Alcholics Anonymous Goals And Purpose

Albemarle Counseling Group: Dealing with alcoholism

Statistics suggest that approximately 10 percent of Americans are addicted to alcohol and the financial and emotional costs of alcoholism are staggering.

What is alcoholism? How do we recognize it? What can the suffering individual do about it?

The alcoholic may not need to drink every day. He may even be able to keep a job, or at least, have the job be the last thing he loses. But the negative consequences of drinking become increasingly evident.

An alcoholic is an individual who cannot, on any drinking occasion, accurately predict that he will be able to handle his drinking without problems. A normal drinker, on a drinking occasion, would likely know how many he could handle over a given period of time.

Early in a drinking career, many individuals have trouble with this. But the nonalcoholic, over time, learns controls; and he can manage input to keep a buzz without harmful consequences. But the alcoholic, having the same goal, is simply not able to do it.

It is not a matter of willpower. Promises to quit or cut back can be genuine; but for the alcoholic, this promise is beyond his ability.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) says that he is powerless over his drinking and it is making life unmanageable. There may be a host of negative events and experiences, problems with friends and family, car accidents or DUI’s, statements or actions that are regretted. Not only will he fail to keep promises, he may engage in behaviors while drinking which, when sober, he finds appalling.

Due to alcohol blackout, he may not even remember have done or said such terrible things and refuse to believe those who report it to him. Yet, despite all this evidence, the alcoholic often won’t surrender his right to drink.

Alcoholism is a disease. Research shows us that it runs in families. If you had an alcoholic parent, the odds are 50/50 you have inherited this disease.

This statistic is accurate even among individuals adopted out of their natural alcoholic homes and placed in homes where there is no alcoholism. Over time the alcoholic needs more and more alcohol to achieve the desired effect.

Eventually, the alcoholic needs to get drunk just to feel normal. Life begins to center around drinking, keeping the supply, finding times and places to drink it; even having to hide alcohol and its use from concerned loved ones.

To overcome this disease, the alcoholic must first acknowledge that he has it. Cutting back will simply not work. Total abstinence one day at a time is called for. Some may require a period in a rehabilitation facility early in their recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous Goals and Purpose

Alcoholics Anonymous dates back to the 1930s when two guys suffering from their alcohol dependence decided they would do whatever they could to help each other in recovering and staying sober. These two fellows were Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson, often referred to as Bill and Bob, and little did they realize the impact that their 12 step program would have the future of alcoholism recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) conduct their meetings in a group setting which enables support from all members who are at different levels of recovery. This is especially helpful for newer members to see that recovery is possible and there is a life after alcohol.

AA also offers two very valuable resources to their support system and that is:

At each meeting there is a list of members and their contact information of those that are available for help day or night. The resources on the list are those that have already completed the 12 steps of AA .

Once the alcoholic feels comfortable with the AA program, they have the option to obtain a sponsor. A sponsor will help a recovering alcoholic throughout their healing. Sponsors are also alcoholics that have also completed the 12 steps of AA. The sponsor will get to know and understand the person they are sponsoring and this will help them to be able to assist with any problems or cravings to drink.

One of the most important foundations of AA is the 12 step program. The 12 step program is a set of goals and milestones that allows the recovering alcoholic to feel a sense of accomplishment when each step is completed. The 12 steps provide the foundation on what future sobriety will be based upon.

The 12 step method that Bill and Bob put together was largely influenced by the Oxford Group which involves self-reflection, surrender to God, admission of character defects, and compensation for harm done to other people in order to recover from behavioral illnesses including addictions.

There are many 12 step programs for all kinds of addiction which usually encourage religion or at least spirituality. For this reason, atheists, agnostics, and non-Christians are often turned off from 12 step programs due to their strong Christian roots. However, a sense of spirituality greatly aids the recovery process.

Although there is treatment for alcoholism , there is no cure, which makes recovery is a life long process. The alcoholic could relapse and drink again at any time and this is why the support of groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous is so vital.

Government employee relations report

Research on alcoholics anonymous and spirituality in addiction recovery, the twelve-step program model, spiritually oriented recovery, twelve-step membership, effectiveness and outcome research

Dissertation abstracts international, The humanities and social sciences

Consultation, a handbook for individual and organization development

Alcohol Problems and Solutions