Category: Alcoholics Anonymous

Interest in ketamine has increased over the past years, but most recently over the past months. Ketamine therapy, ketamine infusions, and other uses for ketamine, including treatment for alcoholism. This buzz started after new studies suggested that ketamine could be a helpful treatment for alcohol use disorder. Read on to learn more about ketamine and its connection to alcoholism treatment. 

What Is Ketamine?

Ketamine is primarily used as an anesthetic. It’s considered a dissociative drug that can produce detachment from reality. Ketamine is found illegally on the streets as Special K, Kit Kat, Super K, Vitamin K, and other names. It’s found as a white or off-white powder, pills, or liquid form. 

Ketamine for Alcoholism Treatment

New studies suggest that using low levels of ketamine combined with therapy can help people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) stay sober longer. 

The clinical trial found that a combination of ketamine in low doses combined with therapy helped participants stay entirely sober for 162 days. This was an 87 percent abstinence, considered significantly higher than any other group. 

Overall, patients in the ketamine group were 2.5 more likely to remain abstinent at the end of the trial than the participants in the placebo group. 

However, there isn’t a comparison to other forms of alcoholism treatment like naltrexone or acamprosate. Still, ketamine has also been shown to improve depression symptoms, which is why some researchers believe it can positively impact alcohol addiction treatment.

How It Works

Ketamine induces overall dissociation, providing pain relief and sedation. While most people use it as a recreational drug, ketamine is gaining momentum as a potential treatment for addiction. 

When used at very low doses, ketamine can act as an antidepressant that helps block out the depressive feelings associated with alcohol abuse. Combined with behavioral therapy, it can help patients change thought patterns that usually lead to relapse. 

Overall, ketamine treatment can help people suffering from alcoholism be more open to learning new coping mechanisms without experiencing depressive thoughts of recovery. 

The Dangers of Ketamine for Alcohol Abuse Treatment

Ketamine is a powerful drug. Without the proper medical supervision, ketamine can easily lead to addiction. It’s essential to count on the support of a professional therapist who understands the best way to incorporate ketamine in your treatment to avoid the pitfalls of the drug. 

When people combine ketamine with alcohol, the combined effects can be unpredictable and dangerous. Since both drugs act as depressants, it could lead to slow functioning of the heart and lungs, which could be fatal. 

Ketamine alone also causes withdrawal symptoms. People can experience physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms, including cravings, chills, restlessness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, tremors, and depression. 

Because ketamine is highly addictive, it can also lead to long-term health effects that could be detrimental. People who take large amounts of ketamine or acquire a strong batch from the streets could overdose. While the risk of death from ketamine alone is low, it can cause permanent brain damage and risk of injuries or accidents. 

Finding Treatment for Alcoholism 

When it comes to alcohol abuse treatment, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Treatment depends on the severity of the addiction, the time of the addiction, and whether or not someone has co-occurring disorders. Most people will need inpatient or outpatient treatment programs combined with 12-Step programs to achieve long-lasting addiction recovery. 

The most common types of treatment for alcoholism include:

• • Detox: A supervised detox program helps people safely withdraw from alcohol while a team of experts monitors withdrawal symptoms.
  • Behavioral therapy: Individual and group therapy is critical to help patients reframe destructive thoughts and learn coping mechanisms to prevent relapse after leaving treatment. 
  • Medications: Sometimes, medications, including ketamine, might help people stop or reduce their drinking and prevent relapse. The only three medications approved by the FDA to treat alcoholism are naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram.

• Support groups: Throughout rehab and after treatment attending peer support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-Step programs can offer a sense of support and accountability that helps prevent relapse and sustain recovery. 

If you or someone you know is dealing with alcohol use disorders, please seek help. Addiction recovery is possible, whether you start a treatment that uses ketamine prescribed by a trusted professional or try a traditional inpatient rehab program. 

Sources:

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/treatment-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting-help#pub-toc1

https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/ketamine/

https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21030277

 

A major appeal of Alcoholics Anonymous is that it makes recovery accessible. As of 2021, a report conducted by the organization found that there were nearly two million members worldwide, with over 120,000 groups in over 175 countries. In addition to their impressive global presence, online AA meetings are just as plentiful as the physical ones. 

Today, online AA meetings can be found and accessed 24/7 without even having to leave your home. This offering has become more important than ever amid the lockdowns of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (though AA had online meetings well before the outbreak began) as the feelings of panic led to decreases in mental health and sharp upticks in alcohol consumption. 

Where to Find Online AA Meetings

Despite being a nearly century-old organization (AA was founded in 1935), Alcoholics Anonymous was quick to embrace the new technology of the times. During the fledgling days of the internet, in the late 80s and early 90s, the first online AA meetings used email groups and virtual bulletin boards to connect. 

