New Evidence of Effectiveness of AA in Recovery

New Evidence of Effectiveness of AA in Recovery

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the worldwide organization for those seeking sobriety, is the most successful method for participants to give up drinking, according to an analysis performed by a team of researchers belonging to prestigious institutions.

Keith Humphreys, Ph.D. professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and his colleagues reviewed 35 studies. They included work completed by 145 scientists and the recorded outcomes of 10,080 participants. The results of their analysis found that AA was “nearly always” more helpful than psychotherapy. Most of the studies also concluded that participating in AA lowered healthcare costs.

One study found that AA and 12-step counseling reduced mental health costs by $10,000 per person. The researchers only looked at Alcoholics Anonymous. They did not look at Narcotics Anonymous or any of the other programs based on the AA model.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous¹ was founded in 1935 in Akron, Ohio. It is an international fellowship that operates on a nonprofessional, nonprofit basis. Each group is self-supporting and apolitical. All that is required for membership is the desire to do something about one’s problem drinking.

Members of AA attend meetings regularly. They give each other emotional support and offer practical suggestions to fellow attendees to avoid alcohol use. Dr. Humphreys noted² that part of the reason AA is successful is that it relies on this social interaction. He commented that if your goal is to alter a particular behavior, it is helpful to find others interested in the same thing.

AA is not Professional Therapy.

AA is a well-known support group for people with an alcohol abuse problem. It is used by millions of people worldwide. Mental health professionals can be skeptical of the program’s effectiveness, according to Dr. Humphreys. Trained “professional listeners” like psychologists and psychiatrists who provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other forms of recognized therapies to treat clients with alcohol use disorders may have difficulty admitting that AA can do a good job keeping members from picking up a drink. However, most clinicians agree that a combination of therapy, AA, and additional treatments is often the best approach.

The researchers’ review was published³ in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review (March 11). All authors presenting summaries for publication must undergo a detailed process to ensure that their work meets the highest standards. The evidence review must be unbiased.

Dr. Humphreys’ co-authors and fellow researchers are from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction and Harvard Medical School.

AA used in Conjunction with Treatment.

Many addiction treatment facilities in Arizona and throughout the country are based on a 12-step model. AA itself is not considered treatment, but instead a recovery and aftercare support group. In addition to the wide availability of meetings to attend as often as one needs, there is also the aspect of having a Sponsor, a sober mentor. After participants can demonstrate stability and long-term recovery, they are encouraged to become a Sponsor to another to help them work the steps of the program and give back to others the way they have been helped. This fellowship and wide adoption are some of the reasons why so many treatment centers incorporate the 12-step model.

Ref: 

1. https://www.aa.org/

2. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-alcoholics-anonymous-effective-path-alcohol.html

3. https://www.cochrane.org/news/new-cochrane-review-finds-alcoholics-anonymous-and-12-step-facilitation-programs-help-people

Blake Nichols

Blake Nichols is the Director of Operations at Desert Cove Recovery. Blake battled his own addiction to drugs and alcohol and was given the gift of recovery at the age of 23. Since 2008, Blake has dedicated his life and career to the field of addiction. He has experience in all aspects of addiction treatment including direct care, admissions, marketing, and administration.

Blake feels that the greatest reward of working in the recovery field is being part of the transformation that a person goes through from the time they arrive and begin treatment, through the hard work and the Miracle of recovery, and ultimately the change into a confident and capable person ready to carry the message of recovery.

“My career has focused on serving others. I have accepted ownership of my responsibilities as that is the key to working at the highest level of professionalism. I have worked to be positive and offer solution-based suggestions in my work and personal life.”