In the United States, millions of people struggle with alcoholism. While there are various interventions designed for these people, some of them are ineffective. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is one of the interventions that have been in use for years. Essentially, AA is based on peer support and accountability (Kelly, Bergman & Cristello, n.d). One of the critical components of the operations of the AA is a 12-step program. This program outlines 12 steps that participants need to undergo in their quest for healing and to abandon alcohol. Personally, I find that this program is well-designed and that it empowers participants. The steps place the participants at the center of their own healing process. For example, in step 4, the participants are advised to conduct a moral inventory through which they identify their failures. While I find that the 12-step program is generally well-designed, I think that there are some steps that diminish the agency and authority of the participants. For example, as part of the fifth step, the participants are required to admit that they are incapable of addressing their issues and that they must turn to a higher power. I believe that to be effective, the program needs to recognize the immense power and resilience that the participants possess.
The 12-step program mirrors the diagnostic criteria as stipulated in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). Specifically, the first step reflects the criteria used to diagnose a wide range of conditions. This step involves participants admitting that alcoholism has proven overwhelming and has rendered them powerless. For nearly all conditions, one of the diagnostic criteria is a persistent struggle with certain symptoms. For example, to be diagnosed with alcohol use disorder, DSM-V spells out that one should have been consuming alcohols in huge amounts and over an extended period (APA, 2013). Furthermore, the criteria notes that one should be facing serious challenges in their efforts to regulate their alcohol consumption.
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References
American Psychological Association (APA). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Kelly, J. F., Bergman, B. G., & Cristello, J. (n.d). Alcoholics Anonymous. In Sage Encyclopedia of Psychology. Boca Raton, FL: SAGE.
