Research on how "Helping Others Enhances Your Own Recovery"
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Research on how "Helping Others Enhances Your Own Recovery"
Article from Alcoholism.About.com
There is a saying that many in recovery circles repeat that goes, "When I got busy, I got better." What it means is, in their effort to maintain sobriety and serenity, they found that doing service work to help others actually helped them stay clean and sober.
Now there is some scientific research that backs up the notion that helping others helps alcoholics and addicts become and stay sober.
Helper Therapy Principle
Maria E. Pagano, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, in a published review cited several empirical studies that support the "helper therapy principle" or the idea that when someone helps another person with a similar condition, they help themselves.
The idea of "one drunk helping another" is one of the basic principles upon which Alcoholics Anonymous was founded. Pagano says the helper therapy principle helps alcoholics and addicts by diminishing egocentrism and selfishness, root causes of addiction.
"Helping others in the program of AA has forged a therapy based on the kinship of common suffering and has vast potential," she said in a news release. "These studies indicate that among alcoholics, AA-related helping and giving general help to others has positive effects on drinking outcomes and mental health variables."
Helps With Other Conditions
Although Pagano's research focused on the benefits of helping other alcoholics and addicts, her research found the same principle applies to people suffering from other conditions, such as depression, AIDS, or chronic pain.
"When humans help others regardless of a shared condition, they appear to live longer and happier lives," she adds. "The benefits of helping are significant because the costs of alcoholism and drug addiction to society are so great."
Benefits of Helping Others
Pagano reviewed three previous Project MATCH-based studies that showed the recovery and mental health benefits to individuals who helped others:
A 2004 study that found that 40% of alcoholics who helped others avoided drinking for 12 months, compared to only 22% who did not help others.
A 2009 study that 94% of alcoholics who helped others at any time during the 15-month study experienced lower levels of depression.
Another study of alcoholics with body dysmorphic disorder - a condition in which a person is excessively preoccupied with a perceived physical defect - found that those who helped others were more like to maintain sobriety and develop an improved self image than non-helpers.
Applicable to All Seeking Treatment
"The research indicates that getting active in service helps alcoholics and other addicts become sober and stay sober, and suggests this approach is applicable to all treatment-seeking individuals with a desire to not drink or use drugs," Dr. Pagano said. "Helping others in the program of AA has forged a therapy based on the kinship of common suffering and has vast potential."
Source: Pagano, ME, et al Helping Others and Long-term Sobriety: Who Should I Help to Stay Sober?" Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly January 2009.
There is a saying that many in recovery circles repeat that goes, "When I got busy, I got better." What it means is, in their effort to maintain sobriety and serenity, they found that doing service work to help others actually helped them stay clean and sober.
Now there is some scientific research that backs up the notion that helping others helps alcoholics and addicts become and stay sober.
Helper Therapy Principle
Maria E. Pagano, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, in a published review cited several empirical studies that support the "helper therapy principle" or the idea that when someone helps another person with a similar condition, they help themselves.
The idea of "one drunk helping another" is one of the basic principles upon which Alcoholics Anonymous was founded. Pagano says the helper therapy principle helps alcoholics and addicts by diminishing egocentrism and selfishness, root causes of addiction.
"Helping others in the program of AA has forged a therapy based on the kinship of common suffering and has vast potential," she said in a news release. "These studies indicate that among alcoholics, AA-related helping and giving general help to others has positive effects on drinking outcomes and mental health variables."
Helps With Other Conditions
Although Pagano's research focused on the benefits of helping other alcoholics and addicts, her research found the same principle applies to people suffering from other conditions, such as depression, AIDS, or chronic pain.
"When humans help others regardless of a shared condition, they appear to live longer and happier lives," she adds. "The benefits of helping are significant because the costs of alcoholism and drug addiction to society are so great."
Benefits of Helping Others
Pagano reviewed three previous Project MATCH-based studies that showed the recovery and mental health benefits to individuals who helped others:
A 2004 study that found that 40% of alcoholics who helped others avoided drinking for 12 months, compared to only 22% who did not help others.
A 2009 study that 94% of alcoholics who helped others at any time during the 15-month study experienced lower levels of depression.
