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12-step methods : Anyone wanna touch this one?
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 Message 1 of 4 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameChrismac682  (Original Message)Sent: 8/10/2008 12:04 AM

Why the 12-step program doesn't work

Misc Author

Miscellaneous authors not listed elsewhere.

View all articles by Misc Author
Source: Google Answers

This paper by Cathleen A. Mann examines the shortcomings of the 12 steps program.

In summary,  AA operates in a cult-like fashion, and does not consider the individual differences of the person entering the AA program. Additionally, AA has been atheoretical, anti-medical, and anti-research since its inception in 1935.

Mann, Herman & Heinz (2000) state that pharmacological treatment of addiction

Addiction - The negative end state of a syndrome (of neurobiological and psychosocial causes) resulting in continued or increasing repetitve involvement despite consequences and conscious efforts to discontinue the behavior.

Addiction to any particular substance or behavior is seen mainly as a matter of personal vulnerability, exposure and access, and the capacity to produce a desirable shift in mental state.

This definition was originally formulated by Howard J. Shaffer, Ph.D., C.A.S.Harvard Medical School, Division on Addictions.'); return false" href="javascript:void(0)">addiction in general have had the most success.

Relapse is viewed as “neuroadaption, sensitization, and monoaminergic dysfunction,�?all occurring physically within the brain and  having nothing to do with acceptance or, or lack thereof, a spiritual awakening.

Criticisms of the AA:
Highly male dominated in administration.
Makes no provision for non-religious or atheists.
Antipsychotherapy and anti-medication (Ketcham, Asbury, Schulstad & Ciaramicoli, 2000).
It has not adapted in the light of new research over the last 65 years.
Despite evidence to the contrary, the AA believes that alchoholism has a moral cure.
According to Trimpey (1998), AA is cult-like in its approach.

From article: Therapeutic groups versus 12-step groups: An analysis of the AA prototype, by Cathleen A. Mann
http://www.geocities.com/drugsandalcoholinfo/webpagesandpapers/othergorupsvsaa.htm

------------

Advocating abstinence.

The 12-step programme only appears to help a small percentage of the population. Drop out rates are over 90%.

According to psychologist Marc Kern, the AA’s treatment has not kept up with current research. According to Dr. Alan Marlatt, the idea of abstinence keeps most alcoholics out of treatment. Richard Banton, who followed the AA program for six years, felt like a social outcast while in treatment. Although sober, he was uncomfortable with the methodology. "[With AA], you are terrorized to fall into line... Anytime you say anything that conflicts with their model, then you're in denial."
http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/30/1/Drinking-Are-You-In-Control/Page1.html

A study by RAND Corp. found that for some categories of alcoholic abstainers were at greater risk of relapse than moderate drinkers. This was backed up by research from Mark and Linda Sobell in the early seventies.
http://reason.com/0011/fe.sp.after.shtml

12 step programs may be contra-indicated for women with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. AA meeting may be too confrontational for some cases.
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/theosis/aaspirit.html

According to a report by Robert Westermeyer, PhD, the 12 step program advocates abstinence whereas research shows that for non-severe problem drinkers, moderation is an attainable goal. (Sanchez-Craig, et al.,1984; Miller et.al., 1980. 1981; Marlatt, 1989).
http://www.habitsmart.com/motivate.htm

According to psychiatrist Lance Dodes, 12-step programs fail because they don’t address the underlying problem behind addictive behaviour.
http://www.talentdevelop.com/addictions3.html

American medical association �?bio-chemical addiction.
http://aaaacheers.com/book_overview.html

The spiritual based system of AA means that atheists object to the program. In 1990, Robert Warner was by court to attend AA. He sued the probation service saying that it was unconstitutional for him to be sentenced to attend the 12-step program, which relied on God and a "higher power" as its method of addressing alcoholism, and at which prayer was a regular feature. This article also discusses how AA is no more effective than other treatments.
http://reason.com/0105/fe.st.drunk.shtml

According to Jack Trimpey - AA dropouts were afflicted with persistent self doubt and ‘relapse anxiety, �?specifically related to their recovery group experience. Others also acquired a variety of emotional problems during their participation in AA.
http://www.rational.org/DPI.html

According to Mitch Bailey ‘AA is trapped in a sexist and classist time-warp…�?BR>http://www.bee.net/cardigan/attic/guest09.htm

What works and what doesn’t. Research has shown that other methods work better than AA.
http://www.drugtext.org/library/articles/peele1.htm
http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/53/1/What-works-A-summary-of-alcohol-treatment-research/Page1.html

---------------------------------------------

Individual experiences.

