How effective is Alcoholics Anonymous?
Alcoholics Anonymous is more popular with alcohol abusers than all forms of professional treatment combined, and it does seem to be effective. People who keep up an AA connection are more likely to recover from their addiction. But since they are not assigned to the self-help program at random, it’s not clear whether AA is the cause of their success. Maybe a person who starts to drink less becomes, for that reason, more likely to keep attending AA meetings. Or maybe people with the best prospects of recovery – stronger motivation, better mental health – also have the best chance of staying in AA. One clue to cause and effect is timing. Which comes first, AA participation or reduced drinking? The answer is AA, according to an analysis based on a study of more than…
