PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Alcoholics Anonymous”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism counseling, and social work treatment.

The authors suggest that the misunderstanding by many social workers of the particular values of Alcoholics Anonymous and the skills of alcoholism counselors can involve alcoholic patients themselves in the stress of reconciling different approaches to treatment. They call upon all who treat alcoholics to build mutual trust and cooperation on two assumptions basic to all forms of treatment-that alcoholism is a disease and abstinence is essential to recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous↗
PubMed1989

A sociocultural history of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has not only helped numerous alcoholics, it has also influenced the current generation's view of, and response to, the alcoholic. This chapter describes the emergence of AA and analyzes its successful growth. During the period of reduced alternatives for helping the alcoholic, AA began and soon flourished, helped by favorable publicity, committed members, and AA publications. We argue that its founder, Bill W., played a crucial role as a charismatic leader and that AA found a unique organizational solution to the problem of charismatic succession, a solution that helped AA maintain growth and stability beyond the life of its founder. This chapter also reviews the social response to AA including early research on AA, the generally favorable response to AA, criticism of AA, and the widespread imitation of AA by other problem area groups.

Alcoholics Anonymous↗
PubMed1981

Alcoholics Anonymous and the recovering alcoholic: an exploratory study.

Alcoholics Anonymous as a treatment modality for alcoholism has been widely accepted by both the public and mental health professionals. Evidence cited in this exploratory study of Alcoholics Anonymous membership among alcoholics in treatment demonstrated critical differences between Alcoholics Anonymous members and nonmembers on important dimensions related to the treatment of alcoholism. Alcoholics Anonymous members demonstrated a greater degree of internal locus of control, greater expectations of the successful outcome of treatment and less existential anxiety as compared to nonmembers. since these attributes are commonly encouraged in both the psychotherapeutic treatment of alcoholism and the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, the utilization of Alcoholics Anonymous as a adjunct to traditional therapy for alcoholism may reinforce important therapeutic goals.

Alcoholics Anonymous↗
PubMed1988

The relationship between relapse and involvement in alcoholics anonymous.

Recovering alcoholic members (N = 59) of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) were asked to complete a questionnaire to assess the occurrence of relapse and its correlation to their level of involvement in the A.A. program. The questionnaire was distributed to five different A.A. groups. Subjects were asked to rate themselves, using a Likert scale, on their level of involvement in the A.A. program and were also asked to state if they had relapsed during the course of their involvement with A.A. and if so, to indicate their most recent relapse. Depending on their answers to the relapse question, subjects were placed in either a relapse or a no relapse group. The level of involvement in A.A. was found to be related to whether relapse occurred. Those in the relapse group rated themselves lower in every area of involvement listed on the questionnaire than those in the no relapse group. The most significant area of involvement, where the greatest differences between subjects in each group were found, was in reaching out to other members of A.A. for help and in the use of a sponsor.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

A descriptive study of alcohol-dependent women attending Alcoholics Anonymous, a regional council on alcoholism and an alcohol treatment unit.

A total of 86 women, attending three different agencies, were interviewed on their help-seeking behaviours for problem drinking. Each agency represented a different type of help available in the community. Self-help was represented by Alcoholics Anonymous; the non-statutory sector by a regional council on alcoholism's offices; and the statutory sector by an alcohol treatment unit's out-patient department. Differences between the groups in terms of demography and drinking history are explored in this paper. It was found that the regional council group resembled the female problem drinkers in other alcohol treatment agencies in terms of alcohol dependency, pattern of alcohol consumption and drinking styles, but differed in age and abstinence behaviour.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Reducing obstacles to affiliation with alcoholics anonymous among veterans with PTSD and alcoholism.

Alcohol use is prevalent among Vietnam veterans who suffer from chronic combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the mainstay of ambulatory alcoholism treatment, adherence to particular components of the AA philosophy may prove especially challenging for alcoholic Vietnam veterans with PTSD. The authors describe elements of AA's philosophy, such as "surrendering" to a "higher power," making amends to persons one has harmed, and sharing one's story publicly, that may be difficult for the Vietnam veteran with PTSD. The authors suggest that an important factor in the successful affiliation of these patients with AA is their capacity to separate their alcohol-related problems and treatment from their PTSD symptoms and treatment and to accommodate dual identities as both an alcoholic and a traumatized soldier. Preparing such patients for AA by reframing some of the 12 steps is recommended.

Alcoholics Anonymous↗
PubMed1990

[Alcoholics Anonymous. A society which greatly helps alcoholics].

Alcoholics Anonymous is a society of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other in order to solve common problems and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for a AA membership. The organization is self-supporting through its own contributions from members. AA is not allied to any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution. It does not wish to become involved in any controversy, nor endorse or oppose any cause. The primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. (The AA Preamble). This often quoted introductory statement of AA sets out the primary purpose, the requirement for membership and the general operational policy of an organization that has just recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and has enjoyed a hegemony in the field of treatment of alcoholism for several decades. AA members seem to achieve a higher rate of abstinence than persons treated professionally.

Alcoholics Anonymous↗
PubMed1990

Life-stress events, depression and purpose-in-life in first-admission alcoholics and members of Alcoholics Anonymous.

The relationship between alcoholism, depression, life-stress events and purpose-in-life is a very complex one. Thirty-five first admission alcoholics and an equal number of members of Alcoholics Anonymous were assessed, using objective measures of alcoholism, depression, stress and purpose-in-life. The results indicate that there were significant differences between the two groups on drinking behaviour, depression and purpose-in-life. No differences were found between the groups on the stress questionnaire. Positive correlations were found between drinking behaviour and depression, life events and purpose-in-life.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

The use of systematic encouragement and community access procedures to increase attendance at Alcoholic Anonymous and Al-Anon meetings.

A difficulty in the treatment of alcoholism is that many alcoholics referred to treatment programs never reach the referral destination, or if they do, they seldom remain involved in those programs. The present study attempted to increase participation in Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon meetings. Twenty clients were selected from an outpatient mental health alcoholism treatment program and randomly assigned to either a standard referral procedure which involved giving the client information about Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon; encouraging the client to attend; and providing information concerning time, date, and location of weekly meetings; or to a systematic encouragement and community access procedure which involved a phone call being made in the counseling session to a local Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon member in which the member briefly talked to the client about the meeting, offered to give a ride to the client and to meet the client before the meeting and having the Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon member call the client the night of the meeting to remind them of it and to encourage them to come. The results of this study showed that 100% of the experimental group attended Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon within 1 week of referral and continued to attend, whereas none of the control group ever attended. The results of this study suggest that the systematic encouragement and community assess procedure are significantly more effective than standard referral systems.

Adult↗