Alcoholics Anonymous and the like

[Angrboda]

I've been in and out of various twelve step groups over the years, and had mostly positive experiences, but then I live in a very secular state, so that probably makes a difference. It's like the unitarian church I sometimes frequent, which is described as the most atheistic in the city. I didn't choose them, much less for that, they were just close by. But it points out that your experience is likely to vary from group to group, and location to location, as well as group focus. I was in Alanon, ACOA, and Nicotine Anonymous, so I likely faced a different mix. From the straight up 12 step groups, I suspect the consistency depends a lot on the local intergroup (sort of a support organization for the groups themselves). If you're looking for consistency and quality, I would suggest focusing on group therapy from a reputable clinic. Ultimately, I suppose the garbage in / garbage out principle applies; if it's run well by good people, and doesn't have a bunch of shitheads in it, it'll probably be positive; if the people are garbage, your experience will likely be, too (not implying that people with chemical dependency are good or bad). I have a concern, though I haven't researched it enough to determine its credibility, but there are reports that once you adjust AA's claimed success rate to compare apples-to-apples with other programs, AA is not a very successful program. As a person whose parents had control issues, I suspect that an addict struggling to control his behavior may find the model of control advocated by 12 step groups to be a useful tool. Beyond that, I can't say much about the deeper experience, other than that the amount of support you have in your life is one of the main factors associated with success, regardless of the behavioral issue. I never got deep enough into the programs to get into sponsors and whatnot. I tend to be very shy and somewhat timid, and that aspect literally freezes me; I don't know that I could ever walk that road, given my social anxiety issues.