The 12-step programme

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935, in the United States of America, when one of the founding members (Dr. Robert Smith) resolved to abstain from alcohol, and another of the founding members (William G. Wilson) wrote a book about the experiences of abstaining.⁵ The book is titled ‘Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered From Alcoholism’, and has passed through several editions.⁵ At its heart, Alcoholics Anonymous is a spiritual movement, with an emphasis placed on turning over one’s will and life to a higher power.^1,5 However, modern iterations of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step programme make it clear that newcomers to the programme are not expected to accept or follow all the steps if they are unwilling to do so.¹

References:
[1] Alcoholics Anonymous website. Available at: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk. Accessed September 2022.

[2] Kelly JF, Humphreys K, Ferri M. Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020; 3 (3): CD012880.

[3] Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K. Alcoholics Anonymous and 12-step facilitation treatments for alcohol use disorder: a distillation of a 2020 Cochrane review for clinicians and policy makers. Alcohol Alcohol 2020; 55 (6): 641–651.

[4] Nash AJ. The twelve steps and adolescent recovery: a concise review. Subst Abuse 2020; 14: 1178221820904397.

[5] Volenik A. Spiritual principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. Psychiatr Danub 2021; 33 (Suppl 4): 974–980.