Kjell

30% of the time, I'm 100% right.

Reset

You're on to something here. My shrink told me that AA has a fairly low rate of success but of all of the treatment, rehab, sobriety, etc. programs out there, it is the most successful.

franie

I say do what works for you. AAers will say that AA is 100% successful. Anti AAers will say that AA is a 100% failure. I am not sure what I am at present just know that I want to continue to be sober 100% and will put 100% effort into continuing on that path. AA or not AA who cares really.

Boleo

If you use "those who never drank again" as the criteria, it probably is right.

However, if you use "Those who achieved their goals", it is probably closer to 50%

The problem is most newcomers only want to get their stuff back (license, job, spouse...Et cetera). Those who have only short term goals seldom achieve lasting sobriety on their first try and most of the statistics don't take into account repeat members.

I myself took about 20 try's to make it to the 1 year mark. Does that count as a success or failure?

Peter G

Isn't there a thing about AA that since the time of Bill and Dr Bob the meetings have lost a bit of the work ethic - certain groups I mean. As in, it used to be a great deal less about sharing and war stories, and more about the actual step work?

I'm asking also because my brother (AA member in Canada) told me to make sure I found the "right" meeting and group, because some were nothing more than whiny "share my troubles" self help groups that rarely got around to the work necessary for my sobriety.

Anyway, I would think if what I've said is true that would certainly account for low success rates. Since I'm new and still seeking a meeting, this makes me nervous because I have no clue how to seek out the proper group/meeting, and wouldn't know the wrong type if it were biting me in the a$$.

julez

In the meetings I attend, there are many people who have 10 years or more. Actually, theres a guy who has 50 years, and although he's cranky, he knows his stuff.
I do think that "back in the day" there was a different work ethic in AA. Sponsors were hard a**es and got really involved with their sponsees.
People definitely come in, and go out, but I see and meet more successes than failures. I know that so far it has been working for me.

Untoxicated

The success rate of those that drink to excess and frequently is also very low. That never stopped me from drinking.

Onewithwings

I believe that is supposed to be the # of people who walk in the door and never take another drink. If you look at it that way, you have to account for relapses, people who aren't clean yet, people who come in for some amount of time then stop coming, etc.

least

Since AA is (supposed to be) an anonymous group I would think that makes it hard to gauge success rates. All I know for sure is that there are a lot of long-time sober people in my home group and they are very happily sober. I can't attribute my success solely to AA but it sure helped me in early recovery. And tho I've never worked the steps as laid out in AA I have worked them in a different way, more psychological, perhaps, but I worked on myself all the same.

cabledude

Binder, the right group is fairly important because the quality of help you receive from them is directly affected.

I'd look for a group that is well balanced. Men/women, old/young Longtimers/new people should run close to the same numbers.

A group is usually not found in a fellowship hall or club setting. Ask solid people where their homegroup is and check them out.

Or if you get the chance, ask a slipper which groups they stay the hell away from, the ones that are far too serious about AA. They can be a great source of useful information.

If you luck into one where everyone has a sponsor and is utilizing steps, you can join in by simply showing up regularly. Expect to find some people doing well in life and to have some laughs. If they do the coffeeshop after the meeting, invite yourself along.

hopeless2day

Cabledude, how is Tiny Geko?

Peter G

Thanks for the advice. Where I'm at in the world it may or may not be hard to find a good group, once I make that call. I'm not sure how structured AA is here in Singapore, I mean it could be just 1 meeting a week, 1 group, total. Who knows over here since many locals aren't willing to risk public embarrassment and the possibility of being associated with AA (from what my local friends have told me). It's a cultural thing. I expect to see mostly expats whenever I do locate a meeting, for that reason, which is cool with me since I'm Canadian.

Heck I only recently noticed they finally updated their site from 2004 (!!?) which is why I decided to pick the BB and read it. Before then I wasn't even sure a chapter existed here.

Jfanagle

AA has kept the one person that I have resposibility for sober since the day I walked in over a decade ago. I have heard however that prayer if done on your knees is 37.6% more effective!

cabledude

Finest kind, C.

sleepie

Hopeless, what was the source of this statistic?

recycle

From my limited experience I would say that only about a third of the people in AA are working the program, so that makes the overall success rate of 3-7% pretty phenomenal.

littlefish

This discussion board does have a lot of people from the US, but court ordered AA attendance is not the norm in most other countries. In fact, I am guessing it is only in the US that it is court ordered. In the rest of the world, maybe we can say that 100% of the people are there of their own free will.

SJTChiSox

Treatment+therapy+medication+12 step meetings give you the best chance. Meetings seem to be helping me right now. Who knows what I will be doing tomorrow, but today I go.

LetsGoJets

Probably accurate information since most "AA Meetings" dont emphasize the 12 Steps.

Read the Forwards in the Big Book. In the beginning 50% got sober immediately, 25% after a relapse. That's 75% success rate. I have heard that back then in some areas the success rate was close to 90%.

It's because they did what the Big Book said. It really isnt rocket science. Clean house, trust God, Help others.

Today it's quite the opposite and its reflected in AA's success rate, which is a damn shame.

totfit

The success rate for any type of recovery program or non-program are statistically a dead heat. I think it depends on what works for any individual. I think the biggest factor is that a person knows that for them drinking doesn't work and that they work not to drink anymore.