The 12 Step Program Alcoholics Anonymous - 3299 Words

The 12 step program Alcoholics Anonymous (AA )was born in 1934. Prohibition had been repealed and a man named Bill Watson drunkenly found his way to Manhattan Hospital. Bill was known to knock back quite a bit of whiskey every day and couldn t seem to be able to quit. While he was in Manhattan Hospital he was given a new and considered experimental treatment for addiction of belladonna, which is a hallucinogen. Bill in his induced state, yelled to God to help free him of alcohol. He reported seeing a bright light and feeling such serenity that Bill quit drinking alcohol. He went on to co-found Alcoholics Anonymous and based the principles off the evangelical Oxford Group, which believed people were sinners, but with the help of†¦show more content†¦Addiction is also one of the only diseases that actually leads to another disease. By drinking, smoking or taking drugs a person can develop cancers, liver disease, heart problems, lung disease, and more. These diseases ar e brought on by the action of the addict. There is not another disease that produces another disease based on a person’s actions. Also there are many people who experiment with drugs that do not go on to become addicts. One final thought to support my viewpoint. There are also addicts that quit cold turkey and do not use again ever. (15) They did it on their own, under their own will power, without any medical intervention or 12 step program. There is no other medical disease that a person can use their own will power and decision making to stop having a disease. What I will concede is that there is an addictive compulsive component when someone makes the poor choice of using drugs, alcohol, or gambling and such. I believe we are all hard wired to have a tendency for obsessive compulsive behaviors, it is how we choose to act or not act on them that I think sets those of us apart from others. Lets get into how the 12 Steps work and why people find them to be effecti ve. I reference AA’s steps as they are the one that many organizations have modeled themselves after and all the steps are either the same or very similar. Step one in AA is admittingShow MoreRelatedThe 12 Step Program Alcoholics Anonymous3302 Words   |  14 Pages The 12 step program Alcoholics Anonymous (AA )was born in 1934. Prohibition had been repealed and a man named Bill Watson drunkenly found his way to Manhattan Hospital. Bill was known to knock back quite a bit of whiskey every day and couldn t seem to be able to quit. While he was at Manhattan Hospital he was given a new and considered experimental treatment for addiction of belladonna, which is a hallucinogen. Bill in his induced state yelled to God to help free him of alcohol. He reportedRead MoreEssay on Alcoholics Anonymous: 12-Step Program2169 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the largest and most commonly known self-help group in the world. Since the creation of AA in 1935, th ere have been many programs modeled after it, which are also based on the 12-Step Program. Some of these include Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Chemically Dependent Anonymous, as well as programs for specific drugs, such as Cocaine Anonymous (CA) and Crystal Meth Anonymous (NIDA, 2012). Attendance and participation for self-help groups are open for anyone to attendRead MoreThe Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step Recovery Program Guide Alcoholics1611 Words   |  7 PagesRunning head: 12-Step Meeting Reaction Paper 12-Step Meeting Reaction Paper Carissa Hardy ADRE 6703 Abstract The Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step recovery program guides alcoholics through a series of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and social actions towards sobriety and wellness. 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