49. Is A.A. really worth joining?

By Tom O'Connell

Does Alcoholics Anonymous really work? If A.A. is anonymous, how can you measure what A.A. does? Is A.A. a valid route to sobriety?

A.A. is based on the principle of anonymity designed to bring humility to its members so their mental, physical, and spiritual growth won't be impaired by swelled heads. But that doesn't keep A.A. from doing surveys of its members. The 1992 survey involved 6,500 members in the U.S. and Canada, and the results are interesting.

The survey reports that there are about 90,000 A.A. groups throughout the world. Men comprise 65% of the membership and women 35%. But in the age 30 and under group the female percentage rises to 43%. The average length of sobriety is more than five years. Thirty-five percent of the members are sober for more than 5 years, 34% have between one and five years of sobriety, and 31% have been sober less than a year.

The average member attends 2.5 meetings a week and the average age of members is 42. Seventy-eight percent of the members have a sponsor, and 83% belong to a "home group." Members' occupational status includes 11% unemployed, 5% disabled, 19% professional/technical, 11% managers/administrators, 3% educators, 2% physicians.

Before coming to A.A., 63% of the members received some type of medical, psychological or spiritual counseling. Eighty percent of those who received treatment or counseling said it played an important part in directing them to A.A.

An impressive study of the value of A.A. participation comes from the Hazelden Foundation in Minnesota, one of the world's leading addiction treatment centers. In a major survey involving 1,700 alumni, almost 75% responded. More than half (52%) said that A.A. is their main source of strength and support in recovery. Hazelden surveys over the years have consistently correlated regular attendance at A.A. with abstinence and quality recovery. Other sources of support include family, friends, and meditation.

In the recent survey, more than half of the respondents with more than 10 years of continuous sobriety said they still attend Twelve Step meetings every week. Nearly three quarters of the alumni (74.6%) said they attend Twelve Step meetings at least once a month, while only 1 percent said they don't attend meetings.

Nearly 61% of the Hazelden graduates have never relapsed, 14.6% have relapsed once, and 8.7% have relapsed more than three times. When asked about their major challenges in recovery, 40% of the respondents listed relationship issues with spouse, children or others. Nearly 34% reported that psychological issues, primarily depression, provided the greatest challenge.

Bob Ferguson of Hazelden noted, "This survey reinforces the key role that Twelve Step mutual-help groups play in recovery. Recovery is a lifelong process, and treatment is simply the beginning of that journey. It's a process that continues even after the obsession to drink is lifted, and it's a process that has the greatest chance for success when we seek the fellowship and support of the Twelve Step community." What a wonderfully clear statement about the value of A.A. and other Twelve Step programs.

- Back -