, 12-step approach might not be the best option.

In his new anti-AA book Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America's Greatest Tragedy, former director of Harvard's substance abuse treatment unit Dr. Lance Dodes writes the following: “Alcoholic’s Anonymous was proclaimed the correct treatment for alcoholism over seventy-five years ago despite the absence of any scientific evidence of the approach’s efficacy. And we have been on the wrong path ever since.”

In fact, several alternatives to AA do exist. HAMS, for instance, is a harm reduction program that encourages addicts to complete small, realistic goals such as slowly reducing alcohol or drug use. There is also the Secular Organizations for Sobriety, a method that emphasizes participants need not submit to a higher power as AA requires them to do. There are many other addiction recovery options.  

None of these options, however, have taken over AA’s spot as the most prominent pathway to ending addiction. The difficulty in establishing an effective treatment program is that many of the programs require mental and behavioral therapy rather than medical treatment. SMART Recovery, the first result returned on Google after a search for “alternatives to Alcoholic’s Anonymous,” refers to addiction as a “bad habit” rather than a disease, emphasizing the “motivation” to quit. 

The ways in which American society treats nicotine addiction has always differed from the ways in which it treats alcohol and other drugs. There are nicotine patches, gum, and now electronic cigarettes that purport to lead to smoking cessation.  Medication in the form of a pill even exists. Varenicline, most commonly known as the brand Chantix, reduces an individual’s urge to smoke and even causes cigarettes to taste worse.  

There are also pharmaceutical drugs on the market that help reduce the urge to drink alcohol or other drugs (methadone being a common example for use in drug detoxification). But, of course, using medication to curb the problem is simply introducing a to which an addict’s body and mind becomes accustomed. 

As Pacific Standard notes, addiction is a multifactorial disease about which we still know extremely little. Treatment programs such as AA might be beneficial to a certain degree, but it’s time to increase the collective effort to discover better treatment options. 

Get More: addiction | Alcohol and Drugs | alcoholics anonymous |

[LonePalm]

I know that AA saved my life. God willing I will be clean and sober for 8 years on Sunday.

I know of no way that AA could harm an individual. The worst case is that postpones their death, incarceration, or commitment to a mental institution.

Statistics on recovery rates are largely meaningless as recovery or not depends on the willingness of the individual to follow the program and not the program itself. While I have no figures to back it up, I firmly believe that AA helped more people in the US recover in its first five years than recovered on their own in the previous 500 years world wide.

It is unfortunate that AA is not for people who need it. It is only for people who want it. It is axiomatic that everyone must hit their own personal bottom. Otherwise they will not be willing to do the emotional housecleaning necessary for recovery.

If anyone finds a method or program other than AA that works for them then I say, "Great, more power to them."

I do not understand your skepticism/ antipathy towards AA.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[TNoldman]

My wife and I participate in Celebrate Recovery at two different Churches. We have benefited greatly by 12 step programs over many years. CR is our current place and respect people who are in recovery and follow Jesus The Christ.

You are either in Recovery or you are in Denial.

[Drango]

Celebrate Recovery

FRiends...if you or anyone you know is suffering the darkness of addiction...Celebrate Recovery is the real thing. It's free and there is one near you. Google it for location.

For those needing residential treatment... Teen Challenge should be considered. Despite the name, it's for adults. Google it, there is one near you.

[TNoldman]

12 step programs exist for all addictions. Just a slight change in the1st. Step and you are on your way to recovery.

[Jeff Chandler]

Of alcoholics who came to A.A. and really tried, 50% got sober at once and remained that way; 25% sobered up after some relapses, and among the remainder, those who stayed on with A.A. showed improvement.

Those aren't real statistics. There aren't any because of the anonymity.

[Dalberg-Acton]

A tree has no power to remove the mental obsession or keep you sober. Don’t shortchange yourself, get a better God.

[Bodleian_Girl]

Agree.

[GOP Poet]

haha. You said it!!

[Jeff Chandler]

I do not understand your skepticism/ antipathy towards AA.

I have neither. I am only pointing out that nobody really knows if it is effective because there are no statistics.