Marc Kern had great difficulty with the religious flavor of the programme and the embarrassing public pronouncements.
http://www.habitdoc.com/about_my_addictions.htm

The Stanton Peele Addiction Web site has a number of testimonials including “AA was helping me to continue to feel that I was a failure and unable to manage my own life, therefore I was unable to look at myself in a positive light.�?BR>http://www.peele.net/aab/escape.html

AA member �?coercive and manipulative.
http://www.peele.net/aab/cultlike.html

Further testimonials can be found at
http://www.peele.net/aab/

------------------------------------------------

Books

According to a review for this book, the 12-step program was written by and for a group of individuals of a specific gender and socio-economic group �?WASPy men of the 1930’s.
Many Roads One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps by Charlotte S. Kasl

Books about the failure of the 12-step plan.
http://www.peele.net/bookstore/index02.html

The Real AA: Behind the Myth of 12-Step recovery.
http://www.aadeprogramming.com/choose/books_deconstruct.html

-----------

Search strategy:

"12 step" "reasons for failure" alcoholics
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=+%2212+step%22+%22reasons+for+failure%22+alcoholics&spell=1

"12 step" antimedical
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%2212+step%22+antimedical

"12 step cult"
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%2212+step+cult%22

"12 step program" fail
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%2212+step+program%22+fail>

--------

Source: Google Answers - By: belindalevez-ga
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=293205



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Reply
 Message 2 of 4 in Discussion 
From: moklemokeSent: 8/10/2008 12:25 AM
And a lot of what they say is true.  Trouble is it works for a lot of people including me.
 
Michael

Reply
 Message 3 of 4 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameChrismac682Sent: 8/10/2008 12:47 AM
I embrace 12-Step philosophy. But I have two key arguments about the Steps as we hear them in meetings. First, probably because of the historic foundation of living "One Day at a Time," the Steps, in my view, don't impress strongly enough that all of us - ALL - are going to be held responsible to the consequences (and, God knows, there are ALWAYS consequences). Second, there's a valid argument that some of the daily devotionals are "too" religious in ideology. As much was said by a U.S. federal appeals court that found a lower court sentencing a convicted drunk driver to mandatory AA meetings violated the First Amendment seperation of church and state. Sorry to say, but I don't think - for me - it's enough to think only about the current 24 hours without considering the time beyond when the consequences of my misconduct tonight come due, and I don't think we can forever mask God in the traditional religious sense as a "Higher Power."

Reply
 Message 4 of 4 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameHeathenAddictSent: 8/10/2008 4:46 AM
I believe Bill W said, "take what you need and leave the rest".
 
Twelve-step dilligence brought me out of blight and into the light, however, at this stage of my recovery (for the sake of sounding like a broken record) I prefer an "Integrated" recovery.
 
12-step is deeply rooted in christianity by announcement of most fellowships, even though the choice of your "higher power" is yours to make in the literature.  Being Pagan,  I live by one of the highest principles of finding your own path which means, following scripture and arguing the interpretation of it is sabotage to the individual path.  Therefore, while following my own path and being guided by my own higher power (God/Goddess) and many of them, I use the 12-step principles that apply to me and those that don't I leave behind.  Perhaps those that I left behind apply to somone else's path.  That is why they're there.  The minute I become subjective in my recovery, and lose the ability to be objective, I am not in my own recovery and I am not being "Pagan".
 
I have had some horrific experiences in early recovery standing by my chosen religion and staying in the "GRAY" objective mindset.  There are no "absolutes" in my life or religion.  So with that being said, as long as 12-step philosophy gives the edge of being "objective" in the literature, which is in contrast to some fellowships I've attended, the philosophy will always of course be a part of our website.  The minute the literature changes to alienate addicts as some of the 12-step fellowships do, the philosophy goes "into the toilet".  The same could be said for any "cut and dried" philosophy and there are plenty of them out there.
 
The bottom line is as I interpret the 12-step literature, it leaves an opening for new thought (especially the big book of AA).  It is non-alienating.  Fellowships who judge others do not concern me as they are merely groups of people that can be left behind.
 
Truthfully, I have been in utter turmoil about 12-step and its interpreted application, however, I do not want to be less of a person by censoring or restricting a philosophy that works for many.  Without outside influence (simply reading the literature), in my opinion it does give choice of religion, and it does not imply cultish behavior.  The over-zealous who have traded one addiction for another are the ones that have twisted the 12-step literature into something that they think it means; a highly subjective black and white philosophy.  I prefer to interpret it as objective, leaving the addict or alcoholic responsible for his/her own actions, with the will to choose (after solid recovery has been established) what parts of it apply to the individual and what parts do not.  I for one am not a proponent of the 12th-step.  It is against my religion to proselytize, rather listen to the inner voice and help those find their own responsible path. 
 
There are thousands of programs and methods, religions, and therapies.  True statistics do not show that any one program or philosophy has an edge of success.  The most popular program does not mean it is the most successful--it simply means it has the most people.
 
Another good thread on "Integrated" thought
 
Brandon

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