Has anyone found alcoholics anonymous useful?

Answer 1

Good Luck Donnie. I hope it works out for you. It's worth going along just the once to see what it's like.

Mess x

Answer 2

I have several friends that I only knew as passionate, sensive people until they said they couldn't go out because it was AA night. (These are people who've been successful, "non-practicing" alcoholics for 15, 18, 22 years.) My young friend who slips occasionally still but at least has a life now, says: "AA works if you use it. You've got to use it As Much As You Need It. At least once a week. More if necessary." He says he used to go "every night," and then "at least four times a week." It's like church. Once a week isn't going to kill you, and it may save your life.

I need to tell you again: I'm not a drinker at all, and I don't like dealing with a drunk, either. But, the alcoholics I've known have all been exceptionally thoughtful, witty, creative, lovable people (possibly a little arrogant!) Without even meeting you, I already know you're worth a whole lot to the people around you when you're at your best. So I say, let the social drinkers, the sniffers-snorters-and-smokers go on and try their casual best to trick their bodies into seeing life in the technicolor way you always have. It's O.K. for you to stay sober and play the winning edge.

Answer 3

I think it depends on the person. My father attended AA years ago but was not ready to quit. A night in jail for DUI was what it took. 5 years later he is still sober and this man was an alcoholic for 45 years. I think you have to want to quit. I also think most alcoholics have to hit rock bottom to realize they have a problem. Also, regardless of whether it works or not, the only way you can find out is by going, not by asking others. What may help some may not help all.

Answer 4

They do have successes but the success rate is less than 10%. If you are willing to immerse yourself in an "AA lifestyle", it will work, and some people enjoy this especially if they are very sociable and group oriented. For a lot of people, getting drunk is just preferable to becoming, basically, a cult member. The big lie which makes AA harmful to more people than the 10% it helps, is that they claim they are the only way, and that addicted people are helpless to abstain on their own. This discourages people from trying. Statistically, about as many people quit alcohol independently as quit it using AA. For more on quitting without a 12 step program, check out www.rational.org

Answer 5

not sure about alcoholics anonymous, but my hubby has a bad gambling problem and he goes to gamblers anonymous, actually he is there tonight, he has said that just being able to communicate with people with exactly the same problem seems to give encouragment and help to give up. i would imagine the same principle with AA.
I also found GA so helpfull as i was able to chat to people who live with someone with an addiction, as sometimes this is often worse than actually having an addiction, it can be completly sole destroying, please do not suffer in silence maybe it will work the same way. wish you all the luck in the world.

Answer 6

Depends how you look at it in the early days when they first started out they were on a learning curve I presume they have updated somewhat now personally all those years ago they didn`t help me but then maybe I wasn`t ready to give up whereas these days the situation is different & meetings are different I am currently sober & it will be one year gone on November1st the threat is always there & one day I hope to go through the steps which I have not done so far.Good Luck if you are thinking about it when you are ready don`t let anyone force you OK?

Answer 7

I am not an alcoholic. But I have friends and family members who are. I have observed (and have read as well) that AA is the most effecitve method of getting alcholhism under control. No one knows why it works but it does for a lot of people. I am sure it does not work for everyone--but is is undoubtedly the best thing that is availiable. Most other treatment faciilites simply incorporate the AA philosophy and way of doing things.

I have also heard from people who have gone and have been skeptical that it will work, and have not liked the thing about the higher power and what not--but said that when they just kept going regardless of their feelings, beliefs and criticism that it does work.

so yes--I think it is very useful.

Answer 8

AA screwed me up worse.

The Brandsma study showed that people exposed to AA were four times as likely to end up binge drinking than those who attempted quitting without AA.

A study run by George Vaillant, AA Board of Trustees member and Harvard researcher, showed AA was no better than other methods, but had a MORTALITY rate for those in their first year that was 4-5 times higher.

Quitting on your own and AA have the same success rate: 5%. But when you figure in the death toll, and the likelihood you'll end up worse if you're not part of the lucky 5%, AA comes out with a negative success rate compared to no program.

Answer 9

Basically, it can be said that AA is NOT useful. It's own research showed an "abstinence" rate of about 5%. They show that after 3 months more than 50% of those who walked through the doors couldn't take it and ran in the other direction.

It's a horrible program, based on horrible principles, and it DOES constitute religion and fits many of the criteria for being a cult. They tell members that if they leave AA they will die which is both a) untrue and b) a cult method of keeping people from leaving.

AA members are people who don't have family support, don't have friends to rely on, and can't fall back on their OWN value system in order to fix their substance abuse problem. In short, they don't have a life or anything else to do with their time except sit in meetings. They've come to believe that everyone who drinks is like them...alone, underemployed, has not interests in life, etc. Thus, they've come to believe that AA is the one and ONLY way for anyone EVER to get past a drinking problem. This is obviously not true....many more people quit abusing themselves without the pseudo help of AA than those who use AA to try to get help. All people NOT being the same, the same approach doesn't work for an overwhelming majority of the population.

Sitting around talking about alcohol and what a pathetic user you were and are (you are never allowed to escape the stigma according to their principles and will always be sick, so those meetings are a life sentence of defining yourself first and formost as an alcoholic FOREVER). This keeps alcohol constantly on peoples' minds and leads to binge drinking at higher rates than other treatment programs or in people who just go it on their own.

In addition Alcoholics Anonymous is now neither "alcoholics" or "anonymous." First of all, VERY few of those attending meetings have only an alcohol problem. You will also be dealing with people who are addicted to prescription medications, who smoke crack, who shoot up heroin, and who sniff glue. It is assumed in an AA meeting that since you all have addictions your treatment is the same as theirs.

However, the social differences between these substances are ENORMOUS. Alcohol is LEGAL. The heroin addict is rarely going to have to go to lunch with a co-worker who orders some from the menu. But someone who has a drinking problem will have to deal with people drinking in their presence, being offered wine at dinners, even friends or family members keeping alcohol in their homes.

It's very rare to see a billboard for Cocaine. You have to contact criminals, seek them out, and meet them in their place of business in order to use your substance. This really doesn't relate to alcohol in a LOT of ways. Yet, you'll have to hear how it's all the same and you should be taking the same advice as the crackhead you're sitting next to.

Also, you can forget about anonymous. The people in those meetings seriously need to put others down in order to feel good about themselves. They need people to rake over the coals. If you think you're going to go to a local meeting and never run into those people outside the meeting, you are mistaken. Any chance they get, they will spout your personal information to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen. They are not healthy, not safe to be around, and their entire lives revolves around the information they gather in AA, so what else would they have to talk about anyway?

Blah...I hate 12-step nonsense!!

Answer 10

Personally I havent had the need to go but I do have friends who are ex alcoholics and swear it was AA that helped them conquer the demon drink. At the end of the day you have to WANT to give up - there is no magic cure it has to come from within. Once the want is there you'll get all the help and support you need.

Answer 11

AA saved my daughter's life. She was dying with alcoholism and desperately wanted to stop. That's the main thing . . . wanting to stop, but not many people can do it alone. But there are good groups, and not so good ones, they're only human. Find a good group and a good sponsor and it will turn you're life around.