As the internet developed into an integral part of our everyday lives, online meetings expanded rapidly in conjunction. Utilizing video and phone conferencing, message boards, newsletters, and chat rooms, virtual AA members have an online community that leaves them no less connected than their physical meetings counterparts. 

There is now an entire subset of Alcoholics Anonymous dedicated to 100% virtual group membership called the Online Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous or OIAA (the first-ever fully-online AA group, the Lamp-lighters, which formed in the early 1990s, is still operational and active to this day). You can find online meetings by accessing their portal (registration and login required). However, there are plenty of AA directories that include virtual meetings in their listings. 

Why Choose Online AA Meetings: The Benefits of Virtual Support 

There’s certainly much value to be had in face-to-face interaction, especially when dealing with a disease such as addiction that can feel cripplingly isolating. Just as there’s no one “right” way to overcome alcoholism, no one form of support will be the best fit for everyone. Virtual support groups offer an alternative means to the same support, community, and accountability as in-person AA meetings, but are beneficial for a host of reasons.

1. No transportation required

Depending on how destructive a person’s relationship with alcohol was, they may find themselves without the legal right to drive, financial means for transportation, or the physical or mental capacity to leave their home and maneuver the outside world. A lack of transportation or mobility is just one of the many harsh realities of some of the consequences of addiction. 

2. More accessible to those in rural areas

Outside of densely populated metropolitan areas, more sparsely populated rural locations may find themselves with too few people to have a group serve their area or may find the distance to travel to one of these groups too far to be feasible. Further, those on active military duty in foreign countries or even on base may find themselves without easy or regular access to in-person support. 

3. Easier for those with disabilities

Disabilities such as mobility impairment or hearing loss can make attending in-person meetings not only challenging but less effective. Virtual meetings offer a number of accessibility accommodations that face-to-face meetings don’t offer.

4. Supplement in-person meetings

Whereas some individuals choose online AA meetings out of necessity or convenience, others choose to do so out of a desire for extra support. When crises hit, when cravings seem unmanageable, having to wait a week for the next group meeting can mean a dangerous relapse. Virtual meetings, on the other hand, can be accessed any time, anywhere, with 24/7 chat rooms or round-the-clock video conferencing to offer on-the-spot support.

5. Meet AA members from around the world

Many participants of the online AA community are regular attendees of f2f (face to face) meetings–in fact, OIAA actually recommends that newcomers attend an in-person AA meeting whenever possible. Turning to an online community means entering one with no geographic barriers, making it possible to listen and learn from people halfway around the world that you likely never would have met otherwise. 

How Do Online AA Meetings Work?

Online Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are run in much the same fashion as in-person meetings. There are service positions, meetings can be open or closed, and have rules in place to protect anonymity. They practice the same AA principles and speak on the same official AA literature. Online AA meetings can also meet the requirements for mandated participation. If you need to provide proof of AA attendance, just be sure to verify beforehand whether the source of virtual meetups does so, it’s not a guarantee that all online meetings will offer it. 

Alcoholics Anonymous, both its teachings and its format, has become ubiquitous within the whole of addiction treatment. Groups can be found in virtually every major city in America and even internationally in approximately 180 nations–but that doesn’t mean Alcoholics Anonymous is for everyone. As unique and intimate a disease addiction is, it would be insane to assume that there’s one single program that would work for the millions that alcoholism affects every year. Here are some alternative alcohol support groups other than aa you should consider:

Alcohol Support Groups That Aren’t AA

Peer-based support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous are great for being a low-commitment way to first find the motivation to stay sober and then keep that momentum going with the support of others who have been in a similar situation. However, there are a number of reasons why AA isn’t the right fit. If you find yourself in this camp, these 3 alternatives to AA can be just as effective in helping you find reasons to stay sober and stick to your decision.

S.M.A.R.T. Recovery

One of the most popular alternatives to 12-Step programs is the Self-Management and Recovery Training, otherwise known as S.M.A.R.T. recovery. Although it also offers a community element as AA does, this program is secular and evidence-based, rather than faith-based, a huge selling point to those who are agnostic or non-religious. 

Another key difference is that whereas AA’s attitude towards addiction is a disease that can never be cured, S.M.A.R.T. considers addiction as a behavior that can be changed. Further, S.M.A.R.T. is newer (AA was created in 1935, before much of the understanding of addiction we have today) and incorporates science in its treatment program, placing an emphasis on cognitive-behavioral techniques and coping with cravings. Valuing a scientific approach towards addiction treatment, S.M.A.R.T. welcomes those using MAT (medically assisted treatment) which AA has historically has not. 

