Alcoholics Anonymous AA: Support Through 12 Steps

For more information on other treatment options, contact a treatment provider today. While the 12 Steps originated in Alcoholics Anonymous, they are now the standard for nearly all addiction recovery groups, The steps are presented in linear fashion, but participants see them as an ongoing circle. Steps may be revisited until the individual feels comfortable with that stage of their recovery process.

Consequently, it may not be realistic to expect to find general predictors of affiliation and outcome with AA. Tonigan and colleagues analyzed whether sample origin (i.e., sample recruitment from outpatient or inpatient settings) affected the correlation between consumption-related factors and AA affiliation.

AA Thailand

In 1983, a review stated that the AA program’s focus on admission of having a problem increases deviant stigma and strips members of their previous cultural identity, replacing it with the deviant identity. A 1985 study based on observations of AA meetings warned of detrimental iatrogenic effects of the twelve-step philosophy and concluded that AA uses many methods that are also used by cults. A later review disagreed, stating that https://ecosoberhouse.com/ AA’s program bore little resemblance to religious cult practices. In 2014, Vaillant published a paper making the case that Alcoholics Anonymous is not a cult. “Thirteenth-stepping” is a pejorative term for AA members approaching new members for dates. A study in the Journal of Addiction Nursing sampled 55 women in AA and found that 35% of these women had experienced a “pass” and 29% had felt seduced at least once in AA settings.

AA meetings do not exclude other alcoholics, though some meetings cater to specific demographics such as gender, profession, age, sexual orientation, or culture. Meetings in the United States are held in a variety of languages including Armenian, English, Farsi, Finnish, French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. A member who accepts a service position or an organizing role is a “trusted servant” with terms rotating and limited, typically lasting three months to two years and determined by group vote and the nature of the position. Each group is a self-governing entity with AA World Services acting only in an advisory capacity. AA is served entirely by alcoholics, except for seven “nonalcoholic friends of the fellowship” of the 21-member AA Board of Trustees. Following his hospital discharge, Wilson joined the Oxford Group and tried to recruit other alcoholics to the group.

“Closed” Vs. “Open” Meetings

They had been involved in a non-alcoholic fellowship group that focused on spiritual values which helped Bill what is alcoholics anonymous achieve sobriety. He maintained his sobriety by working with other alcoholics to help them get sober.

• The 12 traditions of AA serve as the foundation of the organization.
• Every resource AA has is dedicated to helping people maintain their sobriety.
• Research has not demonstrated that AA is more effective than other approaches to recovery from drinking problems.
• Conversely, philosophical differences could negatively affect a patient’s involvement and outcome with AA.

The Big Book provides stories of inspiration and recovery resources that will help you on your journey to achieving long-term sobriety. In it, the book explains both the 12 steps and 12 traditions of AA. As you move to the second half of the book, you will find personal stories from those who have overcome an AUD.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous? – Definition, Meetings & Steps

Have a confidential, completely free conversation with a treatment provider about your financial options. This first sentence has been revised to reflect conclusions drawn by William Schaberg’s exhaustive research into 1930s AA documents. The results published in Writing the Big Book clarify many details, rewriting history. Many statements made online, and in earlier books, including Susan Cheever’s book referenced next, need to be reconsidered. Flight — a 2012 film starring Denzel Washington as an alcoholic airline pilot.