Another study of alcoholics with body dysmorphic disorder - a condition in which a person is excessively preoccupied with a perceived physical defect - found that those who helped others were more like to maintain sobriety and develop an improved self image than non-helpers.
Applicable to All Seeking Treatment
"The research indicates that getting active in service helps alcoholics and other addicts become sober and stay sober, and suggests this approach is applicable to all treatment-seeking individuals with a desire to not drink or use drugs," Dr. Pagano said. "Helping others in the program of AA has forged a therapy based on the kinship of common suffering and has vast potential."
Source: Pagano, ME, et al Helping Others and Long-term Sobriety: Who Should I Help to Stay Sober?" Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly January 2009.
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Like I posted in Mirage's thread, sharing my struggles gets me out of my own head.
I can relate to her struggle and it helps me reinforce the solution I've found that works - which was given to me by someone else; whether that someone else was a therapist, an author, AA members, a priest, teachers, friends, or online forums.
There is value in repetition. The more times I hear it voiced in different words and the more times I say it, the more likely it is to stick. I think that is a major benefit to AA meetings: people keep saying the same helpful stuff in a variety of ways and it all comes together in a recovery mindset.
I can relate to her struggle and it helps me reinforce the solution I've found that works - which was given to me by someone else; whether that someone else was a therapist, an author, AA members, a priest, teachers, friends, or online forums.
There is value in repetition. The more times I hear it voiced in different words and the more times I say it, the more likely it is to stick. I think that is a major benefit to AA meetings: people keep saying the same helpful stuff in a variety of ways and it all comes together in a recovery mindset.
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I don't follow AA but Step 12 is all about others:
"Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs"
I guess the outward looking to others rather than continually being inward looking to ourselves has it's benefits.
"Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs"
I guess the outward looking to others rather than continually being inward looking to ourselves has it's benefits.
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Great post, Jennie. Funny enough, because before I got into my own recovery just a few months ago, I was not aware of this type of research much. What has come as an even bigger surprise: I was not aware of this inspiration in myself and especially the power of it. I always thought I was not a helper or service type person. Would not say it wasn't there before but most of it remained dormant and unused, and/or an unconscious motivation...
An exciting discovery from personal experience, not via AA but through my SR experience so far
And of course I think it's applicable for many different types of service work.
An exciting discovery from personal experience, not via AA but through my SR experience so far
And of course I think it's applicable for many different types of service work.
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We often get stuck in our wrong thinking by continuing to hang out with the same family members or friends who taught us the wrong thinking in the first place.
Online forums are great for cutting through the BS. This particular forum is the gentlest and kindest of forums: which is awesome for the most part but total support comes with a price that is too high in real life.
I've learned a lot over the years in online forums. Some of them can get pretty ugly, but I even learned from them. I learned what doesn't work with emotionally healthy people. You can't get away with too much in forums - even though it doesn't actually hurt to read words on a screen from someone I'll never meet, it still pays to be honest and compassionate.
When I found online forums that were healthy I started reading the same things over and over - and they were posted by people who had nothing to gain by posting other than uplifting the Human Race. Through stories of others' tragedies and triumphs I saw common themes from people who weren't unhealthily enmeshed. Wow. You mean I don't have to live in other peoples' heads? Really? I'm all in.
It is a thing that we share freely with no expectations. It's a pretty pure and selfless thing when it comes to online forums. On the other hand, it's a lot easier to speak carefully in writing than it is face to face.
I wish I had the option in real life to take words back for fifteen minutes.
Online forums are great for cutting through the BS. This particular forum is the gentlest and kindest of forums: which is awesome for the most part but total support comes with a price that is too high in real life.
I've learned a lot over the years in online forums. Some of them can get pretty ugly, but I even learned from them. I learned what doesn't work with emotionally healthy people. You can't get away with too much in forums - even though it doesn't actually hurt to read words on a screen from someone I'll never meet, it still pays to be honest and compassionate.
When I found online forums that were healthy I started reading the same things over and over - and they were posted by people who had nothing to gain by posting other than uplifting the Human Race. Through stories of others' tragedies and triumphs I saw common themes from people who weren't unhealthily enmeshed. Wow. You mean I don't have to live in other peoples' heads? Really? I'm all in.
