The 12 Step Program Alcoholics Anonymous - 3302 Words

The 12 step program Alcoholics Anonymous (AA )was born in 1934. Prohibition had been repealed and a man named Bill Watson drunkenly found his way to Manhattan Hospital. Bill was known to knock back quite a bit of whiskey every day and couldn t seem to be able to quit. While he was at Manhattan Hospital he was given a new and considered experimental treatment for addiction of belladonna, which is a hallucinogen. Bill in his induced state yelled to God to help free him of alcohol. He reported seeing a bright light and feeling such serenity that Bill quit drinking alcohol. He went on to co-found Alcoholics Anonymous and based the principles off the evangelical Oxford Group which believed people were sinners, but with the help of God and confessing, a person could get on the proper path. AA was an answer to a huge void the medical world felt at the time in regard to people who drank heavily. Once alcoholism was named a disease in 1956 by the American Medical Association (AMA) AA grew and more hospitals sprung up wards for alcoholics for patients to detox with no other treatment offered. What someone in a ward for alcholhoics did receive was members showing up to support their fellow drinker and offering support and invitations to meetings. Thus began the road to calling alcoholism a disease and the first 12 step program AA. (14) I disagree with the notion that addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, eating or other compulsive behaviors is a medical disease. GeneShow MoreRelatedThe 12 Step Program Alcoholics Anonymous3299 Words   |  14 Pages The 12 step program Alcoholics Anonymous (AA )was born in 1934. Prohibition had been repealed and a man named Bill Watson drunkenly found his way to Manhattan Hospital. Bill was known to knock back quite a bit of whiskey every day and couldn t seem to be able to quit. While he was in Manhattan Hospital he was given a new and considered experimental treatment for addiction of belladonna, which is a hallucinogen. Bi ll in his induced state, yelled to God to help free him of alcohol. He reportedRead MoreEssay on Alcoholics Anonymous: 12-Step Program2169 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the largest and most commonly known self-help group in the world. Since the creation of AA in 1935, there have been many programs modeled after it, which are also based on the 12-Step Program. Some of these include Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Chemically Dependent Anonymous, as well as programs for specific drugs, such as Cocaine Anonymous (CA) and Crystal Meth Anonymous (NIDA, 2012). Attendance and participation for self-help groups are open for anyone to attendRead MoreThe Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step Recovery Program Guide Alcoholics1611 Words   |  7 PagesRunning head: 12-Step Meeting Reaction Paper 12-Step Meeting Reaction Paper Carissa Hardy ADRE 6703 Abstract The Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step recovery program guides alcoholics through a series of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and social actions towards sobriety and wellness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive drinking has lead to approximately 88,000 deaths in the United States each year and accounts for 1 in 10 deaths in working ageRead MoreChildhood Alcoholism And The Effect Of The 12 Step Program For Alcoholics Anonymous As A Form Of Treatment1147 Words   |  5 Pagesable to access and get a hold of alcohol more easily than they can other drugs – such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, etc. The topic and focus of this paper is to explore specifically adolescent alcoholism and the effects of the 12-Step Program used in Alcoholics Anonymous as a form of treatment to overcome this addiction. This treatment will be evaluated through the review of empirical research and an interview with Dr. Don MacDonald, a professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Seattle PacificRead MoreAlcoholics Anonymous: the 12-Step Treatment780 Words   |  4 PagesAlcoholics Anonymous: The 12-Step Treatment Alcoholics Anonymous: The 12-Step Treatment The 12-step program used by Alcoholics Anonymous is a well-known treatment method that’s used for many types of addiction, not just alcohol. Alcoholics are encouraged to â€Å"work† the 12-steps. The first step involves admitting the powerlessness over alcohol. The second step has the alcoholic believe that there is some type of a greater power working that will help aide the alcoholic to reach sobriety, asRead MoreHistory Of Organization : Alcoholics Anonymous ( A.a )1691 Words   |  7 PagesOrganization Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio, and is a spiritual based organization with the sole purpose â€Å"to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety† threw fellowship. Alcoholic Anonymous (A.A.) foundation is built on a 12 step program that involves taking 12 step that will guarantee your sobriety (according to A.A.) because you start the 12 steps but you never end, it is designed for you to consistently work the 12 steps for theRead MoreA 12-Step Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous: A Reaction Paper841 Words   |  3 Pages12-Step Meeting Reaction Paper Objective The objective of this study is to write a reaction on a 12-step meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous with the focus of the meeting being attitude modification. The meeting attended was the Stairway Group meeting in Decatur, Alabama. The members who attended this group meeting were of all ages, of both the female and male gender and were white, black, and Hispanic individuals. The majority of the attendees were males. First Speaker The first speaker at theRead MoreAlcoholics Anonymous : A Anonymous865 Words   |  4 PagesAttending an Alcoholic Anonymous Meeting Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in the basis that alcoholism cannot be healed medically, but spiritually. Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1939 by Bill Wilson, and Dr. Robert Smith (B’s, n.d.). The main goal of Alcoholics Anonymous is recovery from alcoholism, and to fully abstain from consuming alcohol. Several non-stated goals are staying out of jail, fixing a financial situation, or becoming happier (Trizio, 2006). After attending in a meeting forRead MoreA Study On Alcoholics Anonymous Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesAlcoholics Anonymous has held an almost sacred spot in our society as the way for addicts to get sober through spiritual means, with many people having anecdotal stories and experiences corroborating this belief. To full examine the ethicality of AA, an in depth look at AA is required. A study of its history, a description of the program, the success rates and commonly held harmful beliefs of AA, alternatives to AA, and finally an analysis using Rawlâ €™s Theory of Justice are all required in orderRead MoreAlcohol Abuse Is The Most Common Addictive Behavior1295 Words   |  6 PagesMany have tried to guest and speculate that alcohol abuse is due to many factors that include genetics, social, mental and emotional, and even how people around you raised you. Many also have speculated that people that we associates with that are alcoholics can be a factor also. It can be family and friends, schoolmates, and colleagues. Some also say that it can be due to emotional and psychological disorders such as depression, bipolar, or anxiety are factors of someone to drive to drinking to forget