In the studies that measured outcomes other than complete abstinence, AA was found to be at least as effective. For the studies that considered costs, most showed significant savings associated with AA participation: One found that AA and 12-step facilitation counseling reduced mental health costs by $10,000 per person.
Full Answer
Are 12-step clinical treatments effective for Alcoholics Anonymous?
How Effective Is AA and 12 Step Treatment ? Published 2009 Medicine How effective are twelve step programs? Although AA has been around for more than 75 years, the real answer to this question is that no one knows. Studies which have compared AA with a control group have shown mixed results.
Is a 12-step program effective?
How effective are twelve step programs? Although AA has been around for more than 75 years, the real answer to this question is that no one knows. Studies which have compared AA with a control group have shown mixed results. This article reviews the essential studies of the effectiveness of AA and concludes that while some people find that AA is a useful aid to
How effective are AA and Na programs?
Mar 11, 2020 · ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ (or AA for short) has been a popular treatment for alcohol use disorder for decades, but much debate has persisted on whether AA – and related 12-step clinical treatments designed to increase AA participation are effective. AA are peer-led mutual-help groups. Twelve-step facilitation programs adopt some of the principles and techniques of …
How effective is Alcoholics Anonymous treatment?
Research supports the efficacy of 12-step programs like AA and NA, though several studies indicate a gender divide on who is more likely to benefit from such a program. In some cases, a 12-step program might not be as effective as other therapies, when used alone, and in other cases, it is an excellent complement to other forms of treatment.
What is the success rate of the 12 step program?
The results concluded that over 70% of those who attended a 12-step program weekly for 6 months before the two-year follow-up point were abstinent from alcohol.Mar 3, 2022
What is the actual success rate of AA?
“Peer reviewed studies peg the success rate of AA somewhere between five and 10 percent,” writes Dodes. “About one of every 15 people who enter these programs is able to become and stay sober.”Mar 25, 2014
Is AA the most effective?
AA shines. Most of the studies that measured abstinence found AA was significantly better than other interventions or no intervention. In one study, it was found to be 60% more effective. None of the studies found AA to be less effective.Mar 11, 2020
How long does it take for AA to work?
Most sponsors encourage the AA newcomer to attend 90 meetings in 90 days. That may seem like a lot and it may seem like a long time to commit to going to meetings. However, most 12-step programs, including those for people addicted to drugs, encourage new members to commit to those 90 meetings in 90 days.Jul 22, 2020
What is the hardest of the 12 steps?
Whether you're working the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Al-Anon, or any other program, the most difficult of all the steps probably step 5. This is the one that asks us to admit "our wrongs" and to do so in front of our higher power and another person.Nov 29, 2020
How do you stay sober forever?
In order to stay sober for the long run, you have to be honest with yourself. You need to acknowledge if you feel weak, lonely, or just frustrated. These thoughts are normal and feeling this way does not make you crazy or bad. Even if you have cravings to use, be honest with yourself.Jan 7, 2018
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.
Is abstinence the only solution for alcoholism?
Abstinence is not the only solution for a drinking problem. For some people, learning how to drinking more moderately and safely is a realistic and attainable goal. For others, moderation is a first step toward quitting alcohol entirely either temporarily or for the long term.
Does AA work long term?
It was found that: AA improves rates of continuous abstinence at 12 months, and that the effect continues at 24 and 36 months. This means that AA meetings and 12 step interventions are particularly better at producing continuous abstinence in the long term.Aug 13, 2020
How long is recovery AA?
The average wait time for roadside recovery is 40-60 minutes and, because you might need to stand away from your vehicle until help arrives, keep a warm coat, a reflective, high-visibility vest, and a torch in the boot. We hope you'll never have a use for them, but you'll be glad of them should a breakdown ever occur.Nov 7, 2018
How do I follow the 12 steps?
Step One: Admit Powerlessness. ... Step Two: Find Your Higher Power. ... Step Three: Turn Your Will Over to Your Higher Power. ... Step Four: The Moral Inventory. ... Step Five: Admit the Nature of Our Wrongs. ... Step Six: Reflect and Find a Willingness to Change. ... Step Seven: Ask Higher Power to Remove Your Shortcomings.More items...•Sep 22, 2016
What does working the steps mean?
me, working the Steps means studying them and applying them. I study. the Steps by reading different literature like the CoDA pamphlets or. other 12 Step literature, and attending Step meetings.