How It Works: Rather than 12 steps, there is a simple four-point program that does not have to be completed in any particular order:

• Building and maintaining the motivation to change
• Coping with urges to use
• Managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in an effective way without addictive behaviors
• Living a balanced, positive, healthy life 

H.A.M.S.

Harm Reduction for Alcohol or H.A.M.S. is a peer-led group with the program goal of abstinence from alcohol or moderation. It was created by Kenneth Anderson in 2007 when AA didn’t work for him.  In addition to helping those who struggle with drinking, H.A.M.S. also provides support for other “soft” drugs: marijuana, nicotine, and caffeine. 

One of the greatest benefits of H.A.M.S. is also what makes it unique, the use of the harm reduction approach. It’s practical, and more importantly, much more realistic. Rather than demanding complete abstinence, as most other programs do, H.A.M.S. meets people where they are, giving them the grace to make changes in their drug use habits in a way that feels sustainable. Their slogan, “Better is better”, makes recovery less stressful by not seeing an inability to be abstinent as a failure.

How H.A.M.S. Works: It has 17 ‘elements’ (not steps) where members learn how to make small steps to change their behavior and change their drinking habits as well as harm reduction techniques for safer and reduced alcohol consumption. Each element has an official corresponding explanation video and a worksheet, making it super easy for self-guided recovery.

Drug Rehab

While Alcoholics Anonymous can provide a supportive setting for people to come to terms with their drinking problem, addiction isn’t a disease of willpower. It’s layers of physiological and psychological changes that repetitive drug use has caused, changing the way we think, feel, and act. No amount of self-reflection is going to fix an imbalance of neurotransmitters or prevent withdrawal symptoms from taking place.

Addiction is a medical condition that warrants medical attention. Specialized addiction treatment centers have staff that can help people safely get through detox and beyond. More importantly, they also have trained mental health professionals trained in CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) to unlearn harmful behavior. For individuals struggling with severe addiction or who have had one for a very long time, a facility with formal treatment options is likely to be the most effective–and safest–option. 

Still not sure which support groups for alcohol are the best for you? Check out these Alcoholics Anonymous FAQs to learn more about the program and whether or not AA is the right choice.

There’s no perfect time to get sober–or is there? The COVID-19 pandemic caused a global shutdown which drastically changed all of our lives. For many, the cancellation of social events and everything that comprised daily life as we knew it (and with no end in the foreseeable future) was a time of panicked uncertainty. However, the global shutdowns may have been a blessing to disguise for those in or starting recovery. Here are the 6 benefits of getting–and staying–sober during quarantine (and why being sober is amazing in general). 

6 Reasons to Get (or Stay) Sober During Quarantine

1. Less social pressure

Social gatherings can contribute to drug use in a number of ways. Many turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with anxiety about situations or “loosen up” in order to be more sociable or likable. Then there are the social pressures that come along with it. These pressures can be caused by the situation itself (going to happy hour with coworkers or toasting to the New Year at an NYE party) or from the people you’re with who might make a commotion should you choose not to partake. The lack of events and by extension, social interaction, means fewer pressures to drink or do drugs where you otherwise feel compelled. 

2. Saving money

Not going out also has distinct financial advantages. Many people found that their savings went up tremendously once they were no longer shelling out dollars on food, drinks, tipping, and parking. For someone interested in getting sober, this break from spending could make all the difference that enables someone to enroll at an addiction treatment center, which can be pretty pricey. The cost of getting treatment is cited as one of the leading reasons why those who struggle with addiction fail or refuse to seek treatment. 

3. More privacy and free time

This one’s a biggie as many of us spend more time in the workplace than we do our homes. The pandemic saw a drastic shift in our employment situation. For many, it involved layoffs and furloughs. For others, it became a shift to fully-remote work. Either situation allows for more free time that could be channeled into an addiction treatment program or getting some other form of help like going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Even better still, not having to worry about day-to-day interactions with coworkers also allows for added privacy. 

4. Avoiding crowded hospitals

While no one ever wants to be in a hospital and undergoing health issues, this sentiment has increased ten-fold. COVID-19 resulted in hospitals being filled beyond capacity and ERs having extremely long wait times. In many cases, hospitals around the world stopped almost all other types of procedures and were focused solely on treating those stricken with the coronavirus. Not a great time to be having liver or heart issues, two of the most common and most serious types of health consequences from drinking or doing drugs. Maintaining sobriety or taking the first steps towards getting sober can help keep you healthier, minimizing the need for medical attention that you might not be able to receive in a timely manner. 

