... Alcoholics Anonymous: The Reality If ever you find yourself in fear of alcoholism, you then become tasked with finding a way out of the downward spiral that your life has or will become. There are many programs and rehabilitation strategies that have claimed to have a great benefit against alcoholism. Being an alcoholic used to be a war that you fought alone, but after attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, I now know that group support can be a great benefit towards the battle to sobriety. At Alcoholics Anonymous, you no longer need to be afraid of fighting alcoholism alone and in the dark. The ideals that the program upholds hold the keys to helping you get back to who you need and deserve to be. What is Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous is a recovery program that focuses on one prime objective. The group has no leader or governmental structure. They are not looking to sway you to a certain religious purpose or any political stance. Alcoholics Anonymous’ primary purpose is to help others with a problem with alcoholism to get sober. Alcoholics Anonymous began in Akron, Ohio in 1935. At this time there were only two men with a brand new idea. These two men were problematic alcoholics and found that helping others get sober helped them stay sober. After four years of helping and encouraging more and more to get sober, the nameless society grew and released its first publication, Alcoholics Anonymous. Since then, with the help of many friends...
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...new life that can and does work under any conditions whatever," states Bill Wilson the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA, also known as Alcoholics Anonymous, is a recovery program to help addicts cure their addiction. The addict is given a sponsor within the first 30 days of your recovery and he or she guides through the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. These twelve steps help the addict accept they have a problem, identify what exactly needs to be improved and changed, analyze the situation, learn from their progress and past mistakes, and help yourself and others. This racially mixed, self-supporting, and nonprofessional recovery program is the only way to cure addiction and reach the full potential of sobriety. In the 1930’s, it was common to consider alcoholism as a moral failure. Doctors at the time treated the situation like it was terminal. People without financial capability were able to find help through the Salvation Army or religious groups, while those who could afford it were put into a long term treatment in hospitals. In 1931 a Christian society named The Oxford Group practiced the five C’s: confidence, confession, conviction, conversion, and continuance. Bill Wilson, a struggling addict, needed support for his addiction and learned the beliefs of the Christian group. In 1935 he established what is now known today as Alcoholics Anonymous and The Oxford Group’s guidance formed the foundation of the twelve step program. Wilson wrote, “The early AA got...
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...Alcoholics Anonymous Group Observation Project Christopher Estacio Kaplan College Las Vegas NU242 Mrs. Sevilla May 3rd, 2014 Alcoholics Anonymous The mental health group that I chose for the group observation project was the local Alcoholics Anonymous group at the Serenity Club Las Vegas. I chose this particular location due to the fact that it is open 24 hours, has several different 12-step groups, and also provided literature on the various 12 step programs. The club also offered a snack bar, seating area, TV, pool table, and other recreational activities for the patrons to enjoy before and after their group meetings. I went on Thursday, the 5th of May and the meeting started promptly at 12:00pm and ended at 1:05pm. The topics of the day were step 8 (making a list of all persons harmed and willing to make amends with them) and step 9 (made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others) in the “Big Book”. The “Big Book” is the text that serves as the basis of A.A. It contains the 12 steps that at the fundamentals of the AA program as well as several stories about alcoholics that have recovered from the process. According to the Alcoholics Anonymous Central Office, “The main and primary purpose of the alcoholics anonymous group is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.” The population that are served are both men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve...
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...Alcoholics Anonymous The mental health group that I chose for the group observation project was the local Alcoholics Anonymous group at the Serenity Club Las Vegas. I chose this particular location due to the fact that it is open 24 hours, has several different 12-step groups, and also provided literature on the various 12 step programs. The club also offered a snack bar, seating area, TV, pool table, and other recreational activities for the patrons to enjoy before and after their group meetings. I went on Thursday, the 5th of May and the meeting started promptly at 12:00pm and ended at 1:05pm. The topics of the day were step 8 (making a list of all persons harmed and willing to make amends with them) and step 9 (made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others) in the “Big Book”. The “Big Book” is the text that serves as the basis of A.A. It contains the 12 steps that at the fundamentals of the AA program as well as several stories about alcoholics that have recovered from the process. According to the Alcoholics Anonymous Central Office, “The main and primary purpose of the alcoholics anonymous group is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.” The population that are served are both men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. This particular A.A. group meets seven days a week, at...
