The False Gospel of Alcoholics Anonymous & The Truth About Alcohol Treatment in the U.S.

Gabrielle Glaser, author of "Her Best-Kept Secret," offers insights from her Atlantic piece about the failings of the famous support group, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and the truth about mainstream alcohol treatment in the U.S. and how it pales in comparison to Finland's science-based medical interventions. In this video, you'll learn about the very low success rates and thus very high failure rates of Alcoholics Anonymous and mainstream AA-based and abstinence-based rehab centers. Glaser provides compelling statistics in the U.S. and Finland as well as quotes from addiction professionals about AA and alcohol.

This whole video is littered with false conceptions of AA it’s clear she did not read the book or the message of AA. This is a video of why rehabs don’t work…

A A now has 2 more than million members who no longer drive drunk and ruin their families. No other program is anywhere close to that success rate.

Whats the point of this video ? AA doesnt work for everyobody and AA doesn't emdorse rehab etc , AA doesnt discourage the use if therapy and ither treatments including CBT etc....Always makes me laugh when the speaker talking hasnt got an addiction problem...The best people to hamg around with our other addicts..'learning to moderate' a legdl addictive poidon yeah ok

Very profound presentation however brief, Andrew Huberman touches on the brain chemistry associated with problem drinking as well ☝🏻😉

No AA is not for everyone. It requires honesty and that is tuff for a drunk. Putting down AA is really not helping anyone stay sober. Not all AA meetings are the same. Some are better than others and appeal to different people. But what AA offers is a way to stop drinking IF you WANT TO STOP. If you don't HONESTLY want to stop drinking, AA can't help. Sorry about that. Wish it could, but it can't. It is, just that simple. But if you come to a meeting, you MIGHT developed an honest desire to stop drinking. That is something the twelve-step program of AA can work with. Millions of people go to AA meetings, tens of thousands have stopped drinking and lived better lives because of it. That is the fact of the matter. Feel free to ask me how I know. If AA did not offer an answer for people suffering from alcoholism there would not be thousands of chapters and tens of thousands of meetings around the world every day.

Huh? 1st the woman says we don't refer others to outside help? But ASAP she says in AA those same people are told to stay longer in rehab a outside help deal.
AA and NA aren't tied to outside groups, rehab etc, the professional field led by frued didn't like us then & some now still don't, oh well.
BTW there's other ways to get clean and we never say differently. Oh well I guess some people in the professional field are bored or something so help the addicts better than us, do something besides bitching 😅, I'm clean and for this I thank AA our predecessor in NA

There is nothing anonymous about aa.

Your information presented is half truths and contains opinions rather then facts and you have misunderstood AA. It doesn’t work for people because they do not work the program!

If it doesn't work for ya go find something that does

Don't do it. It's creepy. Move on folks

I'm 74 years old and I stopped drinking eight years ago. This was after drinking for fifty years with thirty-five of the last years drinking excessively every day. When I stopped drinking I felt the need to take advantage of any resources that were available. That's when I thought of AA. I promised myself that I would attend AA for a year then
evaluate if AA was something that was useful to sustain sobriety. I concluded AA had been beneficial but I couldn't quantify to what degree. There were certain tenants of AA that I could not agree with. For example alcoholism is a discease and not an addiction that will eventually lead to mental health and physical issues. I felt that it 😊was more of a no fault excuse for my poor choices. Without attending a AA meeting for a relatively short period of time you're going to relapse shortly. The use of a sponsor is a necessity. While I agree there are sponsors who are qualified to help with your sobriety. There are sponsors who could not run a self service gas station and should be sued for malpractice. I still periodically attend an AA meeting but to be honest it's more of a way so I can catch up with some members I respect and are truly good people.

Never,never,never disclose your addiction to anyone who are not genuine trusted and qualified health care professionals ( v hard to find).Other than this THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ANONYMITY

AA seeks no controversy, it does not endorse treatment centers or anything else. I think the endorsement of AA by treatment centers might be taken out of context here. My personal opinion though is that there is no actual safe amount of alcohol. To that end, there is rigorous science as well. Thanks for making this video, but I could not disagree more. I think responsible drinking is a myth worth trillions of dollars.

What a sack of damaging lies

AA is not for me. Tried different groups , different countries… now I am Sober on my own

AA has a higher success rate than most counseling services and rehab programs and it costs nothing.

I knew it was not me. I needed a mental health treatment.

Try listening to Bob D AA Speaker Tapes....

Remember AA's called a PROGRAM, like a computer program if you follow the suggestions you WILL get the desired outcome. HONESTY, OPEN-MINDED & WILLINGNESS is just part of that program, I'm now 7 years Sober, I tried everything and only when I made a decision to follow the SUGGESTED PROGRAM, I got the desired outcome. All love & peace❤✌️

Love it when someone who isnt an addict or alcoholic thinks they know what they are talking about.

