Drugs and alcohol effects and health impacts

Drug Treatment and Prevention Program: The Local Alcoholics Anonymous Chapter

The primary function of the program:

The primary function of Alcoholics Anonymous is to private group counseling as a resource to alcoholics and recovering alcoholics. Often paired with community centers and local places of worship, the A.A. chapter in my community uses a nearby Protestant Church. According to the volunteer counselor whom I interviewed for this program profile, the local chapter has a rotating membership of roughly 70 nearby residents. The counselor indicates this they serve the program's primary function by organizing and moderating group meetings.

The clients served:

serves alcoholics and recovering alcoholics in 114,000 communities worldwide. The A.A. assesses its membership at roughly 2,000,000 members from a total of 170 countries. This makes it the largest and most widely utilized treatment organizations for addressing the disease of alcoholism. The clients served in the local community, the counselor tells, come from all walks of life but are united in their commitment to continue to overcome their addictions.

Specific aspects of the program:

Among the specific aspects of the program, the source by Kurtz (2002) indicates that A.A. utilizes a 'twelve step' model that it originated as a clearly delineated path to recovery. The twelve step program is aimed at offering alcoholics directs on how to shift their perspective, how to approach life decisions and ultimately how to resist the temptation of alcohol.

According to Kurtz (2002), an inherent aspect of this model would be the characterization of the condition as a disease. According to Kurtz, "most members of Alcoholics Anonymous do speak of their alcoholism in terms of disease: the vocabulary of disease was from the beginning and still remains for most of them the best available for understanding and explaining their own experience."(Kurtz, p. 2)

Another important dimension upon which Alcoholics Anonymous defines itself is its embrace of spiritual values. For many of its members, the role played by the adoption of a more spiritual outlook is important in helping to overcome the emotional and psychological dimensions of the disease. As such, Christianity often has a prominent part in helping to reform the lives of recovering alcoholics. The counselor with whom I interviewed noted that it is not at all uncommon for success stories within the A.A. program to adopt a more worship-centered life and identity.

In direct relation, A.A. also promises anonymity as a core value for its members. This protective measure is appropriate for several reasons. According to A.A., "anonymity is the spiritual foundation of A.A. It disciplines the Fellowship to govern itself by principles rather than personalities. We are a society of peers. We strive to make known our program of recovery, not individuals who participate in the program." (A.A., p. 1)

This position is also underscored by a core set of values in relation to the funding of the program. The counselor with whom I spoke noted that A.A. does not allow any outside funding because it wishes not to compromise its core values for any political or commercial imperatives. Therefore, the program is strictly supported by its own membership. Within the scope of this arrangement, the organization also takes precautions to ensure that its members aren't subjected to exploitation. The A.A. site supports the information provided by my interview subject. Additionally, it notes that the organization limits the amount of any individual member's contributions to a total of $3,000. (A.A.)

Also, specific to our community, the counselor notes that he offers his number to members, who he invites to contact him when they are feeling tempted, day or night. He notes that this is not part of protocol for the nationwide chain but that he considers it his responsibility and part of his pledge to ensure total abstinence from alcohol and complete sobriety for the members of his chapter.

The effectiveness in treatment or prevention of drug use and abuse.

The results recorded by A.A. typically survey as being among the best in the area of alcoholism treatment and prevention. According to Arkowitz & Lillenfeld (2011), A.A.'s track record exceeds that of most treatment programs. Their report notes that '" The AA-based approach seemed to work and compared favorably with the other therapies. In all three groups, participants were abstinent on roughly 20% of days, on average, before treatment began, and the fraction of alcohol-free days rose to about 80% a year after treatment ended." (Arkowitz & Lillenfeld, p. 1)