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... Alcoholism has been called the family illness. The family is impacted most by the behaviors of the untreated alcoholic. The addiction of alcoholism has very negative and adverse effects on the family and in the community. The jail and hospital visits take a toll on the family’s finances and emotional stability. Mothers against drunk drivers reported in 2012 that there were 1.41 million drunk driving convictions in the United States of America. These individuals take not only their lives but also the lives of others into their hands when they choose to get behind the wheel of their cars after the consuming alcohol. There is evidence that problem drinkers are less likely to be candidates for successful marriages and relationships. (Power, Rodgers and Hope). There are those instances where the abuse of alcohol is dominate in the marriage yet, they begin to raise a family. The children of such marriages are effected in many...
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...Montressa Beatty Emergency Procedures Dr. Sam Hakim Alcoholism Define alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is when one drinks alcoholic beverages in excess, whether on individual occasions (binge drinking) or as a regular practice. It is said that almost any amount of alcohol use may be legally considered as “alcohol abuse”, although it does depend on the local laws. Define binge drinking. Binge drinking is a seriously dangerous habit or practice of consuming large amounts of alcoholic beverages in a single setting. A person that practices binge drinking is at risk of causing serious harm, including alcohol poisoning. Define alcoholism. Alcoholism is when an individual physically becomes dependant on alcohol to the extent that stopping the use of the alcoholic beverages will bring on withdrawal symptoms. This term may also refer to ingrained drinking habits that cause health problems as well as social problems. The dependence on the alcohol causes many serious side effects on the brain, liver, and other organs of the body. What are the risk factors for developing alcoholism? There are several risk factors for alcoholism such as: * An individual drinking too much on a regular basis for an extended period of time. * Most people who begin drinking at an early age are at a higher risk for developing a dependency for alcohol. * Women are less likely to become dependent on alcohol than men, although women are at a greater risk for developing medical complications...
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...Narcotics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is the most well-known and widely available self-help group for drug addicts in treatment and recovery. Unlike Alcoholics Anonymous, which is limited to alcohol problems, Narcotics Anonymous is open to substance abuse problems of all kinds. NA uses fellowship and a set of guided principles—the 12 steps—to help members achieve and maintain sobriety. The twelve recovery steps include admitting powerlessness over the addiction and surrendering to a “higher power,” which you can interpret according to your own beliefs. A key part of a 12-step program is choosing a sponsor. A sponsor is a former addict who has time and experience remaining sober and can provide support when you’re dealing with the urge to use. NA members attend group meetings facilitated by other members—all recovering drug addicts. Meetings take place on a regular basis, at various times, and in many different locations around the world. Members are free to attend any of the many meetings held each week. The 12 steps The twelve-step process involves: •admitting that you are powerless to control your addiction or compulsion •recognizing a higher power “as you understand it” that can give strength •reviewing the mistakes you’ve made in the past, with the help of your sponsor •making amends for past mistakes and wrongs •learning how to live a new life, free from old unhealthy habits and ways of behaving •helping fellow drug addicts Other self-help...
