Comments on: How effective is A.A.? http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/ "a" is for addiction Sun, 01 Aug 2010 04:55:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Jane Derry http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1349 Jane Derry Mon, 31 May 2010 19:58:09 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1349 You'll get as much out of AA as you put into AA. You’ll get as much out of AA as you put into AA.

]]> By: Mike http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1143 Mike Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:37:48 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1143 Hey, thanks for the post. the only promises that I know of in AA are the ones that will happen if you remain sober, attend AA Meetings, and communicate openly and honestly. AA doesn't guarantee anyone will STAY sober, they are offering a chance for those who have an honest desire to stop. So, asking or requiring an "Anonymous" program to open up its 'books' to show it sucess rates is, in my opinion, impossible. Asking someone to identify themselves for 'tracking' purposes is setting that person up for failure. The pressure for some can be too much if they know they are being tracked like that. God willing, I am coming up on my 17th year of sobriety in the immediate future. I don't take it for granted and honestly if you ask me what has kept me sober I could not give you a definitive answer except to say that when I needed the AA program to be there for me it has ALWAYS come through. Not much more can be said about other people, places or things. Hey, thanks for the post.

the only promises that I know of in AA are the ones that will happen if you remain sober, attend AA Meetings, and communicate openly and honestly. AA doesn’t guarantee anyone will STAY sober, they are offering a chance for those who have an honest desire to stop. So, asking or requiring an “Anonymous” program to open up its ‘books’ to show it sucess rates is, in my opinion, impossible. Asking someone to identify themselves for ‘tracking’ purposes is setting that person up for failure. The pressure for some can be too much if they know they are being tracked like that. God willing, I am coming up on my 17th year of sobriety in the immediate future. I don’t take it for granted and honestly if you ask me what has kept me sober I could not give you a definitive answer except to say that when I needed the AA program to be there for me it has ALWAYS come through.

Not much more can be said about other people, places or things.

]]> By: Addiction Blog http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1138 Addiction Blog Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:36:28 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1138 Hi Dwight. I'm sorry to hear that you're in the middle of this addiction. I can only suggest that you go to A.A. groups...because it's a good start and it worked for me. Check their site at: http://aa.org Hi Dwight. I’m sorry to hear that you’re in the middle of this addiction. I can only suggest that you go to A.A. groups…because it’s a good start and it worked for me. Check their site at: http://aa.org

]]> By: John Fitzgerald http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1118 John Fitzgerald Tue, 19 May 2009 21:35:28 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1118 Well stated about AA! I have a lecture on addiction last night and as usually happens, there is always someone in the audience who objects to my comments about 12-step programs. Even when I preface my comments with a general statement that mutual support in groups is good, as soon as I begin to discuss some of the down sides of self-help groups it always get ugly. Check out my comments on addiction treatment: www.addictionmanagement.org Well stated about AA! I have a lecture on addiction last night and as usually happens, there is always someone in the audience who objects to my comments about 12-step programs. Even when I preface my comments with a general statement that mutual support in groups is good, as soon as I begin to discuss some of the down sides of self-help groups it always get ugly. Check out my comments on addiction treatment: http://www.addictionmanagement.org

]]> By: DWIGHT TWALA http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1112 DWIGHT TWALA Tue, 05 May 2009 07:57:56 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1112 My name is Dwight Twala i am 25yrs of age , i really need help my main problem is that whenever i tell myself that i wont drink alcohol on a weekend i end up doing it . what is so sad about it is that i end up letting down my parents my girl friend and my three year old child i really do want to quit but its just that it becomes very difficulf to do a way the habit one of my friend told me that all habits die hard i dont think thats true , i think i can do this i know i can quit drinking i just need good advise i dont think i will be able to let my parents, my child and my girlfriend down anymore cause i have noticed one think there is really no achievement in drinkink the only problem is to kill this habit but i find very difficult to do so, Please Help My name is Dwight Twala i am 25yrs of age , i really need help my main problem is that whenever i tell myself that i wont drink alcohol on a weekend i end up doing it . what is so sad about it is that i end up letting down my parents my girl friend and my three year old child i really do want to quit but its just that it becomes very difficulf to do a way the habit one of my friend told me that all habits die hard i dont think thats true , i think i can do this i know i can quit drinking i just need good advise i dont think i will be able to let my parents, my child and my girlfriend down anymore cause i have noticed one think there is really no achievement in drinkink the only problem is to kill this habit but i find very difficult to do so, Please Help