How effective are the Twelve Step Programs?
How effective are twelve step programs? Although AA has been around for more than 75 years, the real answer to this question is that no one knows. Studies which have compared AA with a control group have shown mixed results. This article reviews the essential studies of the effectiveness of AA and concludes that while some people find that AA is a useful aid to abstinence, others find AA to be damaging and detrimental and to lead to increased drinking rather than abstinence. Hence we recommend that those who find AA to be unhelpful or harmful should find another path such as HAMS, SMART, SOS, WFS, RR, etc. also bear in mind that many people who get over an alcohol problem do so on their own without the help of any support group at all.
How did George Vaillant help AA?
Harvard psychiatry professor George E. Vaillant is a strong supporter of Alcoholics Anonymous who has served as a trustee on AA's General Service Board. Dr. Vaillant conducted an eight year long follow-up of 100 people who had undergone 12 step treatment for alcoholism at Cambridge hospital. When Dr. Vaillant compared the treated group with an untreated control group he got some rather surprising results. He found that people with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence who had never been treated were just as likely to quit drinking as those who went through the 12 step treatment program. In fact, the only significant difference that Dr. Vaillant found between the treated and untreated groups was that people who had gone through the 12 step treatment program were more likely afterwards to attend 12 step AA meetings. They were not more likely to abstain from alcohol however. Vaillant also reports that in the group which quit drinking without attending a 12 step treatment program, three fourths quit on their own without AA attendance either.
Which group had more abstinence days?
The Insight group and the Professionally-led RBT group both had significantly more abstinence days than the control group. There was no significant difference between the control group and the AA and the Lay-RBT groups in number of abstinence days.
Why is it important to compare mental health treatment to an untreated control group?
Hans Eysenck noted that that it was always essential to compare mental health treatments to an untreated control group because BOTH treated mental health patients and untreated mental health patients show SIGNIFICANT improvement over time. The effectiveness of a mental health treatment can only be demonstrated if there is a control group. I call this improvement (or "spontaneous remission") in the untreated control group "the Eysenck effect". In 1980 the US Congress published a massive study of the effectiveness of psychotherapy. The upshot of this was that even though psychotherapy is more helpful than no psychotherapy--untreated patients still show significant improvement over time.
What is the 12-step program?
The 12-step program is based on the Christian faith. It puts a lot of emphasis on a higher power, although much of the modern literature maintains that this power is defined by the participant and is not inherently the Christian God. The goal with 12-step programs is complete abstinence from the vice, whether it is a substance or a behavior.
Why do people attend 12-step meetings?
Millions of people attend 12-step meetings for various kinds of addictions, in part because the meetings are free to anyone. They are run by people who have completed many or all of the 12-steps, but they are not professionals, like counselors or therapists. Anyone can attend 12-step meetings for as long as they like.
How to get rid of addiction?
Humbly ask for the higher power to remove your shortcomings. Make a list of people harmed by your addiction and be willing to make amends with each person. Make direct amends to each person when it is possible, but do not when doing so would hurt the person or others.
What is the purpose of AA?
AA was the first organization dedicated to helping people overcome addictions — first to alcohol, then later to other substances or behaviors, including cocaine (Cocaine Anonymous), narcotics (Narcotics Anonymous), and gambling (Gamblers Anonymous).
What is the science of addiction?
Alcoholics Anonymous is considered the first program in the world to provide a set of steps for a person to take to overcome their drinking or drug use, save their relationships with others, and preserve their health.
How to heal from alcoholism?
The 12-steps are: Admit that you are powerless over alcohol, and your life has become unmanageable. Believe in a power greater than yourself, which can restore your sanit y. Make the decision to turn your life over to the higher power to heal. Make a moral inventory of yourself and your past.
How to get spiritual awakening?
Seek through prayer and meditation to improve conscious contact with your higher power. Having a spiritual awakening thanks to the steps, carry these to others who need help, and practice them in your daily life. The 12-step program is based on the Christian faith.
