Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous
source
Name	Alcoholics Anonymous
Founded	0 1935
Founders	Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob Smith
Location	New York City, New York, United States
Focus	Alcoholism recovery
Method	Twelve-step program

Alcoholics Anonymous. It is an international mutual aid fellowship dedicated to helping individuals achieve and maintain sobriety from alcoholism. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, the organization promotes a Twelve-step program of spiritual and character development. Its primary text, known as the "Big Book," outlines this program and shares personal stories of recovery.

History and origins

The fellowship emerged from a pivotal meeting in 1935 between Bill Wilson, a New York Stock Exchange speculator, and Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon from Akron, Ohio. Both men had struggled with severe alcoholism and found that mutual support was crucial to their sobriety. Wilson's earlier spiritual experience, influenced by the Oxford Group and his physician William Duncan Silkworth, formed a core concept of recovery. The first official group was established in Akron, with a second soon forming in New York City. The publication of the book "Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism" in 1939, financed by a donation from the Rockefeller family, provided a permanent foundation for the program's principles and growth.

Program and principles

The recovery program is structured around the Twelve Steps, a set of guiding principles for spiritual and moral development that include admission of powerlessness, moral inventory, and making amends. A companion set of guidelines, the Twelve Traditions, outlines the fellowship's ethos of anonymity, non-affiliation, and self-support. Central practices include attending meetings, working with a sponsor, and studying the contents of the Big Book. The program emphasizes reliance on a "Higher Power" as understood by each individual, which has roots in the teachings of the Oxford Group and the writings of William James in "The Varieties of Religious Experience."

Structure and organization

The fellowship operates through a decentralized, non-hierarchical structure based on the Twelve Traditions. The basic unit is the autonomous local meeting, which is self-supporting through member contributions. Service work is coordinated through entities like the General Service Board and the annual General Service Conference, which includes delegates from areas in the United States and Canada. The General Service Office, headquartered in New York City, publishes literature and provides support but holds no governing authority. Key service entities include the AA Grapevine, which publishes the fellowship's international journal.

Demographics and membership

Membership is open to anyone with a desire to stop drinking, with no dues or fees. The fellowship conducts periodic anonymous surveys; the 2021 AA Grapevine survey indicated a global membership spanning over 180 nations, with significant concentrations in North America and Europe. The survey reported diverse membership across age, socioeconomic status, and profession. Specialized meetings exist for various demographics, including LGBT communities, professionals, and veterans, reflecting the fellowship's broad reach. Membership estimates are published by the General Service Office.

Effectiveness and criticism

Research on the program's effectiveness, such as studies by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and projects like Project MATCH, has yielded mixed results, with some evidence supporting its benefit for certain individuals engaged in the full program. The Cochrane Collaboration has reviewed this evidence. Common criticisms from figures like Stanton Peele and organizations like Rational Recovery focus on the program's spiritual framework, its disease model of alcoholism, and a perceived lack of rigorous empirical validation. The fellowship's principle of anonymity also presents challenges for longitudinal academic study.

Influence and legacy

The fellowship has profoundly influenced the global approach to addiction treatment, inspiring the creation of numerous other Twelve-Step fellowships like Narcotics Anonymous and Al-Anon/Alateen. Its model informed the development of the Minnesota Model of treatment used in clinics such as the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. The concept of mutual aid recovery has been adopted and adapted by secular organizations like SMART Recovery. The fellowship's emphasis on anonymity and service has impacted broader recovery movement culture, and its literature is studied in institutions like the Harvard Medical School.

Category:Alcoholics Anonymous Category:Twelve-step programs Category:Organizations established in 1935