Inside the black box of traditional treatment programs: clearing the air on the original literary teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Williams, Izaak L.; Mee-Lee, David

doi:10.1080/16066359.2018.1540692

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…This is an important finding that brings new perspectives to the discussion of AA groups in the 21st century. It also contributes to the interpretation of previous research findings, which found membership in AA groups of people who do not adopt all of the AA propositions or give to some of them different meanings (Borkman, 2008; Makela et al, 1996; Williams & Mee‐Lee, 2019).…”

Section: Fields Of Application Of Self‐help/mutual Aid Groups Researc...supporting

confidence: 63%

Self‐help/mutual aid groups for health and psychosocial problems: Key features and their perspectives in the 21st century

Lainas

2023

American J of Comm Psychol

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In this virtual special issue, a set of 26 papers previously published in the American Journal of Community Psychology (AJCP), focused on self‐help/mutual aid groups (SH/MAGs), are being curated given their significant impact in this domain. SH/MAGs constitute an important component of the community psychology's proposal to address various psychosocial and health problems. The American Journal of Community Psychology has played an important role in exploring the characteristics of self‐help/mutual aid groups in various fields. These articles cover important areas of the study of self‐help/mutual‐aid groups. More specifically, the selected articles address issues such as the definition and key characteristics of self‐help/mutual aid groups, the main fields that are applied, such as mental health, addictions, and disabilities. The article also addresses important issues such as the place of self‐help/mutual aid groups in health systems, the experiential knowledge generated within these groups and the relationship of health professionals with these groups. The aim is this VSI to contribute to contemporary discussion on self‐help/mutual aid groups, their challenges, and their perspectives and to highlight the crucial role that community psychology has in this field.

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Section: Fields Of Application Of Self‐help/mutual Aid Groups Researc...supporting

confidence: 63%

Self‐help/mutual aid groups for health and psychosocial problems: Key features and their perspectives in the 21st century

Lainas

2023

American J of Comm Psychol

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“…When they are offered 12-step treatment, they get exposed to these strict views in a different setting than what was initially intended within AA, namely a self-help group that people join voluntarily. Williams and Mee-Lee (2019) have discussed this shift in the 12-step programme and argue that current 12-step-based treatment settings promote practices that run contrary to the spirit of AA. For example, they point out that the original AA teaching endorses abstinence only for people with severe addiction disorders, which in the 12step approach has been changed to abstinence for all members.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abstinence or controlled drinking – a five-year follow-up on Swedish clients reporting positive change after treatment for substance use disorders

Greiff

Skogens

2020

DAT

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how clients – five years after completing treatment interventions endorsing abstinence – view abstinence and the role of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in their recovery process. Design/methodology/approach Interviews with 40 clients were conducted shortly after them finishing treatment and five years later. All the interviewees had attended treatment programmes based on the 12-step philosophy, and they all described abstinence as crucial to their recovery process in an initial interview. Findings At follow-up, the majority remained abstinent. For many, attending AA meetings was still important – some described attending as a routine, whereas others stressed that the meetings were crucial for remaining abstinent. For those who reported controlled drinking (CD), this was described either as a natural step in their recovery process or as associated with worries and self-doubts. Research limitations/implications The results suggest the importance of offering interventions with various treatment goals and that clients choosing CD as part of their sustained recovery would benefit from support in this process, both from peers and professionals. Originality/value There are heterogeneous views on the possibilities of CD after recovery from substance use disorder both in research and in treatment systems. This study on client views on abstinence versus CD after treatment advocating total abstinence can contribute with perspectives on this ongoing discussion.

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“…Smith and Liu (2014) found that practitioners in recovery hold strong beliefs favoring traditional 12-step treatment approaches, and they are likely to use them hand in hand with evidence-based treatment. Those without recovery status did not demonstrate strong beliefs about traditional treatment like 12-step meetings, and use them less frequently, instead favoring evidence-based models (Stokes, 2018;Williams & Mee-Lee, 2019). Fundamentally, positive treatment outcomes and increased quality of life are reported when practices integrate evidence-based, traditional, and holistic treatments and emphasize client autonomy (Breuninger et al, 2020;Nikmanesh et al, 2016;Oliveira et al, 2022;Rasmus et al, 2019;Savic et al, 2017).…”

Section: Learners' Belief Systemsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…The debate about the efficiency of treatment from practitioners in recovery and those not in recovery is ongoing (Stokes, 2018;Williams & Mee-Lee, 2019). However, researchers have found that practitioners hold different beliefs about which addictions treatments to use based on their personal recovery status (Edmond et al, 2015;Smith & Liu, 2014).…”

Section: Learners' Belief Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Didactic Recommendations for Teaching About Integrated Care in Human Services Addiction Education

Carlisle

McCloskey

2023

Journal of Human Services

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This article presents didactic activities and recommendations to implement in human services addiction education that uses Transformative Learning Theory to teach about integrated care approaches that are associated with improved client outcomes. Authors discuss learners’ attitudes and beliefs towards addiction and evidence-based treatment; exploring traditional, evidence-based, and holistic treatment practices; and experiential learning and reflection. The innovative goal of this article is to advocate for addiction education that expands learners’ belief systems so that they are more open to integrated care options that cater to each individual they treat.

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Inside the black box of traditional treatment programs: clearing the air on the original literary teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Cited by 9 publications

References 43 publications

Self‐help/mutual aid groups for health and psychosocial problems: Key features and their perspectives in the 21st century

Self‐help/mutual aid groups for health and psychosocial problems: Key features and their perspectives in the 21st century

Abstinence or controlled drinking – a five-year follow-up on Swedish clients reporting positive change after treatment for substance use disorders

Didactic Recommendations for Teaching About Integrated Care in Human Services Addiction Education

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