It is a thing that we share freely with no expectations. It's a pretty pure and selfless thing when it comes to online forums. On the other hand, it's a lot easier to speak carefully in writing than it is face to face.
I wish I had the option in real life to take words back for fifteen minutes.
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I was just thinking that at work we've recently signed up to do some fund raising for a local charity, when I was drinking I didn't care much about the outside work activities my company got involved in, just let me get home and drink, right?
Well the other week I put my name forward (I was shocked as much as my other colleagues) to be in charge of our online publicity campaign, in other words regular social media publicity and our online fund raising page, this time around having an activity to get involved in has been great, when I first got Sober I was crying out for activities to get involved in and now activities are just showing up at my door!!
Though most importantly I'm not focused on myself, I'm focused on how to better the fund raising, always thinking of new ideas, how to squeeze every penny I can for the charity, which btw is a charity for cancer patients who need hospice care!!
Whilst I'm focused on the charity and who they help, I'm not focused on myself, and I'm certainly not focused on drinking!!
Well the other week I put my name forward (I was shocked as much as my other colleagues) to be in charge of our online publicity campaign, in other words regular social media publicity and our online fund raising page, this time around having an activity to get involved in has been great, when I first got Sober I was crying out for activities to get involved in and now activities are just showing up at my door!!
Though most importantly I'm not focused on myself, I'm focused on how to better the fund raising, always thinking of new ideas, how to squeeze every penny I can for the charity, which btw is a charity for cancer patients who need hospice care!!
Whilst I'm focused on the charity and who they help, I'm not focused on myself, and I'm certainly not focused on drinking!!
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what i find problematic here in this article is the assertion that the root causes of addiction are egocentrism and selfishness as if this were a well-proven FACT.
while there are many who think it's so, many others do not, and it's more a point of view or experience.
moving on, she cites it's helpful for people with AIDS, chronic pain, depression.
hm...do these also have root causes of egocentrism and selfishness? i think not.
that being there for others helps many with themselves, so to speak, makes tons of sense to me.
to put in a supposedly research-based article the "root causes" of addiction as if they had been scientifically determined is questionable at best.
and no, i'm not poo-pooing helping others as helpful to me or you.
certainly true for me.
while there are many who think it's so, many others do not, and it's more a point of view or experience.
moving on, she cites it's helpful for people with AIDS, chronic pain, depression.
hm...do these also have root causes of egocentrism and selfishness? i think not.
that being there for others helps many with themselves, so to speak, makes tons of sense to me.
to put in a supposedly research-based article the "root causes" of addiction as if they had been scientifically determined is questionable at best.
and no, i'm not poo-pooing helping others as helpful to me or you.
certainly true for me.
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I think the positive effects of helping others can stand regardless of the root cause of the specific problem that the "helped individuals" have. In this context, any service work may have benefits for the helpers. However, I am quite convinced that a subjective factor can boost the effectiveness of the process. By "subjective" I mean that for example an addict is trying to help another addict. There is experimental neuroscience evidence for the benefits coming from empathy, which is the subjective factor in this case.
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Originally Posted by SoberJennie 
Article from Alcoholism.About.com
"The research indicates that getting active in service helps alcoholics and other addicts become sober and stay sober, and suggests this approach is applicable to all treatment-seeking individuals with a desire to not drink or use drugs," Dr. Pagano said. "Helping others in the program of AA has forged a therapy based on the kinship of common suffering and has vast potential."
Source: Pagano, ME, et al Helping Others and Long-term Sobriety: Who Should I Help to Stay Sober?" Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly January 2009.
"The research indicates that getting active in service helps alcoholics and other addicts become sober and stay sober, and suggests this approach is applicable to all treatment-seeking individuals with a desire to not drink or use drugs," Dr. Pagano said. "Helping others in the program of AA has forged a therapy based on the kinship of common suffering and has vast potential."
Source: Pagano, ME, et al Helping Others and Long-term Sobriety: Who Should I Help to Stay Sober?" Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly January 2009.
There was other research from Crape aound 2000, showed that being a sponsor dramatically increased recovery rates over those who were sponsored or did not sponsor.
If we go back a bit we see:
Ebby Thatcher has learnt this principle in the Oxford Group and was helping himself when he passed his message onto Bill in 1935.
