A new study concludes that the Alcoholics Anonymous program is the most effective way to treat alcohol use disorder. The researchers said people who complete the organization’s 12-step program have better success at abstinence as well as relationships with family members and friends.
Full Answer
What is AA and how can it help me?
“AA is the most commonly sought source of help for alcohol addiction and alcohol-related problems in the United States and has been shown to help people attain and maintain long-term recovery,” says study leader John F. Kelly, associate director of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Addiction Medicine, a Harvard affiliate.
How does AA help people recover from addiction over time?
“Our findings are shedding light on how AA helps people recover from addiction over time. The results suggest that social context factors are key; the people who associate with individuals attempting to begin recovery can be crucial to their likelihood of success. AA appears adept at facilitating and supporting those social changes.”.
How effective is Alcoholics Anonymous for alcohol use disorder treatment?
Insofar as the symptoms of AUD vary from person to person, the effectiveness of treatment approaches can also vary among individuals. More research is needed to determine which individuals would benefit most from AA or other treatment strategies. Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder.
Is AA the most effective way to abstain from alcohol?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the worldwide fellowship of sobriety seekers, is the most effective path to abstinence. So says a study published today in Cochrane Database of Systematic Review.
What are the benefits of AA?
The benefits of AAMeetings are free.There is no obligation to join.You can go as often as you wish to any meeting, in any location.There are no intrusive questions or obligations.You can retain anonymity.Open to everyone regardless of race, religion or beliefs.It creates a network of support.
Does AA have a good success rate?
Alcoholics Anonymous' Big Book touts about a 50% success rate, stating that another 25% remain sober after some relapses. A study conducted by AA in 2014 showed that 27% of the more than 6,000 members who participated in the study were sober for less than a year.
What type of therapy does AA use?
Alcoholics Anonymous, a completely anonymous program, does not offer professional counseling or inpatient rehab. Rather, it provides peer-based support to people who are experiencing an alcohol addiction. Participants in the program work through 12 steps using the 12 traditions of the program.
What is the main goal of AA?
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who are able to relate and share their experiences, strength, and hopes with each other in order to solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism.
What is the average length of sobriety in AA?
14 percent of AA members stay sober between 10 and 20 years. 22 percent of AA members stay sober 20 or more years. The average length of AA member sobriety is nearly 10 years.
How do you stay sober forever?
Even if you have cravings to use, be honest with yourself. Once you acknowledge these thoughts for yourself, you can reach out to your sober friends for help. Staying sober forever is really about staying sober one day or one moment at a time. You can't do recovery alone.
Is AA considered CBT?
But AA and other similar programs employ some compelling cognitive and behavioral interventions. So let's not compare AA with CBT. AA is CBT.
Is CBT more effective than AA?
The 2020 Cochrane results show that AA is more effective than CBT, can also help some people maintain continuous abstinence, and may be a factor in higher intensity drinking when continuous abstinence is broken.
Can you get addicted to therapy?
And by permitting the patient to avoid the anxiety, trepidation and sadness of termination, therapists perpetuate a dependency on therapy every bit as addictive as any drug.
What is the philosophy of AA?
The main purpose and mission of Alcoholics Anonymous members are to stay sober and help others achieve sobriety. So that even when someone has overcome their addiction, they stay within the fellowship and help others overcome their addiction, and this also keeps them from relapsing.
How does AA define an alcoholic?
In general, an alcoholic is someone who suffers from alcoholism. Alcoholics Anonymous defines this as “a physical compulsion, coupled with a mental obsession to consume alcohol,”in which cravings for alcohol are always catered to, even at times when they should not be.
How Does AA Help? By Providing a Helping Hand
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded on the principle that those with addiction had fallen out of control of their life. The main principles behind AA include the 12 steps, which help walk a person through a myriad of processes. These include accepting the fact that they have an addiction.
AA Provides High-Quality Motivation
So, how does AA help those with addiction? By not only providing a helping hand but motivating high-quality recovery attempts. For example, those going through treatment often hear stories about how alcoholism has affected the lives of others. They then share these experiences with others in an attempt to make secure connections.
Rehab Can Adapt to Meet AA Needs
Those going through AA may want to try professional drug rehab treatment. This option provides many benefits that enhance your chances of recovery. First of all, rehab centers help manage withdrawal symptoms to ensure that you don’t experience excessive pain. This step should help you focus more on your emotional health.
Ways That We Can Help
If you want a full answer to, “How does AA help?” please contact us at The Right Step today. When you call 17135283709, you get access to many high-quality treatments. We provide behavior adjustments, the 12-step program, relapse help, and aftercare treatment. So please verify your insurance to get started.
What is Alcoholism?
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that causes your brain to release more GABA than it should. GABA is a type of pleasure-inducing neurotransmitter that creates positive and calming feelings and emotions. Unfortunately, alcohol also lowers inhibitions and impairs judgment. Drinking in large amounts can also cause:
How Does AA Help During Recovery?
So, how does AA help during recovery? AA is a recovery-focused 12 step group that creates a supportive environment focused on helping members maintain sobriety. Many inpatient and outpatient alcohol abuse programs and treatment centers utilize 12 step recovery principles and host AA meetings.
Connecting with a Treatment Center
When you’re struggling with a drinking problem or alcoholism, it can feel embarrassing, frustrating, and confusing. Having a strong desire to quit is oftentimes not enough to achieve sobriety. However, treatment and groups like AA can make recovery possible.