Gross misinformation & mis characterization of 12 step programs

AA?

I will never go back to aa.

What a stupid video. Suggest something else then, there is a reason AA works for those who work it.

It works for me, thy will be done

AA exists in a system of NARCISSISTIC ABUSE.

AA works if you work it. If it didn’t work for you or your loved one, you didn’t do it right. This talk is not AA. This speaker doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

The only requirement, is the desire to stop drinking and using drugs. Its anonymous and autonomous. I speak from personal experience using and drinking for 25 years. I literally did try everything to get sober and clean. Nothing for me worked, i am actively working the NA program now to the best of my ability, and on the 13th Jan 2024 i will be celebrating 6 months clean and sober. This is a 1st in my existence! Its deemed a spiritual, NOT religious program, this is simply to not take sides or preference one religion over another. Hence "higher power" and not "God" for example. If this was the case, Muslims worldwide wouldn't even entertain or give the program an opportunity, is it doesn't align with "their" God. So its to allow all walks of life, races, ages, ethnic groups, religious views an opportunity for change.

I personally think that the success numbers would be dramatically higher, if people actually gave it their all! Like honestly, everything in it to stay clean and change their life. As it states, the program works, " IF YOU WORK IT"! Unfortunately most dont, they do it half assed with minimal effort, dont make the necessary adjustments to their lives and expect to remain clean and change their lives. Unfortunately, nothing comes easy, we have to work for it! Also, my personal perspective, there is no way i will ingest pills, medication from big pharmaceutical companies, that " pretend " to have my wellbeing in thier best interest, there is a cost to this, from a monetary standpoint. AA and NA are not a business, they are non profit organizations. I tend to see almost all of the information on these topics from people who are not addicts or alcoholics, which is the biggest joke of all, if you havent walked in my shoes, how can you tell me how to tie my shoe laces? Thats why and how it works, "one addict helping another" because they know my pains, my struggles, my challenges, my fears, my character defects etc....Why because they have been there themselves and have found salvation from addiction and a new way to live, without substance.

And if anyone so chooses their own path, or other alternatives they are free to do so. My experience is, this works for me, im not interested in the complexities of how it actually works, im seeing the fruits of it, and for me....

Thats enough ❤😊

Any program that does not allow people to verbally explore outside options without being silenced or shunned is a cult. Cults don’t typically kidnap their members. You are “free” to leave any one of them. What they do is manipulate their members into thinking it’s the only way for them to be happy or live a decent life. Along with proof so clearly displayed in this video, I can honestly say what I have witnessed within the walls of recovery is quite substantial, subconscious, unhealthy replacement therapy that ranges from one or more of the following- developing eating disorders, indulging in adult content more often, being more promiscuous, being more addicted to money and possessions, obsessively attempting to achieve physical perfection, and attending meetings to seek gratification for lengths of sobriety. In my opinion, just a theory, the VAST majority of those in 12 step programs get very little from the program itself and would make the same choice to abstain regardless of avenue placements and subtle cult nuances and rhetoric that confuses members who stumble in from the rehabs that suggest them, mind you rehabs which are owned by and who employ members of those programs. And yes, by “rehabs” I am also including halfway houses owned by members themselves as well (six, and even seven figure profits.)

This is such a falsehood. AA doesn't say anything that you are falsely proclaiming...AA REQUIRES that we follow the clear cut directions that are given in the Big Book. It does not say to go to more meetings. It does not say, go back to rehab. It does say on pXXV " once a psychic change has occurred, the very same person who seemed doomed, who had so many problems he despaired of ever solving them, suddenly finds himself easily able to control his desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary being that required to follow a few simple rules." And p 29 "clear-cut directions are given showing how we recovered." So, please ma'am...it's people like you, that are killing the addict and alcoholic by misinformation. I would guess you've never been guided through the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous to know what these pages contain. You're observations may be true for the hard drinker. But their is only 1 kind of Alcoholic...and if you are as Alcoholic as I am...their is only 1 way out. That's just been my experience...and I've tried everything.

Why don't people like you just leave things the fuck alone. It works for me... bet its saved more lives than you ever will. Infact I reckon you will have signed the death warrants for many who listen to you.
AA tells you to look for help wherever you can find it. So on that score, your full of shit

Just 2 minutes into this video and already hearing false statements from the woman who is speaking .
For instance.." AA works for people it works for."
What ? It works for people who work it . That's been my experience. I've been sober over 12 years. I work the AA program. Simple . Not easy . It's not complicated.
There a 12 step program for a lot of addictions out there. Keep it simple .😁😉

It's not about going to more meetings. It's about working the steps and then showing others how to do it.
Also it's not a religious program its a spiritual one.
Thing is its been so watered down from when it first came around, people have put their own spin on working a program, that success rate has dropped dramatically.