5. Increased access to virtual resources

The uncertainty of COVID-19 and what the post-pandemic future would look like made a lot of people stressed. One of the silver linings of the virus is that it awoke a newfound appreciation for mindfulness and both physical and mental well-being. As a result, it’s a lot easier to find all sorts of classes of things like yoga and meditation online–a boon for someone to quell the mental hardships that can come with recovery. With such practices being much more mainstream, it can also make an individual feel a lot less self-conscious about taking up such an activity. 

6. Drugs and alcohol make stress worse

Stress is one of the most common reasons why people turn to drugs or alcohol. As one might imagine, rates of drinking and drug use skyrocketed during the early stages of the first lockdown. While your first instinct may be to join these people in consuming mind-altering substances to get through such a weird moment in history, it’s likely to only make things worse. 

Drugs and alcohol overstimulate the nervous system making us more prone to stress and thus, more stressed out in the long run. You would be both more sensitive to situations (e.g. getting stressed out by smaller things) and remain stressed for longer because of a now misfiring fight-or-flight response. Further, as anyone who’s struggled with addiction knows, excessive drinking and drug use can cause a host of problems such as strained relationships, money troubles, or health complications. All of which are situations that can be highly stressful in and of themselves. 

Recovery isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation and even though there are a lot of people around the world who swear by Alcoholics Anonymous, that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Whether you’re skeptical of peer-based support groups or simply prefer the structure of formal recovery in a drug rehabilitation facility, there are several reasons why you might be looking for ways of staying sober without AA. The key to lasting and long-term recovery from alcoholism on your own will come from taking away the best aspects of Alcoholics Anonymous and drug rehab and incorporating those practices into your daily life.  

5 Ways To Stay Sober Without AA

1. Find a recovery community

The most impactful and beneficial aspect of Alcoholics Anonymous or a drug program is the community. Addiction can be painfully lonely. Lying to loved ones about what you’re doing and with whom, or feelings of shame about your problem can lead to feelings of isolation. The further you stray from who you used to be, the more you feel that you can’t relate to others (or that they can’t relate to you). Having peers who are going through or have dealt with the struggles of alcoholism provides much-needed emotional support. They can also be an invaluable source of practical advice for things like withdrawal and or even repairing relationships with estranged loved ones. 

You don’t need to go through an organization or any other formal channels to find this type of community. It can be as simple as your existing friend group who checks in on each other through text, or commiserating with online strangers on a sobriety memes account on social media. All that matters is that it’s a group of individuals you feel comfortable enough sharing your struggles with and can relate to. 

2. Hold yourself accountable

The social aspect of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can add a pleasant camaraderie that highlights that you are far from the only person struggling with alcoholism. Having people you see regularly and are all working towards the same goal also provides a level of accountability. Humans are inherently social creatures. Having to face your group of peers and admit that you broke your sobriety can be a powerful deterrent in the face of weakening resolve.  

How to apply accountability to your life if you’re not a part of a peer-based recovery group? Confide in those closest to you and allow them to be your sounding board for your triumphs and failures. Even if they’re not recovering alcoholics themselves, those you talk to are likely invested in your wellbeing and will work with you to resist temptation and lessen the likelihood of relapsing.

3. Establish a routine

Stability is something that both support groups and formal drug treatment strongly encourage their members to establish by creating a routine. Why? The addicted brain has been significantly overworked and overstimulated. There’s reassurance and comfort to be found in repetition and a sense of stability that their life has likely been missing for some time. 

Create a routine of good habits by starting small and then eventually building up to practices that will create the foundation to a more physically and mentally healthy life. Some examples to build upon or include in your existing routine are:

• Drink a large glass of water first thing in the morning
• Going on a 30-minute walk at lunchtime
• Calling friends on Sundays
• Writing down 5 things they’re grateful for every night before bed

Many of the activities that make for a healthy routine are also effective for relapse prevention. Actions that focus on mindfulness will make it easier to work through cravings and moments of temptation. Routines also impart discipline and self-restraint which is a particularly valuable skill recovering addicts will need to relearn. 

4. Constantly self-evaluate

One of the aspects that make Alcoholics Anonymous so effective is the ongoing and sometimes ruthless self-evaluation that the 12 steps encourage. Understanding why we used alcohol and confronting the extent of the problem are necessary steps for lasting change to occur. Seeing a mental health professional can be a great asset, especially if you are diagnosed with a mental illness (or suspect that you might be). They can help to identify how mental illness played into excessive consumption of alcohol and provide specific methods for overcoming those challenges. 

5. Be honest with yourself

Above all else, being completely honest with yourself is vital to staying sober, with or without AA. If you’re in denial that you have a drinking problem and don’t fully believe that it’s something that needs to be fixed, nothing in the world is going to change your alcohol addiction. 

