Benefits of Alcoholics Anonymous

Self-Help Groups

The Theory and History of Self-Help Groups

Self-help groups are sometimes known as mutual aid or support groups. They are voluntary associations of people who share something in common—usually a desire to overcome a personal problem or cope with a problem in the family that they all might share. These groups have been in existence in their modern form for decades and can be traced back to the early 20th century.

The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group, for example, was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. It is perhaps one of the most well-known self-help groups in the world. AA's 12-step program is in fact a model for many other groups dealing with a variety of issues, like substance abuse or any kind of addiction. The success of AA can be attributed to its peer-led approach, where members support one another in their recovery journey.

The rise of self-help groups is due to different factors. One factor is the awareness that people who share in some trauma or who have experienced a particular problem can actually be sources of help for one another: they can provide unique support (because they have been there and done that) and understanding to others who are in similar situations but who may be further along or behind on the path to recovery. Another factor is the limitations of professional interventions (like cost) and the value that voluntary peer support brings. There is also the fact that social changes like the deinstitutionalization movement in mental health have made it so that there is more need for community-based support systems.

Reaction to the Groups

I attended three groups and overall it was an enlightening experience. The Alcoholics Anonymous meeting was particularly impactful. The online group consisted of four participants, including the therapist. All were middle-aged Caucasian women. They all had begun drinking as teenagers. Two of the women were sober for over four years, while the therapist said she had been sober for a decade. The remaining two women had been sober for less than a year, with one of them mentioning she was sober for six months. This particular woman chose not to display her face during the session. Overall, I felt touched by their courage

The second online meeting was for adults who grew up with alcoholic parents or substance abusers. The group had three participants, not including the instructor. All were Caucasian: one male aged 22 and two females in their early 30s. None had children, and all expressed fears stemming from their traumatic childhood experiences.

The NAMI Family Support Group consisted of four female participants, including the instructor, aged between 22 and 56, all of whom were Caucasian. The 22-year-old college student's mother suffered from schizophrenia and was institutionalized due to medication non-compliance. The student worried about inheriting the condition. Another person, 35 years old and unmarried, had a bipolar mother and an alcoholic father. She feared the possibility of passing on bipolar disorder to potential offspring. The oldest member, aged 56, was the primary caregiver for her mother, who had chronic depression.

All of these groups really made me feel how important it was for support groups to exist. I could see that everyone in them benefited from the interaction.