dDespite being the most lethal substance in the world, alcohol has become the most accessible and normalized drug of choice. What many don't realize is that help is just as accessible; It's just not always suggested or, like addiction itself, not fully understood.
Since its founding in 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous's 12-step model has been used as the basis of 30 other associations, including Gamblers Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. The realities of AA's positive impact on the world are undeniable and immeasurable, but they are not discussed. There is no cure for alcoholism, but there is a solution that offers much more than abstinence. And it is something the UK desperately needs.
Between them, Dr Niall Campbell and Dr Neil Brener of the Priory Group have over 53 years of psychiatric experience in the NHS and private sector, specializing in addictions. They have seen it all and they have seen the recent worsening of what Dr. Brener calls the “rape disease.”
“I don't know any psychiatrists or addiction therapists who say rates aren't increasing,” adds Dr. Campbell. “Addiction not only to drugs or alcohol, but also to sex, shopping, screens and gambling. It is often combined. “People start something and move on to something else.” (This is known as cross-addiction and occurs because the substance or compulsive behaviors are simply symptoms of a larger disorder.)
The data speaks for itself. In the last three years, the UK has witnessed an 84 per cent increase in eating disorders, a 100 per cent increase in screen addictions and an estimated 30 per cent increase in gaming addictions, with older people being particularly affected. Recent headlines have also highlighted even more worrying trends: Drug-related deaths have increased by 80 percent over the past decade, and deaths “entirely attributable to alcohol” hit a record high in 2022. More of us report struggling against depression and The recent news that one in four women takes antidepressants has drawn attention to a broader problem: the appeal of quick fixes and the lack of treatment of the root causes.
When left untreated, addiction becomes a family affair. The NHS cites family members with poor mental health or substance use disorder as a critical cause of children forming their own addictions later in life. While reports of the post-pandemic rise in alcohol-related deaths are devastating, we won't see the real effects until children are older. And we're starting to do it, as England tops the world list for child alcohol consumption. “If you catch it early, you can have a wonderful life,” says behavioral psychologist Dr. Samantha Duggan.
Most people have spiritual needs and a desire to connect with some purpose beyond ourselves. Arguably, the need for community in healing or recovery processes is part of this.
Dr. Naomi Thompson
Early intervention could save lives, but social structures make such a challenge. Shelter's report on record homeless children is worrying for a multitude of reasons. One, however, is that most homeless people have mental health disorders and/or substance abuse problems. England and Wales have the highest prison populations in Western Europe, with half of prisoners struggling with drug addiction, which fuels crimes such as theft and robbery. Failure to intervene has dire consequences, including more homelessness, incarceration, and even deaths.
False narratives about what an addict “looks like” are also harmful to people in denial or those who would have sought help before. The professions with some of the highest rates of alcoholism are, in fact, law, healthcare and management. The reality is that “70 percent of alcoholics are still functioning,” says Dr. Duggan. “They get up and get to work. “They just underperform.” People go unnoticed.
“Most primary care physicians have very little teaching about addiction,” says Dr. Brenner. Eighty-two per cent of the 600,000 dependent drinkers receive no help and the NHS only deals with acute cases. Short detox periods do not work, and only 23 per cent of alcohol treatment referrals come from health services. Despite this, treating alcoholism costs the NHS more than £3.5bn a year, and people with alcohol problems occupy, says Dr Brenner, “20 per cent of beds”. hospital at any given time.”
We cannot measure the true impact of addiction, but the available information tells a story. “It is a deadly disease that destroys the lives of patients and everything around them,” says Dr. Brener. It affects all corners of society: families, friends, workplaces and health services, to name a few.
There are many treatment options available for affected people. Still, unlike 12-step scholarships, none are instantly accessible, free, and can offer lifelong support without relying on overwhelmed infrastructures. AA appears on the NHS support page, but is misunderstood enough as a program that Dr Brener insists his medical students be exposed to groups during their training.
Probably because of the confusion surrounding AA, many continue to defend its value. In 2020, the Cochrane Collaboration – internationally recognized as the gold standard for evaluating the effects of any medication or intervention in any area of healthcare – published a review on the effectiveness of AEs. It collected data from 150 scientists at 67 institutions and found that “AA was as good as, and in most cases better than, other addiction treatments.” The review also found that AA is as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy, a finding supported by Dr. Campbell, who emphasizes the additional benefits of AA in emotional management and spirituality. “The power of group therapy, which has a very clear direction, is enormous, and AA exemplifies that,” he says.
Anonymity is essential to keeping AA members safe, so we cannot quantify its positive impact. However, we know that without it, millions of people around the world would not be sober today; Not only would they be sober but, as Dr. Campbell says, “they would live a better life.” And he adds: “Any addiction program that I respect would incorporate the scholarship.”
While most UK rehab centers use the 12-step model, getting a place in NHS-funded residential care can be a challenge, with waiting times stretching to several months depending on distribution. of funds and local authorities. Run exclusively by alcoholics, AA is a grassroots, autonomous, non-professional, self-sufficient organization. There is no hierarchy; people come and go as they please and choose their sponsor, and everything in the program is a “suggestion” rather than a necessity. Anyone can host a meeting and it is run entirely on voluntary donations. There is even a limit on the amount a person can donate. It is not affiliated with sects, denominations, policies, organizations or institutions. The focus is solely on the individual.
The steps help people accept what they cannot control and take action when they can. They write a moral inventory, recognize the possible harm they have caused, and repair the harm. It is a constant opportunity to grow and exercise compassion for themselves and those around them.
'Seventy percent of alcoholics continue to function. They get up and get to work. They simply underperform.
Dr. Samantha Duggan
A cornerstone of the program is spirituality. “Professionals often misinterpret 12-step programs as religious,” says Dr. Duggan. While “God” appears in literature, it can refer to anything from nature to the support group itself. Members of all faiths participate, including agnostics. According to Dr. Brener, while spirituality is not “totally necessary,” it is “helpful” in the process. Others, like Dr Naomi Thompson, professor of sociology at Goldsmiths University, tell me that many of us long for a feeling of belonging, whether religious in nature or not. “Researchers in the sociology of religion have found that people who identify as non-religious rarely see themselves as non-spiritual,” she says. “My own research suggests that most people have spiritual needs and want to connect with some purpose beyond ourselves. Arguably, the need for community in healing or recovery processes is part of this.”
The second pillar of AA is compensation. The group's main goal is “to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.” It encourages unconditional support where people feel understood and cared for. People receive help and then help others, something that is proven to make us all happier.
AA will not be for everyone and sobriety is not a certainty. Addiction is a complex condition and relapse is part of many people's journey. What remains certain is that the door to AA is never closed and there is a simple program available that has helped millions of people live better lives for almost 90 years. It offers more than abstinence: friends who become family, a road map for navigating life's inevitable challenges, and a deep sense of comfort that everything (believe it or not at first) will eventually fall into place.
You can contact AA at www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