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...FR Alcoholic Anonymous Group Paper PC6505 Alcoholic Anonymous Group The purpose of this paper is to describe the nature and purpose of an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group and its members. The paper will discuss the AA group’s philosophical orientation to human development. While using the writer’s knowledge of therapeutic factors, the paper will analyze the group process and its stage of development. The paper will also discuss the approach of the leader, often called ‘trusted servants” or “secretary”. Finally, the paper will discuss the use of the reconstructive inventory steps of 4-10 and how the writer would work with a client who was seeing her in individual or family counseling. Alcoholics Anonymous has a well-defined recovery program that AA members have been following since the founding of the group (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). In 1939, the group published its basic textbook, Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). The Big Book explained AA’s philosophy and methods, the core of which is the now well-known Twelve Steps of recovery (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). The Twelve Steps are the core of the recovery program, which are based on the trial-and-error experience of early members of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). The Twelve Steps are not simply a set of tasks to be carried out (personal communication, September 30, 2014). They are a guide for living and being in the world, and, for many individuals, they become a way of...
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...History Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) refers to a fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength, and hope with one another that they may solve their common problem and help one another in recovering from alcoholism. Alcoholism is an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. The origins of AA trace back to the early 20th century. During that time, a religious movement in both Europe and the US, the Oxford Group, brought group of people together who practiced a formula of self-improvement by preforming self-inventory, admitting wrongs, making amends, using prayers and meditation, and carrying the message to others. During...
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...Alcohol plays too significant a role in society today and should be an after thought as opposed to the most essential addition to any social event. Alcohol creates numerous social, economic, and health problems that could very easily be stopped if it played a less influential role in every day events. The use of alcohol is prominent in, but not limited to three social circles that include students, family groups, and religious gatherings. Experts have much to say about alcohol use and abuse in these three categories, including all of the negative aspects of drinking. Social drinking is a common occurrence around America. Whether it is after work or after a football game, white collar or blue, two-thirds of the American population sit down at least once a week to enjoy an alcoholic beverage (Med.unc.edu). Many of these people do not realize that drinking is what leads to uncontrolled behavior, drunk driving, and in the long run, addiction. They are thinking only of the short-term effects, not the negative long-term consequences. People who regularly turn to alcohol eventually begin to neglect their families and other responsibilities, consequently wrecking the lives of loved ones and their own as well. While the lasting negative effects of alcohol use are spewed daily through the media, the problems will not stop until society completely understands how alcohol can indeed pose a serious threat to the nations social welfare. Alcohol has an adverse effect on the economy. The...
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...IV-SINGAPORE MRS.SACOPLA INTRODUCTION Alcohol may be the world's oldest known drug. Fermented grain, fruit juice and honey have been used to make alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) for thousands of years. The production of products containing alcohol has become big business in today's society and the consumption and abuse of alcohol has become a major public health problem. The effects of alcohol abuse range from a mild hang over to mass destruction, disease and deaths on a huge scale. Alcohol use in moderation has little or no ill effects either for the user or those around them. But the misuse of what has become one of the world's most dangerous drugs takes a devastating toll on both the drinker and on society as a whole. Most agree that the occasional alcoholic drink never hurt anyone. The real danger lies in binge drinking and the development of a tolerance to alcohol, which causes the drinker to consume every greater quantities of booze in a bid to regain that original but elusive feeling of well being. PROBLEM Attached is a comprehensive community-based primary prevention plan for reducing high-risk and underage alcohol use in a community. Though it is important to realize that any effort to be comprehensive will always be lacking some components, the strategies/activities/tasks listed are possible examples of what could be undertaken to reduce high-risk and underage alcohol use. This plan is intended as a guide for local communities...
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...Biography of Bill Wilson Co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous Alcohol has been abused and been problematic in the history of the world. Before Alcoholics Anonymous it was believed that alcoholism and addiction was a mental illness and failure of willpower (Cheever 253). There was never any real hope for alcoholics till Bill Wilson discovered that one alcoholic simply talking to another alcoholic could help them both stay sober. This soon became a self help program that now has over a hundred thousand groups and over two million members worldwide. Bill Wilson’s program became what we know today as Alcoholics Anonymous or simply A.A.. Bill Wilson wrote the book, Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered From Alcoholism, and co-founded the 12 step program with Dr. Bob Smith. In 1999 Time Magazine listed him as “Bill W.: The Healer” in the Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century (Time Magazine 153). Bill Griffith Wilson was born November 26th, 1895 in East Dorset Vermont, to Gilman and Emily Wilson. He was born the night before Thanksgiving behind the bar at his parents home and business Mount Aeolus Inn and Tavern. He had a sister, Dorothy Wilson who was four years younger than him. In the spring of 1906 his mother took both children on a picnic to Emerald Lake in Vermont to tell them that their father was not coming home from a business trip and that they were going to get divorced. After the divorce Emily Wilson left her...
