Is it true that 60% of people who join AA are drunk again within 1 year?

Question

A friend says that 60% of people who join AA leave after several weeks, or less than a year anyway, mostly because they go back to drinking. Is this true? Does this figure include people who come to one meeting and don't even join because they are told they have to quit all alcohol?

Some people have found AA highly beneficial but are they typical? Does AA 'work' for more than a small minority of alcoholics? By what criteria or on what basis do you say yes or no?

Is there any scientific evidence on the worth of AA?

Answer 1

I believe that it's 2% that stay sober for a year, and then 1% that stay sober longer than a year. Long term sobriety based on a program of dependence doesn't work for many people. (long term being the key word). A person has to want to quit and has to be able to live a life that incorporates the decision to stay sober for long term. People grow and change and mature. We all need variety to sustain quality of life, and that is something that programs in general fail to do long term. Programs put everyone in a box and if you happen to need something else then you are considered a rebel, unteachable, a loser, or... unable to be honest with yourself. That is evident by some of the answers here. If you don't do it their way then you cannot possibly do it at all. Hog wash. Think outside the box.

Answer 2

It may be true. But AA doesn't keep records of people who join. So whoever came up with the statistic probably just interviewed people in AA, or who left AA.

Personally, I feel that 100% of people who join AA who truly WANT to get sober, DO get sober and stay that way. Anyway, as long as I'm sober, I don't really give a damn who stays sober and who doesn't. This is because I have a LIFE.

There are a lot of numnutz out there who bltch about AA - why don't they mind their own business? If you don't like AA, stay the hell away. If you're on some idiotic crusade against AA, I suggest that you have too much time on your hands.

I also find that most of the anti-AA crusaders are incredibly physically unattractive. That may explain a lot.

I shudder to think that now some of these losers are actually working in the recovery field. EWWWWWW. I've met many of these types, and most are incredibly self-righteous. And hideous - NONE of them will be winning any beauty contests anytime soon.

Love Jack

Answer 3

I think the numbers are even higher than 60%. It cannot be verified scientifically, because people who join are anonymous. However, the following things must be pointed out:

1. AA is for people who WANT to get sober, not who NEED to.

2. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. You don't even have to actually stop drinking, as long as you genuinely have the desire to. There are no have-to's in AA, but those who succeed are those who follow the principles.

3. I believe there would be more success if judges would stop missing the point and MAKING people go to AA. Won't do a flying bit of good until the person himself/herself acknowledges a problem and wants to get sober.

Answer 4

None of that is important compared to the, (agreed, relatively small), pecentage of alcoholics whose lives have been saved from ruin. Given how wide-spread AA is, and how many 'members' it has, this is a very large number indeed.
If, in a single room with thirty alcoholics in it, only ten remain sober for the rest of their lives - at no cost to the State - that's ten lives saved! For free! Multiply that by all those thousands of rooms!
To the best of my knowledge nobody tells anybody what to do in AA. I think it goes more like this: 'If you want to stop drinking, we'll tell you what we did to help us. See if it helps you'.
Scientific evidence is hard to gather because of the nature of the organisation, but such evidence as there is suggests that AA is probably the most effective agency of alcohol control in the long term.
It saves lives. Don't knock it!
Criteria and basis? Lots of experience working with alcoholics and long term friendship with some who made it.
One last plea. Alcoholism is a dreadful, life destroying addiction. Few alcoholics die sober. Anything that helps even a few is worthwhile. Alcoholics Anonymous most certainly helps more than a few!

Answer 5

This statistic is totally unverifiable. Think about what AA stands for: Alcoholics Anonymous. Because the participants only go by first names only this group is difficult to research. You also brought up another good point: membership. The only membership qualification for AA is that you have the DESIRE to be sober. Some members are struggling with their addiction to alcohol and attending one meeting may have been their first step to getting clean.

Answer 6

Well AA worked for my husband we lost nearly every thing it wasn't till he was in the gutter , and went to AA that he totally quit , he had been before but it didn't work, but he has been sober for 15 years now i don't know the statistics on who goes back on drink and who totally quits, i guess its up to the individual and support they get, All i can say is It worked for my other half so thank heavens for that.

Answer 7

AA's internal Triennial Survey shows that only 5% will stay in AA for one year, 2.5% for 5 years. One of the first things they teach you is that you cannot stay sober on your own, practically guaranteeing that these people will fail. The Brandsma study showed that exposure to AA resulted in being 4-5 times as likely to engage in binge drinking as those who attempted quitting on their own.

What is more shocking is the death rate for those in their first year of AA as reported by George Valliant, a Harvard researcher and member of AA's Board of Trustees, who was attempting to prove that AA works. He said, "Not only had we failed to alter the natural history of alcoholism, but our death rate of three percent a year was appalling."

Several other studies have reported a 5% success rate for AA. The Brandsma study, the Valliant study, the Triennial Survey, and other studies are discussed at:
http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-effectiveness.html

The book, "Handbook of alcoholism treatment approaches: Effective alternatives" lists AA as 38th out of 48 recovery methods tested:
http://www.behaviortherapy.com/whatworks.htm

Personally, AA not only did not work for me, I ended up trapped in a cycle of recovery and relapse for almost twenty years. Once I took responsibility for my addiction and my recovery, I've been able to stay sober for over 5 years and have been working in the recovery industry.

Answer 8

AA help people with a drink problem, but they also help you out when you're behind the wheel - however both offer a beneficial service where it's needed.

Answer 9

I can yes though I don't have those statistics of research you have .People who join any rehabilitation group are prone to fall back due to lack of support after getting out of institution. they are exposed to any situation/friends that were part and parcel of their drinking problem so I am not suprised by that though iam not sure how AA works.this people need support from their closest peole so tht they don't go back to squire one.

Answer 10

Only the morons who can't grasp the program. Those who make it in AA go on to live very positive and profitable lives.