]]> By: scott http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1011 scott Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:35:50 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-1011 Hi Lee Appreciate the article. First, Alcoholics Anonymous adheres to a strict set of 12 Traditions that, I believe, are divinely-inspired. One Tradition states that AA is based upon attraction rather than promotion; which suggests that the alcoholic will only come to AA when he is ready, not because some slick marketer has sold him on the programme. In addition, anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all the Traditions; thus, marketeers will likely never be able to measure AA's recovery success rates as the anonymity of its members are a central tenet to the success of the programme. So, marketing practitioners: hands off! The only marketing necessary is the literal truth imparted from AA's recovering alcoholics to those problem drinkers who still suffer. That, my friend will sell AA to those who truly want it. Hi Lee

Appreciate the article.

First, Alcoholics Anonymous adheres to a strict set of 12 Traditions that, I believe, are divinely-inspired. One Tradition states that AA is based upon attraction rather than promotion; which suggests that the alcoholic will only come to AA when he is ready, not because some slick marketer has sold him on the programme.

In addition, anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all the Traditions; thus, marketeers will likely never be able to measure AA’s recovery success rates as the anonymity of its members are a central tenet to the success of the programme.

So, marketing practitioners: hands off! The only marketing necessary is the literal truth imparted from AA’s recovering alcoholics to those problem drinkers who still suffer. That, my friend will sell AA to those who truly want it.

]]> By: John http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-993 John Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:31:33 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-993 Love your blog! I just started writing my own sober blog and enjoy seeing what others are writing on the subject. I am a member of AA and part of the small percentage of those staying sober. I have a group of sober friends who are serious about their recovery and we have all had great success with the 12 Steps, I feel that AA is an important institution because it is widely known and offers anyone the opportunity to get sober anonymously. I agree with Marc's comment that it would be a problem for AA to keep statistics like that. However, I am also of the belief based on my own experience that more is required to live a happy life in long term sobriety. AA and the 12 Steps are an essential foundation for my program of recovery and always will be, but I find I need to go further today to really dig deeper into my core issues. Other modalities are presenting themselves in my life and AA has helped me to be open-minded to try them out. Love your blog! I just started writing my own sober blog and enjoy seeing what others are writing on the subject. I am a member of AA and part of the small percentage of those staying sober. I have a group of sober friends who are serious about their recovery and we have all had great success with the 12 Steps, I feel that AA is an important institution because it is widely known and offers anyone the opportunity to get sober anonymously. I agree with Marc’s comment that it would be a problem for AA to keep statistics like that. However, I am also of the belief based on my own experience that more is required to live a happy life in long term sobriety. AA and the 12 Steps are an essential foundation for my program of recovery and always will be, but I find I need to go further today to really dig deeper into my core issues. Other modalities are presenting themselves in my life and AA has helped me to be open-minded to try them out.

]]> By: Minh http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-984 Minh Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:49:32 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-984 Having an alcohol addiction is a very difficult condition to deal with. If someone has the signs and symptoms of alcoholism, it is important to get them into effective treatment as soon as possible. The sooner an alcoholic gets into an effective alcohol treatment programme, the less likely they are to suffer from the more serious long term effects of alcohol abuse. Having an alcohol addiction is a very difficult condition to deal with. If someone has the signs and symptoms of alcoholism, it is important to get them into effective treatment as soon as possible. The sooner an alcoholic gets into an effective alcohol treatment programme, the less likely they are to suffer from the more serious long term effects of alcohol abuse.

]]> By: Marc http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-973 Marc Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:54:26 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-973 Since A.A stands for Alcoholics Anonymous I don't see how it would be possible to track any metric on its members. Also, it would not be perceived as a safe place by Alcoholics if the organization would have such practices. Since A.A stands for Alcoholics Anonymous I don’t see how it would be possible to track any metric on its members. Also, it would not be perceived as a safe place by Alcoholics if the organization would have such practices.

]]> By: Addiction Helper http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-971 Addiction Helper Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:39:51 +0000 http://addictionblog.org/body/how-effective-is-aa/#comment-971 For those who are looking for addiction help its important to have resources such as AA to turn to. For a lot of people AA is the first place they would know to turn to because it's been around so long. Even if the person needs more help than can be offered through AA it's a good first step. For those who are looking for addiction help its important to have resources such as AA to turn to. For a lot of people AA is the first place they would know to turn to because it’s been around so long. Even if the person needs more help than can be offered through AA it’s a good first step.

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