Bill stayed sober for a good while by trying to help other alcoholics, though he was having no success with them, in 1935.
In 1939 Alcoholics Anonymous had published a book based in large part on the principle discussed in the article. "One alcoholic helping another was vital to permanent recovery".
And Silkworth had ideas about the physical aspect of alcoholism, the manifestation of an allergy as he called it, that created the craving. This has since been explained scientifically.
But there is more to the picture. It appears Ebby did not continue with the program and drank again. The early members of AA found that they had developed a common solution, only a part of which was helping others. They found they could not transmit something they didn't have. They worked the steps to experience the solution, and that experience became the substantial message they carried to the newcomer, and carrying the message helped them stay sober.
The personality/psychic change or conversion/spiritual experience is still required today to bring about the type of recovery in the AA message to alcoholics of my type.
If it was just a matter of helping each other, we would have all recovered long ago.
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Not directly about 12-step programs or recovery, but I think this very recent article is interesting in the context of this thread. There is also a link to the original research article.
New Research Shows Empathy in HSP's Brains | Psychology Today
New Research Shows Empathy in HSP's Brains | Psychology Today
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Yes, Jennie, it reminds me of that book, too (among many other things)
EndGame - I have actually sent that article to dozens of people during the past few months, many are my colleagues.
Speaking of colleagues, and meaningful activities, and subjectivity... This is exactly what I have been experiencing in the past nearly 5 years in my job. I did research on quite a few fields of biology in my life since college, moving from one to another in ~3-year installments (along with moving between places). They have all been interesting, but I've never experienced any work as rewarding as my current research in the neuro/behavioral sciences, specifically on addiction and related psychiatric disorders.
The fact that my motivation comes primarily as a subjective inspiration (things that interest me personally) is something I have been aware of since my 20's, and there have been a few. But nothing as powerful as this current one. I think this contributed a lot to my finally quitting drinking, I just could not bear it being destroyed; of course my work was heavily affected by my drinking. I know this does not work for many others but it did for me, it was my main motivation to quit before more damage, more than my own health and other areas of life. Just my experience.
But now there is this new intense awareness about how rewarding it is to try to understand others that are suffering and do something useful to help them or at least provide company... Actually, the more I think about this (looking through my history) the more I realize I've always had this inspiration, not even just a little, just in a more diffuse way and projected differently, but both my personal and professional history are packed with "unofficial" versions of this inspiration. So now I'm trying to think, how could I possibly integrate this motivation into my life, maybe into my work, in a more focused and bold way. I've been thinking about this for months now and for I will just experiment with it for the time being, see what works best. But knowing myself, I'm pretty sure this will go into the "big picture" of not only who I am but what I do with it.
Exciting!
EndGame - I have actually sent that article to dozens of people during the past few months, many are my colleagues.
Speaking of colleagues, and meaningful activities, and subjectivity... This is exactly what I have been experiencing in the past nearly 5 years in my job. I did research on quite a few fields of biology in my life since college, moving from one to another in ~3-year installments (along with moving between places). They have all been interesting, but I've never experienced any work as rewarding as my current research in the neuro/behavioral sciences, specifically on addiction and related psychiatric disorders.
The fact that my motivation comes primarily as a subjective inspiration (things that interest me personally) is something I have been aware of since my 20's, and there have been a few. But nothing as powerful as this current one. I think this contributed a lot to my finally quitting drinking, I just could not bear it being destroyed; of course my work was heavily affected by my drinking. I know this does not work for many others but it did for me, it was my main motivation to quit before more damage, more than my own health and other areas of life. Just my experience.
But now there is this new intense awareness about how rewarding it is to try to understand others that are suffering and do something useful to help them or at least provide company... Actually, the more I think about this (looking through my history) the more I realize I've always had this inspiration, not even just a little, just in a more diffuse way and projected differently, but both my personal and professional history are packed with "unofficial" versions of this inspiration. So now I'm trying to think, how could I possibly integrate this motivation into my life, maybe into my work, in a more focused and bold way. I've been thinking about this for months now and for I will just experiment with it for the time being, see what works best. But knowing myself, I'm pretty sure this will go into the "big picture" of not only who I am but what I do with it.
Exciting!
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