Alcohol is one of the most consumed beverages on the planet and is one of the leading contributors to global diseases. It’s unsurprising then that alcohol is also one of the most common types of addiction (second only to nicotine). The sheer number of how many people suffer from an alcohol-related illness or alcohol addiction is staggering. The average number of how many people die from alcohol each year is even more upsetting. Even those who survive alcohol abuse face a litany of serious health consequences, which can be both debilitating as well as fatal so alcohol can also indirectly contribute to a lowered lifespan. Keep reading for the shocking extent of alcohol-related deaths.

How Many People Drink Alcohol?

According to the most recent World Health Organization Global status report in 2018, the W.H.O. stated that there were approximately 2.3 billion people drinking alcohol worldwide. The number today is likely much higher as a study found the rates of drinking have increased considerably in recent years. 

COVID-19

One of the reasons attributed to the increase in alcohol consumption was the pandemic caused by the novel COVID-19 virus. The consequential lockdown saw average household alcohol consumption spike drastically in 2020. In America alone, within the first three weeks of March 2020 (when quarantines began) online liquor sales increased 262% compared to the same time last year. In-store liquor purchases also increased 54% during the same time frame. In April 2020, alcohol sales as a whole were up 234% compared to the previous year. In terms of actual drinking habits, 60% of one study’s participants admitted to drinking more as of March 1, 2020, with the two main reasons being increased alcohol availability and boredom. 

Economic Growth

Another reason for a global increase in alcohol consumption is a shift in the drinking habits of residents of China, Vietnam, and India due to economic growth. The study that discovered this trend amongst middle-income countries found that it wasn’t an increase in the number of drinkers, but that existing drinkers were consuming more alcohol.  

Historically, high-income countries have always held the gauntlet for consuming the most alcohol. Europeans, in particular, have consistently held the top spot, consuming the most alcohol per capita and also drinking the most days out of the year. Drinking isn’t synonymous with getting drunk, however. In this, Australia takes the number one spot, followed by Denmark, Finland, and the United States coming in at number four. 

How Many People Die From Alcohol-Related Deaths?

That same W.H.O. report estimates that the number of alcohol deaths per year worldwide is about 3 million a year, 1 out of every 20 people. These account for 5% of all global deaths and are not attributed to alcohol in general but whose precise causes could be from more than 200 different circumstances including disease, disability, and injury. 

The majority of alcohol-related deaths (28%) were related to unintentional injury; motor vehicle accidents, violence, or self-harm. The next highest cause at 21% is digestive orders, followed by cardiovascular issues at 19% diseases. The full breakdown of all 200 alcohol-related injuries are as follows:

Infectious Diseases

A lot of the body’s ability to fight off diseases comes from the gut. Excessive alcohol consumption severely interferes with the digestive system which in turn, ends up negatively impacting immune response. This coupled with alcohol’s ability to affect cognition and impulse control, drinkers face a higher risk of engaging in risky behavior that might expose them to a harmful pathogen and then have a reduced ability to fight the illness. For this reason, alcohol has a direct correlation with an increased risk of HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis transmission as well as death by tuberculosis and lower respiratory infection.

Non-Infectious Diseases

Noncommunicable diseases are the ones that affect organs and are caused by internal dysfunction rather than a foreign pathogen. These include many of the health conditions that alcohol is infamous for such as cardiovascular diseases and liver disease, but can also contribute to the development of certain cancers. The specific conditions can include:

• Heart: hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and cardiomyopathy
• Liver: alcoholic hepatitis, steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis
• Cancers: oropharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, and breast cancer (for females)

Injury & Poisoning

The broadest classification of alcohol-related deaths, injury, and poisoning includes both intentional and unintentional acts.

• Injury: Falls, burns, drowning, road traffic injuries (non-driving)
• Traffic injuries: Drunk driving
• Aggression and violence: Physical altercations, sexual assault
• Homicides
• Poisoning: Alcohol poisoning

If you struggle with alcoholism, time is of the essence for taking action and doing something about it. One of the easiest ways to get started with zero pressure is to find an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. There you can connect with others who have been in your position and can help you begin your recovery journey. 

Sources:

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/274603/9789241565639-eng.pdf?ua=1

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol

https://www.who.int/news/item/21-09-2018-harmful-use-of-alcohol-kills-more-than-3-million-people-each-year–most-of-them-men

The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can sometimes use charged words that instinctively cause us to resist them. However, once we set our egos aside and allow ourselves to work through the initial discomfort those words might cause, we are rewarded with enlightenment and self-discovery. In Step 1, which introduced the all-important necessity of recognizing the extent of our substance abuse problem, it was the word ‘powerlessness.’ Step 2 mentions ‘sanity’ and implies the loss of it. This insinuation of insanity seems drastic at first, so much so that we reject it and assume it couldn’t possibly apply to ourselves. However, embracing this concept is integral to properly working Step 2 of Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as the following ten steps. 

