Is Alcoholics Anonymous Effective?
Is Alcoholics Anonymous effective at treating individuals who are battling alcoholism today? If you have ever asked yourself this question, it is probably because alcoholism has touched your life in some way. Alcoholics Anonymous members will tell you otherwise but the reality, according to many doctors, is that their success rate is less than 3% to 5% at best when measured over a 12 month period. I’ll say straight away that for the first 90 days AA can be effective in the absence of any alternative. After that you are going to need more, which is why I offer my Alcoholism Recovery Coaching services. Of course you don’t have to use me but for goodness sake please use something alongside, or instead of, AA in the longer term (after 90 days). AA is also known as a ‘twelve step program’ and has been around for a number of years. Alcoholics Anonymous was the first organization designed to help people recover from addiction and related issues. Founded back in the 1930’s it has changed little in its format over the years. It is still restrictive and does not promote growth in sobriety. However, today there are a number of these self help based groups and they cover many problems besides just alcohol addiction. People are able to find support and self help groups for children of alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, over-eaters and addicted gamblers. The basis for all of these remains similar to the principles and goals of AA. The anonymity of these meetings provides a safe and supportive environment where people can share their feelings, concerns, successes and failures in a non-judgmental atmosphere. The focus is on getting members to admit to their addiction and then overcoming it. All of this has to be good. But still: is Alcoholics Anonymous effective?
No Magic Bullet
Is Alcoholics Anonymous effective if I still have other gambling and drug addictions? Among new members, this is a question that is asked by many. Unfortunately the answer is, “No”, and this is because there is no one magic bullet that works for everyone and AA members are no exception. Alcoholism is a serious disease that affects not only the person with the drinking problem, but their family, co-workers and loved ones as well. This disease even impacts total strangers who are victims of drunk drivers. If you, or someone you love, want to find a key to recovery, you should know that there are no guarantees, despite what you may hear in meetings. For a very comprehensive overview of what you can expect to find in a twelve step meeting you can visit: http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-effectiveness.html The author of this helpful and straightforward site lists a number of well-respected studies that show clearly that the recovery rate from alcoholism is poor and varies very little despite which traditional method of treatment is being used. This is why the time is right for looking at new, modern, more comprehensive solutions to Alcoholism.
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The Benefits of Becoming a Member of Alcoholic Anonymous
My success rates are soaring because I use a holistic approach utilizing Neuro-linguistic Programming, Hypnotherapy and Timeline Therapy. My methods include taking the whole person into consideration from diet through to clearing up the past and instilling motivation toward a brighter future. Is Alcoholics Anonymous effective if the person is truly motivated to change? Certainly the chances of the person being helped are improved when they are committed to beating their addiction, but the relapse rate among alcoholics is staggering. Many people seem to still feel that they can control alcoholism by only drinking a little on special occasions, but this is usually just not realistic. There are people who do recover from this disease and many of them will express tremendous gratitude to the individual program that eventually worked for them. These successes are due to many programs, and not just AA. If you ask, “Is Alcoholics Anonymous effective for me if I have family and friends supporting me?” The answer would still remain essentially unchanged, you may have a little more success with a great deal of support, but battling alcoholism is not as simple as just making a vow to stop drinking. You cannot guarantee that you are going to overcome your addiction simply by attending weekly sessions and following the 12 Steps – I wish it were that simple. Back to top of Is Alcoholics Anonymous Effective?
