AA or Alcoholics Anonymous is a kind of organization created by the people for the people who have problems that are alcohol related. The inspiration of Alcoholics Anonymous is rooted on the disease model of alcoholism. This disease model of alcoholism looks alcohol addiction as a disease that makes an alcohol addict to lose all control when he starts drinking any kinds of alcohol. This will imply that abstaining from alcohol is the only technique to control alcohol addiction. There are twelve steps that Alcoholics Anonymous must undergo in order for them to pull through. The admitting that they are alcoholic and they are helpless in controlling alcohol effects is the initial step of these twelve steps. Getting help from a higher being, admitting to their flaw, and to ask over for pardon are what Alcoholics Anonymous push their members to pursue. Complete abstinence will always be the goal for Alcoholics Anonymous members.
There is a constant offering of support be it moral or social in every members of Alcoholics Anonymous. This makes them available for each other in times of crisis. There is an belief of devotions to Alcoholics Anonymous’ fellow group members. Alcoholics Anonymous members has faith that people can never be fully cured from the dangers of alcoholism. People always have the probability to get back into getting dependent with alcohol even in just one drink. “Recovering alcoholics” is the term they give to people who has gotten into alcohol addiction. The meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous members usually comes with testimonial about the road of being an alcohol dependent. To be able to stay away from alcohol is the primary motivation for these testimonials.
Like anything else, the appeal of the values of Alcoholics Anonymous is not always present. Alcoholics Anonymous’ philosophies and practices do not really suits everyone. Of having no control, of needing of a higher power, and a total abstinence makes people to stay away from Alcoholics Anonymous. All throughout their lives, the subscription of people to the rules and laws of Alcoholics Anonymous is very difficult to retain especially the aspect of complete abstinence from alcohol. However, Alcoholics Anonymous still stays to be one of the most regular sources of treatment for people who are alcohol dependent. Alcoholics Anonymous still has the credit in owning the effective and successful techniques.
All over the world, there are about twenty three thousand chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous in ninety countries. It has been estimated that there are approximately 800,000 people that do attend Alcoholics Anonymous gatherings. It has been found out from the evaluation of the twelve steps program of Alcoholics Anonymous that it is effectively the same as using behavioral treatments and cognitive treatments in treating alcohol addiction.
Alcoholics Anonymous has been one of the pioneering self help groups. Positively, it has lead to the building of Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, and Potsmokers Anonymous. They have been formed to help people with dependencies on other substances aside from alcohol.
There is a focus on religion in Alcoholics Anonymous. It is a truth that there are numerous alcohol dependents and alcohol abusers who do not believe in a higher being. With the reason of clashing of some beliefs, other self help organizations have been created. These self help organizations do not have any religious focus. As an alternative, they utilize cognitive and behavioral principles in aiding an individual recover. Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART), Moderation Management (MM),and Secular organizations for Sobriety/Save Ourselves (SOS are some examples of these types of self help groups.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a self help group that helps anyone who wants to recover from alcohol addiction.