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...Every year alcohol is responsible for 1/2 of all murders, accidental deaths, and suicides; 1/3 of all drowning, boating, and aviation deaths; 1/2 of all crimes; and almost 1/2 of all fatal automobile accidents (Overview 1). Alcohol is a potent nonprescription drug sold to anyone over the national legal drinking age, 21. Unlike carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which can be manufactured by the body, alcohol is a substance that is not made within the body. It is a food, because it supplies a concentrated number of calories, but is not nourishing and does not supply a significant amount of needed nutrients, vitamins, or minerals. These are empty calories that result in an unattractive “beer belly.” Most foods are prepared for digestion by the stomach so that their nutrients can be absorbed by the large intestine. However, 95% of alcohol is absorbed directly through the stomach walls or the walls of the duodenum (part of the small intestine nearest the stomach)and small intestine (Overview 2). Various factors effect the speed of alcohol’s absorption into the body. - Watery drinks such as beer is absorbed more slowly. - Foods (especially fatty foods) delay absorption - Carbonated beverages speed up the emptying of the stomach into the small intestine where alcohol is absorbed more quickly. - The drinker’s physical and emotional state (fatigue, stress), and individual body chemistry affect absorption. - Gender: Women have less dehydrogenates (a chemical that breaks down alcohol in the...
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...Meeting at a church on a Friday night is not usual for most college students, but it is for the members of an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) women's group in my hometown. A square room with windows, two couches, and an odd assortment of chairs, the space is the home for a vast array of women who meet weekly to discuss their addiction journey, as well as to both provide and receive support for their decision to remain sober. My experience at the AA meeting began with a mix-up, not to be confused with a mixer. A classmate and I spoke first with the woman who was opening the door and greeting members as they arrived. I asked her if she was the group facilitator and she explained that she was just the attendant. I later discovered that the group was autonomous and had no true leader. I explained that we were students and she let us know that it was a closed group. While apologizing for the misinformed website and letting her know we'd try elsewhere, the attendant stopped me and said that they could ask the group if we could observe. She explained that as long as no one objected, we could stay. The meeting opened with the leader for that week explaining that students were here, and asking for discussion. This was the first glimpse into the leadership and decision-making of the group. Collective leadership ran the decisions, with every member playing an equal part in voicing their opinion. While one member was chosen each week to facilitate, decisions were unanimous or majority-based...
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...the views and discussion of recognised professionals in the study of addiction. The definition of addiction ad-dic-tion (noun) is ‘the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physical habit forming to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma (Dictonary .com, 2012) One valid stance is that addiction is a chemical imbalance in Deoxyribonucleic Acid (D.N.A) (Wachuku, 2003, p. 199); any toxin or chemical artificially entered into the bloodstream may have a more serious effect on certain human beings than others. It could be argued that some are able to tolerate these toxins or chemicals without becoming addicted, whilst others quite easily fall into addiction, whether it is to alcohol, prescribed drugs, illegal solvents, stimulants, hallucinogenic or anti-depressants. Dr Robert West Professor of Health Psychology University College London States in his book Theory of Addiction that “dysfunctional motivation as a moment to moment control, through reflexes, impulses, inhibitions, desires, drives and emotions, are inherently unstable and subject to constant balancing” (West, 2006, p. 211). West also points to the ‘PRIME’ theory in, Plans, Responses, Impulses, Motives, and Evaluation. At every moment we act in pursuit of what...
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