One can say, It helped me, or it helped my friend, but one cannot honestly say it is better than any other method, or even better than quitting on your own. The only way to know that is to keep accurate records and compare it to accurate records of people who quit on their own.

You are welcome to believe it is effective, but that is a matter of faith. Since there are NO accurate records of AA's effectiveness, it cannot be stated as fact.

Facts are not feelings or "what everybody feels."

[Jeff Chandler]

And the fact that millions and millions have said this is powerful evidence as to the effectiveness of AA for many (but not necessarily ALL) people.

Effectiveness compared to what? Not going? Another program?

There is no way to measure its effectiveness.

[Jeff Chandler]

If you've got a shred of evidence for the claim that "AA hurts more people than it helps" then lets hear it otherwise

I never made that claim. I only pointed out that without accurate records it is possible that it does. There is no way of knowing.

[Kevmo]

I’m in the middle of starting Depression Anonymous/CR/Christ-based 12 Step groups in Silicon Valley. Notably, CR says on its material that it works for (as you say) alcohol, chemical dependency, porn, gambling. even Anger & Codependency, but it does not mention Depression. And Bill Wilson, who gave us this wonderful program in which tens of millions have experienced victory over addiction — he himself suffered from depression and was never able to conquer it. He left that to the next generation, which is... us.

[jimt]

And just what is the track record of these alternatives for producing long term sobriety?

How dare you ask such a question ? These alternatives are pimping the latest theories ! They're recommended by professionals (meaning people who do it for money).

[kgrif_Salinas]

Another attack on GOD, since all 12 Step programs are based on a belief in a Higher Power. The atheist can’t have that, so attack AA. More Leftist BS

[LonePalm]

As I pointed out before, recovery statistics for AA are meaningless. It works 100% of the time for those who apply its principles in their lives. It has worked for me because I wanted to stay sober more than I wanted to drink. I just didn't know how to do it. AA provided me with a program that worked because I was willing to do the work. Who gets the credit for me staying sober, me or AA? Who cares?

If someone comes to AA, or any other group, for whatever reason but isn't willing to do the work, their failure is their own and not a reflection on AA or whatever program they attend.

If it takes someone one, two, or twenty relapses before they become willing to follow the program do you count that as failure or success? Is the problem the program or the person? The first six guys I sponsored went out after less than a month. The next six are still sober after more than five years. Was it me? No. Nothing I could have said would have stopped the first six from going out. Nothing I could have said to the second six would have made them drink because they WANTED to be sober more than they wanted to drink.

That AA works for so many people of varying ages, social status, income, religion (or not), education (or not), language, or culture strikes me as a testament to its effectiveness and applicability.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[tomkat]

.. a harm reduction program that encourages addicts to complete small, realistic goals such as slowly reducing alcohol or drug use ..

Good luck with that        d:^)

[tomkat]

For all we know, AA hurts more people than it helps.

The passive/aggressive approach probably won't get ya much traction with this crowd.

/.02

[MD Expat in PA]

FRiends...if you or anyone you know is suffering the darkness of addiction...Celebrate Recovery is the real thing. It's free and there is one near you. Google it for location.

“Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. It is based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory. 20 years ago, Saddleback Church launched Celebrate Recovery with 43 people. It was designed as a program to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process. Celebrate Recovery has helped more than 17000 people at Saddleback, attracting over 70% of its members from outside the church. Eighty-five percent of the people who go through the program stay with the church and nearly half serve as church volunteers.”

Rick Warren and the Saddleback Church? No thanks. Not for me. But if it helps some people, great! I am certainly not opposed to whatever works.

But the problem as I see it with this and similarly Bible based and Christ centered recovery programs is that unless you are already a member of that church or are already of a similar mindset religiously it might be a turn off. This program also helps people with “hurts, habits and hang-ups”. But understand an alcoholic who has reached rock bottom, has just come off a bender after losing their job, family, friends and can’t stop drinking, may not identify with someone who is not an alcoholic and simply has a “hang up” or a bad habit like shopping too much or smoking or eating too much or is just “hurting” because they can’t get a date, their marriage broke up, their kids aren’t turning out right, their dad just died and that makes them sad…. whatever that “hurt” is.