What Does “Restored To Sanity” Mean?

Before diving into what “restored to sanity” means and how it applies to addiction, let’s first look into the origin of the word. The term ‘sanity’ comes from Latin and means healthy–specifically, being of sound mind. Insanity, on the other hand, means just the opposite: an unhealthy mind. Just by examining the etymological roots of the word choice in Step Two, we can immediately see the connection between a lack of sanity and substance abuse. 

From a biological perspective, the act of continuously ingesting compounds that are toxic to the body–and doing them in spite of the many negative health and social consequences that come with them–seems completely at odds with our innate survival instincts. To willingly hurt ourselves and bear witness to our own demise doesn’t seem like something any logical creature would do. This is precisely what addiction does to us.

Being restored to sanity, as Alcoholics Anonymous puts it, is the healing of this flawed mindset. It means no longer allowing substance abuse to control us and being what our world revolves around. So, how exactly does AA propose for this to be done? Undoing psychological dependence is no small feat. This is precisely what Step Two strives to teach its members.  

The Meaning (and Purpose) of Step 2 of AA

“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

Step 2 is an extension of the messaging of the first step of AA. Whereas Step 1 brings alcoholics to terms with the realities of their addiction and the fact that they do not have control over the substance, Step 2 says that since you cannot rely on yourself to get out of your addiction, you must instead turn to a higher power.

The reference to a higher power can be pretty divisive. It is one of many future religious references to come in Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12 Step program. It’s important to recall that AA was founded as a Christian organization (though this support group is open to individuals of all faiths–or those without one at all). Even so, original AA literature goes into great detail about the reasoning behind these steps and points out that a Higher Power is up to personal interpretation. While the original references may have once been to a Christian-based ‘God,’ Alcoholics Anonymous has grown and adapted since its inception nearly a century ago in 1935 and has said that there is no one singular answer to what a higher power is or must be. 

What To Choose As Your Higher Power

A higher power is anything outside of yourself that will give you the ability to overcome your addiction. In practical terms, it can be anything that motivates you to gain control over your life once more. It can be a religious deity or something abstract like nature, the universe, or humanity itself. Your higher could be something worldly, like a person you admire or care for, a hobby you are passionate about, like listening to music or playing sports. Once again, the only requirement is to look for something outside of yourself. Your higher power will continue to serve as a reminder that no one can overcome addiction by themselves. 

Need Help Working Step Two of AA?

Although you can find the 12 steps of AA online and attempt to work through them on your own to get the most out of the process, it’s strongly recommended that you attend an AA meeting (either virtual or in-person). Hearing the stories of triumph and hardship from others will provide you with a greater perspective on your own situation. They can help you work through the steps, an invaluable resource for the very likely scenario where you get stuck on one. There’s no need to struggle with alcohol addiction on your own; find an AA group near you today. 

Making change often means going out of your comfort zone. Dealing with something as all-encompassing as addiction likely means that you’ll have to go way, way out of it. Despite knowing this when they attend their first Alcoholics Anonymous (or similar addiction support group) meeting, attendees sometimes balk at the first step: admitting powerlessness. They view it as a great insult and assault on their character while others approach it from the other end of the spectrum, seeing it as an excuse that their “lack of power” justifies that troubling behavior. 

Neither of those beliefs is correct. 

In this article, we’ll explain the definition of powerlessness and why it’s so important in AA’s twelve steps process. Keep reading if you’re looking to get the most out of your Alcoholics Anonymous experience and make breakthroughs in your battle with substance abuse.

What Does Powerlessness Mean?

Step One of Alcoholics Anonymous: “We admit we are powerless over alcohol – that our lives have become unmanageable.”

The concept of powerlessness can seem quite foreign, especially to those from countries like America whose culture idolizes independence and raising one’s self by their bootstraps. But powerlessness is not the same thing as weakness; it isn’t something to be feared or despised. It also is not a lack of agency that implies we are helpless when it comes to choosing between right and wrong. 

Powerlessness is simply a lack of control. It applies both to our inability to abstain from using a substance or engaging in certain behavior as well as limiting its quantity. While the realization might be painful and challenge the idea of who we imagine ourselves to be, it’s impossible to solve a problem without first acknowledging the scope and scale of the issue.

Why Does Admitting Powerlessness Matter?

