How Alcoholics Anonymous Fits Into Your Recovery

Addiction experts all agree that there are three main steps to addiction recovery. These are detox, treatment, and aftercare. One overriding element that is essential to all of these steps is support. This is where Alcoholics Anonymous comes in. To really understand how Alcoholics Anonymous fits into your recovery, there are a few things to know.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Alcoholics Anonymous is the oldest and most widespread 12-step group in existence and operates on the principles of sobriety, personal responsibility, and mutual support. The steps of the program were established in the early 1900’s based on the teachings of a Christian group.

These teachings were adapted to help people with alcohol problems stop drinking and formed the foundation of addiction treatment for many years. Alcoholics Anonymous is still a widely used tool in modern recovery settings, and is known to be effective when used in conjunction with other treatments.

What are the Benefits?

The support provided in Alcoholics Anonymous can help prevent future relapses.

Using Alcoholics Anonymous in recovery has a few benefits. Perhaps the most important is the development of a peer support network. All addiction experts agree that having a strong support network both during and after addiction treatment is very helpful in increasing treatment completion rates and preventing future relapses.

The format of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings also lend themselves well to group counseling, another important aspect of successful alcohol treatment. Alcoholics Anonymous is also easily incorporated in either inpatient or outpatient treatment programs and has groups all over the country making support easy to come by.

If you need help finding the right alcohol treatment for you, call us at 800-481-6965 (Who Answers?) .

What are the Drawbacks?

Just as Alcoholics Anonymous has benefits, it also has a few potential drawbacks. First and foremost, it is not treatment by itself. It is only a support system. Real recovery is best achieved through treatment at an inpatient or outpatient addiction facility.

Secondly, it is believed to be religious, which may deter people that are not spiritual from using it. There is also some concern that Alcoholics Anonymous is becoming outdated and unpopular to the younger members of society, making alcohol addiction treatment even more important.

Benefits of Alcohol Support Groups to Your Sobriety

Why is Alcoholics Anonymous Used in Recovery?

Despite the fact that it is over 100 years old, the Alcoholics Anonymous model is still used in recovery for one main reason. That reason is that it is effective. Particularly, according to the National Library of Medicine, in teenagers and young adults. These individuals put more emphasis on peer groups and role models and therefore derive more benefits from peer support networks. The combination of modern addiction treatment facilities with the support and counseling aspects of Alcoholics Anonymous make for very high recovery rates.

Help Finding Treatment that Uses Alcoholics Anonymous as a Recovery Technique

If you or someone you love is suffering from alcohol abuse or addiction, it is important that you get help as soon as possible. There are numerous treatment facilities available that use Alcoholics Anonymous as part of their recovery programs.

If you need help finding the treatment center that is best for you, call us at 800-481-6965 (Who Answers?) . We have operators standing by to assist you in finding the help that you need.