The beauty of AA is its single purpose * and simplicity; one alcoholic who has been there and done that, gone to Hell and back and is now living a happy sober life and helping the new comer.

I understand that some have issues with AA and the “Higher Power” being too inclusive and not Christ centered, but again that is why AA works for so many. AA doesn’t preclude a Christ centered recovery or membership in a church like Saddleback but it also welcomes the Catholic, the Jew, the Buddhist, the Mormon, Hindu the agnostic or Atheist - any alcoholic seeking help without pre-conditions.

A program like Celebrate Recover might work wonders for someone who is already a follower of Rick Warren’s preaching and books, but probably not so much for someone who is not; a Catholic or Jew (or someone raised in many other faiths) for instance or someone who has rejected organized religion, an agnostic, someone who has tried religion to “cure” them and it didn’t work or was told it was because they were sinners rather than suffering from an addiction. The last thing many want is to be beaten over the head with a Bible. I’m sorry to say that but in my experience, that is true for a lot of alcoholics.

* Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

The problem with AA and the “secular” program is Step 3 and Step 10, where they talk about “God as we understood Him”. Members drive a truck through that loophole, so much so that if M someone says that Jesus is God then they are very likely to get keyed up on for “bringing religion to the forum”.

I used to attend a lot of AA meetings with my husband and many Al-Anon meetings on my own before and after his recovery and I never witnessed anyone being admonished or shut down for talking about their Higher Power being God or Jesus or for being a Christian.

But I was at a meeting once where the person was celebrating 10 years of sobriety but hadn’t been going to AA or Al-Anon meetings for last 4 years, had no longer been involved in AA at all and this person didn’t talk very much about her “drunk a log”, what happened and how I got here, what life is like now”, she didn’t share her experience, strength and hope, but instead used the meeting to proselytize her rather new found faith and go on to tell those at the meeting that unless they accepted Jesus Christ exactly in the way she did, follow the preacher she was following, be a member of her church, that they would not only not stay sober but in fact they would go to Hell and told the group that while AA was her beginning and opened the door to her God, that AA was not the answer.

But while this made quite a few of us uncomfortable and a few that she called on to share, tried to get back on point, nobody tried to stop her from sharing or tried to shut her up. But after the meeting a few old timers had a talk with her; explaining to her and reminding her of AA’s sole purpose and asking her to remember what she was like when she attended her very first AA meeting as they remembered her then, and if she, someone BTW who used to be an agnostic, a former non-believer but a suffering alcoholic and a IV drug and coke addict, how she would have felt and how she would have reacted if at her very first AA meeting she had heard someone say the things she said that night, they asked her to honestly ask herself if she would have walked out and never came back. She had no answer and waked out and didn't come back for a long time. And that was a shame because she had a powerful story and message to share without all the proselytizing.

The last I knew of her through some mutual friends, she had divorced her husband, a fellow recovering alcoholic because he wasn’t sufficiently religious when he came to find that the church they had been attending was not Christian and Bible based but rather cultish. She then cut off all ties with her family and former friends and had accused her father, brother and uncle and husband, even her teenage son of sexually abusing her because her preacher told her she must have been, that that was the cause of her alcohol and drug abuse and implanted in her “false” memories through some sort of “regression” therapy combined with demonic exorcism. She finally left that church but the damage was already done, she went back to drinking for a time and eventually came back to AA a much more humble person and while still a believer in Christ as her savior, not so quick to judge others.

[Kevmo]

Well, my first response to such a Wall-Of-Text response is to suggest that this issue should have its own thread.

[Jeff Chandler]

For all we know, AA hurts more people than it helps.

The passive/aggressive approach probably won't get ya much
traction with this crowd.

You have misidentified the purpose of that comment. I was pointing out that we can't know what the efficacy of the program is. We can't even know what the net outcomes are, because nobody keeps track of them.

It's all fine and well to sing praises because of some alleged positive outcomes, but if you're not keeping track of the results, you can't quantify them or compare them to the results of other paths taken.

That's not hostility, that's reality.

I don't intend to offend the True Believers, just to inject logic into the conversation.