Admitting this, as Step One of AA urges us to do, requires us to grapple with a fact that might not have been fully accepted as an addicted person: That we do not have control over our substance abuse. Subconsciously, we might feel like our drug use habits are a choice, a matter of us (constantly) giving into temptation or being pushed by some external trigger like a bad day at work or a fight with our significant other. We trick ourselves into thinking it’s not that we can’t stop drinking or using drugs, but just that we don’t want to give it up yet.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Our body (and brain) inherently seek self-preservation; we recoil from pain, avoid things we view as dangerous and feel good when engaging in activities that are healthy like exercising or eating vegetables. To think that we are of sound mind when we repeatedly engage in habits like drug use that so quickly destroy us from the inside out is nothing short of delusional–a result of drugs having hijacked our thinking. Admitting powerlessness means shattering this false belief.

Further, by accepting that there are things that we cannot control, including our drug use, we open ourselves up to receiving the help of others. Coming to this understanding will make you much more receptive to looking to sources outside yourself for recovery, such as your sponsor, your fellow group members, or your Higher Power. All of which makes you more receptive to learning and healing, which in turn makes it much easier to follow through with the remaining twelve steps of AA.    

No Man Is An Island: The Importance of Accepting Help From Others

So you understand the benefits of Step One and of admitting powerlessness, but the next question then is why is such emphasis placed on being reliant on others to get yourself out of addiction? The philosophy behind this thinking is that your judgment was flawed enough to get yourself into this situation, it’s too flawed to get yourself out of it. 

Let’s put it another way: Imagine you have a friend who’s bankrupt and penniless, but they want to give you financial advice and handle all your money. You probably wouldn’t be too keen to let them, would you? Solely relying on yourself to overcome drug addiction is effectively the same thing. It’s not to say that you’ll never be able to manage yourself and make good decisions in the future, but right now in your current state of mind, you’re not in the best position to make good decisions for yourself.

If you’re struggling with drug or alcohol addiction and are trying to overcome it on your own, give 12 step meetings a chance. Find an AA meeting near you to hear from others in a similar position and receive judgment-free support. 

If you had to guess which gender of Americans drinks more booze, which would you reckon? It’s a surprisingly close match, as men only slightly outpace women (68% compared to 64%, respectively), However, these numbers fail to tell the whole picture of the distinct relationship between women and alcohol, like their drinking habits and frequency, the reason they drink, and as well as the risks they face. Understanding and respecting gender-based differences of substances makes for better addiction treatment as well as more effective preventative measures. Here are five facts about alcohol consumption in women that everyone needs to know:

Women Have a Lower Drinking Threshold

While the ideal amount of alcohol a person should drink would be zero, that’s not realistic. Health organizations know this, which is why they established an official measure of what constitutes a “safe” amount to drink, better known as a moderate drinking level. What defines it is divided by gender. For men, moderate alcohol use is considered to be no more than two drinks a day.  In women, this is limited to one or less. Regardless of how well you claim that you handle your alcohol, this is what experts have determined as the guideline for reducing the risks of alcohol-related issues. The reason for this disparity brings us to point number two…

Women Process Alcohol More Slowly

Women simply cannot process alcohol as efficiently as men. Metabolism is one of the primary factors that affect how much a person can drink and how intoxicated they’ll become.​​ Typically larger and with greater muscle mass, men have the upper hand when it comes to handling alcohol. As such, even when men and women drink identical amounts, women will have higher BAC levels.

Another reason is one of a molecular level. Women naturally tend to produce fewer of the liver-produced enzymes called alcohol dehydrogenase that are responsible for breaking down the alcohol that enters our bodies. This also makes women more susceptible to alcohol addiction. Fewer of these enzymes means extended exposure to alcohol in the brain and greater opportunity for increased alcohol tolerance. 

Women are More Prone to Alcohol-Health Risks

When it comes to both the short- and long-term health consequences of drinking, women are disadvantaged in either respect. Women experience alcohol-related health issues sooner than men do, even when they drink less (talk about unfair). Additionally, these health issues often tend to be more severe than that of their male counterparts. 

Liver Damage

Alcohol-related liver damage is one of the deadliest consequences of alcohol abuse. The liver is responsible for all sorts of vital functions from enabling the body to extract fat, protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins from food to detoxing our entire blood supply (there are over 500 in total). This damage itself can be life-threatening, but can also result in a domino effect that causes other serious health problems. Women are more likely to develop alcoholic hepatitis than men who drink the same amount. 

Heart Damage

Alcohol abuse is one of the primary causes of heart conditions such as heart failure or stroke. Even occasional misuse can quickly result in dangerous increases in blood pressure. Indirectly, alcohol can contribute to increased fat deposits and weight gain, which can add to the danger. Women will once again find themselves facing a higher susceptibility to alcohol-related heart issues than a man who drinks more frequently or heavily. 