AA and court mandated counciling is a BUSINESS.... a business that employs many many people, and that many people rely on for income. That in my mind is a horrible horrible thing to prey upon people with an addiction. One of the first things they'll teach you is that you're helpless and you must turn to them(for a hefty fee) for help. It is completely false and I cannot think of a more evil thing than to prey upon people down on their luck and tell them it's for their own good

What I dont like about AA is the neglect of acknowledgment of where those 12 steps originatated. A god of your own creation has no absolute accountability. Mainly in my observation most exchanged alcohol to other addictions being mainly sex.

AA programs do help but ultimately it is a spiritual war and without real God jesus christ youre just depending on a man made program and other people

I quit drinking after heavy drinking for 15 years. I did it on my own. When I was about 90 days sober I walked into AA. Got a sponser and did the 12 steps. I didn’t like the fear mongering you hear. My sponser was a great man and taught me a lot he passed away when I was about 2 years sober. To this day i have not gone to meeting in years (despite what they told me about how I was sure to fail). I give all credit to Jesus. He took that urge from me and I have never looked back. Also active in my church and that helps.

AA and rehabs....BIG MONEYMAKING JOKE

Oh ...i get it ...finland n naloxrene pushin

So. ...whats your solution? I use it all. All the tools i can pik up. And still im not perfect. And. Aa states that...we practice progress not perfection.



New effective treatments? Treatment happens usually in a rehab...

Ironic when someone titles this junk about Alcoholics Anonymous then diverts attention to treatment centers (mostly garbage for wealthy people and their coddled children) then ranting on about therapeutic techniques and pharmaceutical medications. A center suggesting longer stays is a center's problem, not AA.

There are tons of journal articles about AA recovery, there are a few sketchy correlations made in this video that are outright foolish, the speaker goes on to use themselves as an (n = 1) after just having whined about AA being unscholarly... So many issues in this misleading "talk"

Maybe learn about the actual 12 steps of AA and attempt them. If they are not for you, rock on! Find another way. But AA has no monopoly on recovery much less says you can't be a recovered alcoholic who also attends therapeutic sessions to learn CBT etc.

What a bunch of junk just to sell their methodology of "recovery." Do better...

Lmao its called keeping it fucking simple. Its called a SPIRITUAL program. Its called being on the median with meetings step work n praying. You can learn what is going scienticaly in your head. And learn how to live spiritual. Its not a religious program. WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THIS?????????

Anything that helps us towards a sober or more sober life can't be bad. I'm reading this stuff because I'm looking for answers. I think it's good to keep looking. Maybe Fit Recovery won't help me stop, AA didn't so much really... but the searching really slowed me down. I feel grateful to be alive. thanks

Your toxic negativity does not serve your image.

The fellowship of AA lifted this homeless and help this alcoholic, and millions of others out of helplessness.

Obviously AA is not for everyone, however it's free and open to anyone who wants the help.

You're trading your marketing for your negative.

I relapsed for decades in and out of AA , but it wasn’t the fault of AA , I just would not accept the fact I could not drink alcohol, I’m sober now thankfully and I am grateful for AA . There is not a pill yet to cure this and if they find one , I’ll probably take 2 or 3 lmao 🤣 😂😅

“Take what you want and leave the rest.” That’s what I learned in AA. It’s an amazing program.

If you don’t believe in God, it can stand for Good Orderly Direction.

There are no dues or fees and no one is in charge. It’s the purest form of democracy I’ve ever encountered.

If you don’t like it, don’t go. But don’t put it down for the people it does help.

19 YEARS AGO ON MY 2ND 5150 IN TWO MONTHS I WAS RUNNING DOWN THE STREET IN A HOSPITAL GOWN TRYING TO BORROW SOME PANTS TO GO GET A DRINK 19 SOBER NOW THE STEPS NEED NO DEFENDING NOR DO I AND I KNOW MY ALKIE BROTHER AND SISTERS UNDERSTAND PEACE TO YOU AND YOURS ALWAYS

“Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.” From the Big Book of Alcoholics anonymous. Also read “Not God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous” by Ernest Kurtz, as part of his doctoral dissertation in Historical Studies, Harvard University. Very thorough & detailed.

I would definitely agree with alot of what you've describing. However AA is there to help the real Alcoholic. The 10% you talk about. The rest come and go. Many problem drinkers come to AA on the back of the 3rd Tradition . The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. In the town I come from there are aproxamitely 30 AA meetings a week but only 2 NA meetings. Everybody wants to go to AA. Unfortunately we enable everybody to come in.
AA's contribution to society has and continues to be immense. The elephant in the room is not AA, it's the lack of services for other addictions as well as Mental health facilities.
Irelands Health services run on the only model they know FIREFIGHTING.