How does AA work?
AA works because it’s based on social interaction, Humphreys said, noting that members give one another emotional support as well as practical tips to refrain from drinking. “If you want to change your behavior, find some other people who are trying to make the same change,” he said.
What is the most effective way to abstinence?
Alcoholics Anonymous, the worldwide fellowship of sobriety seekers, is the most effective path to abstinence, according to a comprehensive analysis conducted by a Stanford School of Medicine researcher and his collaborators.
What is the Cochrane review?
“ Cochrane Reviews are the gold standard in medicine for integration of all the research about a particular intervention ,” Humphreys said.
When did the AA start?
AA began in 1935 when two men in Akron, Ohio, were searching for a way to stay sober; they found it by forming a support group. They later developed the 12 steps, the first being accepting one’s inability to control drinking; the last, helping others sustain sobriety by becoming a sponsor of a new member.
Is AA a good therapy?
Although AA is well-known and used by millions around the world, mental health professionals are sometimes skeptical of its effectiveness, Humphreys said. Psychologists and psychiatrists, trained to provide cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational enhancement therapy to treat patients with alcohol-use disorder, can have a hard time admitting that the lay people who run AA groups do a better job of keeping people on the wagon.
Is AA better than other interventions?
Most of the studies that measured abstinence found AA was significantly better than other interventions or no intervention. In one study, it was found to be 60% more effective. None of the studies found AA to be less effective.
Is Alcoholics Anonymous effective?
Alcoholics Anonymous most effective path to alcohol abstinence. A Stanford researcher and two collaborators conducted an extensive review of Alcoholics Anonymous studies and found that the fellowship helps more people achieve sobriety than therapy does. The Alcoholics Anonymous model — open to all and free — has spread around the globe, ...
What is success in AA?
Success is a vague term to describe the prognosis of the program. Some people never relapse while others relapse and never relapse again after that initial bump in the road. There isn’t an exact success rate available since many of the results are published by AA and vary based on several factors.
How does AA work?
Alcoholics Anonymous uses the 12-step approach. Members complete each step on their path to recovery, often with the help of a sponsor. Step 1: admit powerless over alcohol. Step 2: accept that a higher power, in whatever form, will restore your sanity.
What is the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism?
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism featured results on a long-term study on AA members. The study consisted of formally treated, informally treated (AA), and untreated individuals who suffered from an alcohol problem. 10.
How to get rid of addiction?
Step 8: list people you hurt during your addiction and be willing to make amends. Step 9: make amends to those people unless it would harm them. Step 10: continue to take a personal inventory, and when you’re wrong, admit it. Step 11: use prayer and meditation to connect with the higher power.
Why don't people participate in AA studies?
Because AA is anonymous, some members of the group don’t participate in studies since it could breach the anonymity of the group. Many want their participation in AA to remain unidentified, in line with the group’s original intention. Additionally, participants might not want to admit to relapse.
How many groups does Alcoholics Anonymous have?
and around the world, the widespread presence of AA is not a surprise. Alcoholics Anonymous has more than 115,000 groups worldwide. 5. 32% of people were introduced to the group by another member.
What is TSF in AA?
Newly updated evidence published in the Cochrane Library today compares Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and clinically-related Twelve-Step Facilitation (TSF) programs with other treatments, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, to see if they help people who suffer from alcohol use disorders achieve sobriety or reduce the amount of alcohol that they consume.
What is AA peer led?
AA are peer-led mutual-help groups. Twelve-step facilitation programs adopt some of the principles and techniques of AA and are delivered by clinicians. They are aimed at engaging people within AA during and after treatment for alcohol use disorder.
Is Alcoholics Anonymous free?
Alcoholics Anonymous is a well-known, free, mutual-help fellowship that helps people recover and improve their quality of life. One important finding from this review was that it does matter what type of TSF intervention people receive - better organized and well-articulated clinical treatments have the best result.
What is a 12 step program?