Brain Damage 

Sustained alcohol abuse can permanently alter the physical surface of the brain, causing lasting effects on cognition, coordination, mood regulation, impulse control, and more. These detrimental changes happen sooner in women drinkers than in men. Additionally, the extent of these damages are often more pronounced in women. This is evident in the effects of alcohol on women’s hippocampus, where a study found that women were more likely to experience blackouts. Another study that compared the consequences of binge drinking of teenage boys to teenage girls found that the girls showed less brain activity.

Women Have an Increased Risk of Sexual Assault

Sadly, one of the risks that disproportionately affects female drinkers is the increased risk of sexual harassment and assault. Women under the influence are more vulnerable to being attacked as they are physically and cognitively less capable of thwarting a potential assailant. It’s estimated that about half of sexual assault victims say they were drinking alcohol at the time. 

The gender differences in alcohol use show that women are particularly vulnerable to internal and external issues that come from drinking. Attempting to “keep up with the guys” is impossible to do safely and risks significant long-term consequences. 

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/women-and-alcohol

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/womens-health.htm

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/06/09/1003980966/women-now-drink-as-much-as-men-and-suffer-health-effects-more-quickly

There are a lot of things that are difficult about having a loved one who’s an alcoholic. One of the most frustrating is bearing witness to their alcohol-fueled descent but having them continuously deny that they have a drinking problem (a common behavior amongst substance abusers of any kind). Since acknowledging that there’s a problem is the essential first step to overcoming it, any potential recovery is likely still a long way off. Fortunately, there are ways that you, the parent, child, sibling, spouse, or friend of an alcoholic, can do more than just stand back and watch. Here are a few practical ways how to help an alcoholic in denial. 

1. Avoid placing blame

One way to significantly increase the odds that you’ll be able to get through to your loved one is by knowing what not to say to an alcoholic. Avoid harsh words that place blame or sound accusatory. They are likely already feeling defensive regarding their drinking habits, and any perceived attack on themselves (regardless of how true or deserved your words may be) will only push them further into their hole of denial.

While this is true for any sort of conflict-resolving communication, avoiding these types of words is especially important when dealing with someone struggling with addiction. Continuous substance abuse literally changes the surface of the brain, impacting how it communicates with the body, itself, and ultimately, the outside world. These changes include decreased logic processing, reduced ability to think in the long term, increased impulsivity, and difficulty regulating emotions (this is why sometimes an addicted individual’s personality may undergo drastic changes. To make a long story short: It can make them difficult to talk to and particularly volatile.

2. Be supportive (without being an enabler)

Despite the tremendous headway made in understanding and treating addiction, the condition is still heavily stigmatized. For these reasons, addicted persons intentionally avoid acknowledging the truth of their condition. They don’t want to feel shame or embarrassment. So rather than confronting an alcoholic in denial (for reasons detailed above), set the stage for them to come to you. 

Create an atmosphere of loving support that lets them know that you would accept them through their addiction and are willing to stick by their side to see them get better. Knowing they have a non judgemental ear to turn to could make them more inclined to let their guard down. Ask them open-ended questions, sympathize (when appropriate), and remind them of the unconditional love of their family and friends. Getting them to talk gives you more opportunities to find items you both agree on or can relate to and opens the door for strengthening feelings of trust and safety. 

There’s a fine line, however, between being supportive and being an enabler. Don’t agree with them blindly in their rationalization or justification of their drinking problem. You would just be adding fuel to the fire and furthering their victim mindset.

3. If all else fails, plan an intervention

Interventions are not to be taken lightly. These are meant to be last-resort efforts to confront someone about their substance abuse and shock them into realizing the extent of the problem as well as how it’s affected those around them. The reason is that if an intervention goes wrong (which is not unlikely), the nature of the confrontation can elicit strong negative emotions from the person. This can cause them to distance themselves from those trying to help them. It’s possible to minimize the odds of a disastrous outcome through careful planning and the involvement of a professional intervention specialist.

When planning an intervention, it’s helpful to first enlist others who have a close relationship with the alcoholic and have been negatively impacted. These can be family members, friends, coworkers, or even community members. This core team will be vital in coordinating the time and place of the intervention, as well as coordinating with other attendees. Next, notify all potential attendees to write down what they want to say in advance and establish a speaking order. This keeps things orderly and organized and lessens the chance that someone may say something hurtful in the heat of the moment. 

Last but not least, it’s critical that any ultimatums or promises made during the intervention are upheld. Failing to follow through signals to the alcoholic that there are no consequences for their drinking and therefore, eliminates the incentive to modify their behavior. The ultimate goal of an intervention is to get them to go to rehab. If they resist, try smaller steps and start with 12 step groups that are free and require no commitment.