What did Alcoholics Anonymous teach me?
Alcoholics Anonymous taught me to take an honest look at myself and the damage that I have caused. As part of my recovery, I am supposed to make direct amends to those people that I’ve hurt.
What did I learn from listening to the old timers in AA?
Listening to the “old-timers” in AA, I learned that my stubbornness was one of my biggest character defects. Obviously, to any sane person, my way of thinking was flawed, and so, my way of doing things usually just make things worse.
Is there a family member who has a problem with alcohol?
There is at least one in every family – a relative who has a not-too-subtle problem with alcohol. Maybe they’re always making a fool of themselves at family gatherings, maybe they just can’t seem to keep a job, or maybe they’re always getting into one legal scrape or another, all because of drinking.
How does AA help you?
A broad range of factors associated with AA participation have been identified as contributing to recovery including changes in social networks, maintaining motivation, confidence in the ability to cope with the demands of recovery, decreased depression symptoms, and increased spirituality — but no study as yet has been able to determine the relative importance of those mechanisms.
How does AA affect recovery?
Overall results indicated that greater participation in AA during the first three months of the study period was independently associated with more successful recovery over the following year . Of the behavioral changes associated with AA attendance, changes in social networks — more contacts with people who supported abstinence and fewer with those who would encourage drinking — and greater confidence in the ability to maintain sobriety in social situations were most strongly connected with recovery success. Reduced depression and increased spirituality or religious practices also had a significant independent role in the recovery of participants who had received inpatient treatment and probably had been more seriously dependent on alcohol.
Why is it important to participate in AA?
Among the many ways that participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) helps its members stay sober, two appear to be most important — spending more time with individuals who support efforts toward sobriety and increased confidence in the ability to maintain abstinence in social situations. In a paper that will appear in the journal Addiction and has been released online, researchers report the first study to examine the relative importance to successful recovery of the behavior changes associated with participation in AA.
Who funded the study of alcohol abuse?
The study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
When is Alcoholics Anonymous 2020?
Friday, March 13, 2020. Research Date Friday, March 13, 2020. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is as effective as established behavioral treatments for some people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), according to an extensive review of NIAAA-supported research and other studies.
Can AUD be treated?
Insofar as the symptoms of AUD vary from person to person, the effectiveness of treatment approaches can also vary among individuals. More research is needed to determine which individuals would benefit most from AA or other treatment strategies.
What is the most effective way to treat alcohol use disorder?
A new study concludes that the Alcoholics Anonymous program is the most effective way to treat alcohol use disorder. The researchers said people who complete the organization’s 12-step program have better success at abstinence as well as relationships with family members and friends.
What is the most effective way to abstinence?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the worldwide fellowship of sobriety seekers, is the most effective path to abstinence. So says a study published today in Cochrane Database of Systematic Review. Keith Humphreys, PhD, one of the study’s authors and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, ...
How many studies did Humphreys evaluate?
Humphreys’ team evaluated 35 studies involving the work of 145 scientists and the outcomes of more than 10,000 participants.
Does treatment success vary from person to person?
Koob points out that treatment success can vary from person to person.
Is Alcoholics Anonymous the best treatment for addiction?
Alcoholics Anonymous Is Most Effective Treatment for Addiction, Researchers Say. Researchers say Alcoholics Anonymous provides its members with a support system that’s free of charge and doesn’t require filling out paperwork. Getty Images.
How Do AA Meetings Work?
Whether or not someone wants to try or complete the 12-Step program, the first thing a person needs to do to become a member of Alcoholics Anonymous is simply attend a meeting. There , new individuals are often encouraged to share their stories, and get advice and information about the program from other members. New members are also encouraged to go to 90 meetings in 90 days – three months of daily AA meetings – in order to help them through the often very difficult early period of addiction recovery.
What is AA in the world?
As an informal society, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has helped millions of people suffering from alcohol addiction to create better lives for themselves without the use of alcohol. It’s run by and for people with addiction disorders involving alcohol, and its meetings can be found in nations all across the world.
Why do AA members need to attend meetings?
The idea is that constant vigilance and support are needed to prevent triggers and general stressors from creeping up on members and causing relapse. Members can also be assigned a “sponsor” – a more senior member of the local AA chapter who can be there for them when they’re tempted to drink again.
How to overcome addiction to alcohol?
The 12 steps are as follows: Admitting one’s powerlessness over alcohol and that alcohol has made one’s life unmanageable. Believing in a higher power that can help one overcome addiction. Deciding to turn one’s will and life over to said higher power. Making a “fearless moral inventory” of oneself.
Do you have to follow the 12 steps of AA?
Members of AA don’t necessarily have to follow the 12 Steps or complete every one of them; the only requirement is a desire to stop drinking. However, many members find success in recovery by following a version of this program.
Does Alcoholics Anonymous work?
Other than these general guidelines, membership in Alcoholics Anonymous largely works however you want it to work. How involved an individual is in the organization is up to that person, though it’s generally believed that the more effort members put in, the better off they’ll be.
Checking Your Insurance Benefits
If you are worried that you or your loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, it can feel overwhelming to look for help. As you consider your options, knowing exactly what your insurance plan covers can give you peace of mind while you or your loved one is in rehab.
Long-Term AA Success Statistics
AA success statistics are often hard to gauge because of different variables, but statistics released in 2007 by AA reported on the success of AA members and the length of sobriety: 2
