Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil Ayesho  I hate to be the wet blanket...
But, studied long term, 12 step programs have exactly the same rate of "cure" as doing nothing at all.
5% of those who try to quit, whether thru AA or on their own, will be successful over 10 years.
There is no scientific evidence whatsoever that 12 step programs are any more effective than prayer, or wishing on shamrocks.
You do not need to "give over control to a higher power" to quit any addictive substance or behavior.
You simply need to persist in NOT indulging while you find alternative methods for dealing with whatever you are turning to drugs to deal with.
The problem is that the longer you have relied on a particular drug or behavior to deal with the stressors in your life... the more habituated you are... the deeper a groove you have worn in your brain.
It takes years... maybe as many as you spent indulging, to develop other, better methods of dealing with the stresses that you have trained yourself to rely on your drugs to solve.
If 12 step programs appeal to you... great... but do not expect any miracle... God does not take control over your life... that is something YOU will have to actually do yourself.
Contrary to the propaganda they spout to enable you to escape responsibility for your actions...Its not a disease... its a HABIT of thought exacerbated by the fact that your body will reduce its OWN production of opiods, serotonins or dopamines if you keep supplying it with an outside source of mood altering chemicals.... which is why quitting can be such a problem... because it can take months or years for your body to recover and start properly regulating its own production of psychoactive substances.
The only potentially useful thing about 12 step programs is the peer support they offer. That is where the real help lies...
The God stuff has no more effect than reading Harry Potter. |
I was going to say a lot of the same stuff you just said. I remember seeing a Penn & Teller "BULLSHIT" episode that dealt with AA and mentioned the same low rate of success. What prompted the episode was that there was an individual who was given AA as part of his sentence by a court, and being that this person was an atheist, he felt it violated his rights to be forced to join a spirituality-based organization.
Ultimately, conquering any addiction requires a lot of work for many. The body adjusts its chemistry when a substance has been added regularly for a length of time, and removing that substance throws the body off until readjustments are completed. Many studies have shown that once addicted, there are permanent changes made in the brain, so it really is true that once an alcoholic always an alcoholic. It will become easier over time if you keep at it, but know that the craving will never be completely eliminated. Take solace in the knowledge that you are doing an awesome thing for yourself, and awesome things don't usually come easily. Good luck to you.
:-)