AA Treatment ProgramsA recent study indicates that people who have an alcohol abuse issue and are trying to quit drinking have a higher success rate if they are involved with Alcoholics Anonymous Treatment Programs. AA Treatment Programs can be found all over the United States and are available internationally also. Most in-patient facilities for the treatment of drug or alcohol addiction use the AA program. AA Treatment Programs may also be found on an out-patient basis through meetings and support groups. An AA treatment program is program designed to foster a fellowship between people who have a substance abuse issue and have a desire to quit. The AA treatment programs that are available through meetings and support groups charge no dues or fees but may ask for contributions to pay for meeting places or materials. The organization of AA does not associate itself with any outside group as their main goal is the sobriety of their members. AA started out as a program for people having issues with alcohol, but the AA philosophies and treatment program has been adopted for all substance abuse. AA treatment programs teach abstinence from the substance that is causing problems in ones life. The way someone is taught to abstain from a substance is to stay away from it one day, sometimes one minute at a time. Members are encouraged to attend meetings regularly to share their experiences and concerns with other members. This lets the participating members know that they are not alone and one can receive encouragement and new ways to stay sober from fellow members. AA treatment programs consist of 12 steps to recovery. These 12 steps are as follows (from the AA website): 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 12. We having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Each step is worked through with the help of other members, ones own fortitude, the 'Big Book' (a book of inspiration and ways to deal with addiction) and even a sponsor (a sponsor is someone who you can call for support). AA treatment programs have had great success with those who truly have a desire to stay sober and can be found almost anywhere. If you are having a substance abuse problem, look for an AA treatment program in your area. |