Why Alcoholics Anonymous doesn’t Work for Most Drunks!

AA has been a lifeline to many a problem drinker and chronic alcoholic, but there are far more who slip through the nets of recovery than mange to go on to live a happy and sober lifestyle after putting that proverbial plug in the jug. Sometimes AA doesn’t work simply because the curious dabbler doesn’t want it bad enough, meaning he or she is not yet ready to sober up. But most times, it is the AA program, which is centered around finding a god in order to maintain longevity in sobriety. It is this ‘God’ thing which has many folks leaving and looking for alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Not everyone in AA is a low bottom drunk. Some in the rooms may have been little more than potential alcoholics, and others are simply there because the courts order them to attend. Teens who trouble their parents with their out of control drinking may also be escorted into the rooms of AA, but often times, many of these are just going through a drinking phase and are not really alcoholics or even potential alcoholics. But whoever they are, and whatever their level of dependency on alcohol, they have at least been exposed to AA, and so a seed may have been planted. Sadly, more people leave than stay which is why there is a desperate need for Alternatives to AA.

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Where’s the Missing Link?

It’s also a bit naive to suggest that the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous and its 12 step program of action is the only way for alcoholics to recover, but it’s certainly the most successful even if the statistics for that success are abysmal. Stats being stats are usually nothing more than indicators, but one recent report suggested that only 4% of alcoholics even make it to AA in the first place, and out of that 4% , only 2% decide to stay on and recover.

There will be of course numerous reasons why AA doesn’t work for all alcoholics even if they are desperate to stop their drinking habit and stay stopped. Many AA’s will have different opinions on why the program doesn’t work for some, and most will blame it on the drinkers lack of commitment. As someone who’s been around for a while and is sober thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous, I can say that it’s my opinion that the ‘God’ thing is the main reason why folks either don’t come, or if they do, don’t stay on.

I’ve seen too many failures and heard too many complaints about the ‘religious angle’ for my opinion to be changed. Although AA is not supposed to be a religious program, there’s a constant mention of ‘God’ from all the literature as authored by AA’s religious founders.

The literature is in fact very well written and endorses no particular religion. It even encourages people to use their own concept of a god, or higher power as is sometimes referred to. But the bottom line is that this program is about finding a god in your life who will help you in those areas of your life where you were not able to help yourself. Your problem is powerlessness over alcohol, and so your solution is power and how to find that power. In AA, that power is god albeit a god of your understanding.

Many a newcomer doesn’t like this idea to be drummed into them repeatedly through the sharing of others, the advice of sponsors, and the official literature. It may not be a religious program but it certainly follows religious concepts and guidelines. Just in the 12 steps alone we see the mention of god 4 times in steps 3, 5, 6, and 11, and referred to as a Power greater than ourselves, and ‘Him’ in 2 other steps.

It is my opinion that if the program of AA was rewritten in such a way that all references to god and higher powers were completely removed and replaced with a focus on finding inner strength and using the loving support of our fellows, then the success rate of AA would rise significantly.

I firmly believe (and it is just my belief), that mankind is equipped with everything inside of him which he needs to function as a purposeful and happy human being, and that alcoholics have simply tapped into the wrong source resulting in their lives going off on a negative tangent and path of self destruction and self loathing. If the international program of AA could focus the mind on the rediscovery of the positive self, then we would be rid of the god issue once and for all. This would still leave room for those who wanted god to play a role in their sobriety, as they could simply chose to believe that god is working within them.

Authors notes: The fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous and its 12 step program of action has not only helped so many alcoholics around the world to stop drinking, but has enabled them to stay stopped and live a life of happiness and serenity as a result. These are just the bare facts and AA will no doubt continue to help those who are unable to help themselves.

So it’s important to point out that this page is not intended to provoke argument, be that agreement of disagreement, on the way in which Alcoholics Anonymous runs its program of recovery. This piece is nothing more than the written study of one sober drunk who has personally observed over the years how the revolving door of AA continues to lose too many drunks by it’s stubbornness to modify its program and language. Maybe there isn't a better way, a modified way, or a gentler way to coax and keep drunks into a sober way of living, but the observation is pehaps there is nothing to lose by trying.