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)
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."