How well do alcohol recovery programs actually work?

Question

Hi Everyone,
Alcoholics Anonymous ("AA", spiritual), Rational Recovery ("RR", cognitive), SMART (cognitive), Save Ourselves ("SOS", cognitive) and other alcohol recovery programs all claim varying levels of success in helping alcoholics on the road to recovery. However, there is a lot of controversy surrounding their claims, as even a quick search on the internet will reveal. Viewing this chaos of opinions from "outside the box", it certainly seems as though they're all blowing smoke. Anecdotal arguments are used, tabloid-style quotations are touted as being authentic, and "my way or the highway" rationalizing is often used. One thing they all have in common is that apparently none of them has a handle on real statistics (though I could be wrong here; I just haven't found any). In addition, independent studies (NIAA, Dawson) have shown that these programs are no more successful than no program at all. What's your opion? Do one or more of these programs work better than nothing?

Answer 1

I can only tell you from my own experiences. With the help of AA I quit drinking over 8 yrs ago. I had reached my own personal bottom and did not know where else to turn. The amount of alcohol I was drinking nor the amount of time I spent drunk was not really the issue. The issue was that for me personally, whenever I started drinking that I was not going to stop until I passed out or I ran out of alcohol. I was introduced to the program of AA and the things I heard in those meetings appealed to me personally and with the help of the people I met in those meetings I have been able to stay sober. A lot of people are able to drink sociably and if they can , then by God they ought to.....but I can't and I realize that if I ever take another drink then I will most likely be back in the same condition in no time at all. Some people that admit to theirselves that they have a drinking problem are able to quit without the help of a program like AA. More power to them.......maybe they have a stronger will and don't need the support of a program like AA. I personally did not have the willpower to quit without help and AA gave me the ability to personally overcome my disease. AA is not for all alcoholics.....some people have a problem with the atmosphere that exists in an AA meeting. That's OK too.....I do not look down on people that have this problem/disease and seek help elsewhere or nowhere at all.......I do not judge. You will notice that in several places in this answer that I have used the word "personally". This is because of the way that I have recovered from this problem/disease is with AA. My last thought for you is that if you do have a problem with alcohol and you realize and admit this then you might try quitting on your own.......if you succeed then so much the better........if you find that after quitting you are still having a hard time staying sober then you might consider finding a support group. And if you can't find a group then email me and we will find one for you together because that is another thing you learn in AA.......and that is that for one to keep their sobriety one has to give it away.
Good Luck

Answer 2

The program of alcohol recovery is for around 12 weeks which is offered by Aftercare Sober Solutions. They prepared a three stage therapeutic and work focused plan based on each person. At the centre of the entire programme will be Personal Care Plans prepared in a person-centered way with clients, staff, referrers and professional advisers which will be regularly review with clients on the basis of their progress and needs.

There some monthly events also where you can know more about it.

Answer 3

Your chances of quitting any addiction is higher if you have a support group to help and encourage you. Your chances of quitting any addiction is higher if you stop hanging around your drinking/drug addicted/smoking friends and chose new friends who are like minded in their determination to not do these things. No one can debate that. A great many people obtain years of sobriety from their addictions. The sad news is that only 3% succeed for life. The good news is when they fail that their support group is still there to help them get back on their feet towards many more years of sobriety. I've never known an alcoholic who has racked up years worth of sobriety with-out support. Days, weeks or a few short months maybe, but not years.

Answer 4

My Sis has been clean & sober for 10 years after joining NA & AA, she was a mess till she admitted she had a problem. Now she is a fun loving person/as they say "it works if you work it" And she does every day.

Answer 5

I think any recovery program works only as well as the time & persistance the addict puts into staying clean.

Answer 6

Unfortunately the number is pretty low. Out of 20 I would say maybe 4-5, if that.

Answer 7

Different strokes for different folks. But for any program to work, the person subjected to the program has to want it to work, or none of it will.

Answer 8

"What Works?" (a comparison of various methods):
http://www.behaviortherapy.com/whatworks.htm

The effectiveness of AA (as compared with other methods):
http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-effectiveness.html

I believe with the proper motivation and INFORMATION, a person could get sober anywhere and forcing a person rarely works.

Like most people who show signs of problems with alcohol, I was prodded into AA. There I learned a lot of dogma that actually made stopping worse. Suddenly I was powerless, I had a disease, and the only way I could stop was through AA. One of the problems with getting accurate data for SOS, SMART, WFS, or the others is that most of the people in those groups have already been through AA without success. They've already been programmed to fail. And why does a person need a group to stop drinking anyway? Most people who have never been exposed to AA who have problems from drinking stop on their own or learn to moderate. The idea that it is impossible to quit on ones own it AA dogma.

I quit drinking 5 years ago after 20 years of bouncing in and out of the rooms, only managing months of sobriety at a time. I did it by getting help for my long-time depression and online support.