A 12-step program like AA or NA provides a framework of steps in acknowledging the addiction, accepting the consequences of the addiction, ways to mend at least some of the damage done while using, and encourages the building of a network of support through a service-oriented 12th step. For the large number of people AA and NA provide support to, it’s a self-sufficient organization supported by donation. Someone wishing to seek help through a 12-step program can do so at no cost. And with cost of treatment being a primary barrier for most people, 12-step programs can offer a life-line of much-needed support.
When did the AA start?
Started in the 1930s , it was the first popularized treatment methodology to acknowledge addiction as something other than a choice. Today, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are organizations dedicated to helping people worldwide achieve sobriety through a series of graduated steps and regular meetings.
Do 12-steps have to acknowledge addiction?
Some are also uncomfortable with the very public nature of 12-step programs in asking participants to acknowledge their addiction in a group setting. For someone with a co-occurring mental disorder, the experience of talking about their drug or alcohol use in a group setting can increase symptoms of the disorder.
Is the 12-step program effective for women?
The 12-step model emphasizes the powerlessness of the individual in battling addiction, and studies have found this approach to be less effective for women. Research indicates men and women begin drinking for different reasons.
Can a sponsor be a therapist?
While not a therapist, a sponsor can offer a level of support unique to the program, in that they have survived addiction and successfully completed the program. Evidence supports the effectiveness of AA and NA, though few studies have been concluded due to the high level of anonymity of these programs. One of those studies, sponsored by the ...
Can you get help through a 12-step program?
Someone wishing to seek help through a 12-step program can do so at no cost. And with cost of treatment being a primary barrier for most people, 12-step programs can offer a life-line of much-needed support. Sponsorship is another benefit of the 12-step program. Someone within the program can choose to work with a person who has been through ...
Do women feel more powerful after drinking?
They do not report feeling more powerful while drinking. As a result, women tend to see improved outcomes with cognitive behavioral therapy over the 12-step program, as well as programs like the trauma recovery empowerment model (TREM), which seeks to empower women toward skill-building and coping with past sexual and physical trauma.
What is the most important part of a treatment plan?
However, the most important part of any program or treatment plan is the success rate . If it is not successful, then alcoholics will not experience continued abstinence from alcohol. Research shows that the most effective plan is one that includes a treatment program followed by participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a 12-step program.
What are the branches of science that will be used to study alcoholism?
The main branches of science that will be used are psychology and psychiatry with a focus on addiction studies.
Does attending one AA meeting increase abstinence?
Fiorentine (1999) found that attending one AA meeting or more weekly suggests a greater rate of abstinence than those who attend meetings less than once a week. Bond, Kaskutas, and Weiner (2003) also argue the affect of AA involvement related to alcohol abstinence proceeding in-patient treatment.
Do counselors refer to AA?
Second, counselors often refer clients to AA even though main components of the 12-steps are out of line with counseling theories. Moreover, counselors need to change the relationship they have with AA and use a proposed 12-step program that is based on counseling theories, not AA philosophies. Research.
Is alcoholism a treatable disease?
Alcoholism is a treatable disease. Treatment programs dealing with substance abuse include inpatient and outpatient programs. The methodology varies greatly as well as their success rates in recovery. Recovery is the absence of alcohol and the return to a healthy mental and/ or physical state.
What Are The 12-Steps?
The Science of Addiction
- Alcoholics Anonymous is considered the first program in the world to provide a set of steps for a person to take to overcome their drinking or drug use, save their relationships with others, and preserve their health. Prior to AA, people who abused alcohol or other substances were believed to have weak wills or a moral failing of some kind. They were not helped. Partially thanks to AA, t…
Concerns Over Ineffectiveness
- With over 1 million Americans attending AA meetings at one of the 60,000 groups in the U.S. alone in 2013, the sheer popularity of 12-step meetings makes them seem very effective. However, further studies suggest that AA is not effective at preventing relapse or even keeping participants in long-term treatment. Most people drop out after a year of meetings or less. Peer-reviewed stu…
Can The 12 Steps Work For You?
- Those who want social support but do not have intensive medical needs, like MAT or co-occurring disorders, can also benefit from the mutual support group structure of 12-step programs. AA, or a related group like Narcotics Anonymous, can be a great addition to other forms of treatment, including therapy and medically assisted detox. There are some potential downsides to the AA o…