The Alcoholic Anonymous or popularly known in its short form AA was originated 80 years ago and has been proven as one of the successful methods in recovering the alcoholic addiction and related lasting sobriety. The alcoholics anonymous may change in the course of development in science and psychology of addiction, but the AA will remain as a cornerstone in the aftercare efforts of many people. The Recovery Place or the sober living homes around the world practice alcoholics anonymous along with 12-step meetings, cocaine anonymous, narcotics anonymous etc.
The Alcoholic Anonymous or AA is a community-based program popularly practised globally specifically based on peer methodology. The program was created to help the people who struggled with numerous problems of drinking alcohol. The peer methodology in the alcoholic anonymous program helps the addict by his or her peers through regular discussions and daily meeting around addiction. The women and men come around a place specified by AA and share their experience of alcoholic addiction and recover from alcoholism along with maintaining sobriety. The basic concept of alcoholics anonymous is alcoholism is an illness which can be managed but not controlled or must not be controlled.
The alcoholic anonymous was founded by Bill Wilson along with his physician Dr Bob Smith in the year 1935 which eventually developed by including two more groups by the year 1939. Wilson also published a text titled “Alcoholic Anonymous” in the same year and elaborated the methods and philosophy of alcoholic anonymous or AA. Over the period, these methods are known as the 12-steps which are eventually followed by other addiction recovery and self-help groups like narcotics anonymous, gamblers anonymous etc. those who suffer other types of addictions other than alcohol. However, many groups have changed the original 12-steps and added something that is useful for specific problems.
The alcoholic anonymous emphasizes that there is no other need to AA but the desire to quit the consumption of alcohol or drinking. The alcoholic anonymous further confirms that the strong desire to quit drinking is not associated with any institutions or organisations, politics, sects, denominations etc. The people who feel that AA is useful to get committed to join the therapy voluntarily. Often, people also join the therapy by court-mandated rehab. Over the period the AA has grown to an outstanding extent and the numbers of AA has reached more than 115000 groups across the world.