While each of these men had their own journey of recovery, it wasn’t until they met face to face that they realized the power of speaking with a “fellow sufferer” for achieving complete sobriety. Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring multi-platinum award-winning singer Bryan Abrams, shares his sobriety journey and how he found treatment that actually worked. While AA emphasizes personal anonymity, many notable individuals have publicly acknowledged their participation in the program for various lengths of time. Service entities full control of their local meeting information while collecting it in one place, making it easy for anyone to alcoholics anonymous find a meeting. Local entities provide their meeting information voluntarily. Meeting Guide users can suggest additions or corrections to meeting listings by using links provided within the app to contact the local service entity responsible for the information.

Statistics on Alcohol Use and Addiction

A fifth experiment randomized convicted drunk drivers to AA, to outpatient treatment, or to a no treatment condition; the study did not report drinking outcomes, but found no differences in recidivism for drunk driving 26 (result not shown). Experimental evidence is generally considered evidence of specificity. Three rigorous studies are particularly relevant here. Most of the above studies considered concurrent AA attendance, and thus do not meet the 4th criterion for evidence of causality. An exception is Moos’ work that studied 16-year alcohol abstinence in a previously untreated problem drinking sample as a function of AA during years 2–3 and years 4–8 4 (Figure 2c). Project MATCH also has evidence of a temporally correct association, reporting that frequency of AA meeting attendance as well as overall AA involvement months 1–6 significantly predicted the percentage of days of alcohol abstinence during months 7–12.

Young and Sober in AA: From Drinking to Recovery

The similarities in abstinence rates between the weekly or near-weekly AA attenders (70%) in these two latter studies with different populations and follow-up periods is relevant to this criteria, consistency https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/should-you-have-relationships-in-recovery/ of association. The 1-year study considered alcohol and drug abstinence as a function of 12-step group attendance, while the 3- and 8-year data focused specifically on AA attendance and alcohol abstinence. About 50% of those who had attended AA/12-step meetings only were abstinent at 1 year 15 and at 3 and 8 years 19; and about one-fifth of those who did not attend AA/12-step meetings or treatment were abstinent at the parallel follow-up interviews. Another study of the general population 20 found that individuals with lifetime alcohol dependence who went to 12-step meetings but no formal treatment were more likely to be abstinent than those who did nothing (not shown). Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover form alcoholism.

A.A. Can Support Professionals

• All located studies reporting a negative role for AA in abstinence are reported, and no studies with negative findings have intentionally been excluded.
• Several studies offer empirical support for these mechanisms.
• Meetings and how can they help?
• Registering is a step towards commitment – a commitment to yourrecovery and to the supportive network of AA.
• Each step iscarefully designed to foster self-awareness, acceptance, and spiritual growth.

AA, people from all corners of society, young, old, men, women of all professions and different kinds of social backgrounds come together on meetings. The Big Book was originally published in 1939, and serves as the basic text of AA. There have been numerous reprints and revisions, in addition to translations into dozens of languages.11 The second edition (1955) consisted of 1,150,000 copies. The book is published by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services and is available through AA offices and meetings, as well as through booksellers.

Works depends, in part, on finding a meeting that’s a good fit. For example, an intercity group of A.A. Members who are mostly homeless may not be as beneficial for other demographics. Often, the next step is to read a passage from the Big Book and reinforcement about the importance of member privacy and anonymity. Meetings typically close with a prayer, moment of silence, recitation of the Responsibility Statement, or by reading a section of another A.A.