What's Wrong With AA?

Buy Breaking the Bottle Legacy: How to Change Your Drinking Habits and Create A Peaceful Relationship with Alcohol on Amazon.  US Kindle US Paperback UK Kindle UK Paperback Join my private FB group Alcohol Minimalists here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/changeyouralcoholhabit Has this podcast helped you?  How about leaving a review: Itunes Follow me on Instagram: @AlcoholMinimalist  You can grab two free chapters of my upcoming book here! Have you grabbed your free e-book, "Alcohol Truths: How Much is Safe?" Get it here.  Low risk drinking guidelines from the NIAAA: Healthy men under 65: No more than 4 drinks in one day and no more than 14 drinks per week. Healthy women (all ages) and healthy men 65 and older: No more than 3 drinks in one day and no more than 7 drinks per week. One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. So remember that a mixed drink or full glass of wine are probably more than one drink. Abstinence from alcohol Abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for people who take medication(s) that interact with alcohol, have health conditions that could be exacerbated by alcohol (e.g. liver disease), are pregnant or may become pregnant or have had a problem with alcohol or another substance in the past. Benefits of “low-risk” drinking Following these guidelines reduces the risk of health problems such as cancer, liver disease, reduced immunity, ulcers, sleep problems, complications of existing conditions, and more. It also reduces the risk of depression, social problems, and difficulties at school or work. This week's episode I'm discussing what's wrong with Alcoholics Anonymous.  This isn't a conversation intended to condemn AA for the many people it has helped, but it's important from a historical perspective to understand it's influence on the collective consciousness surrounding alcohol and alcoholism. Without any scientific basis, Alcoholics Anonymous has become the thought leader for addiction and recovery.  The reasons this is problematic aren't because of AA's low success rate, but because of the mindset AA created that people who misuse alcohol are sick, broken or bad. AA claims that people are powerless to control alcohol and even for people who simply want to change their habits around drinking, they have developed stories fueled by the AA that they believe about themselves.  For more information on Alcoholics Anonymous visit https://aa.org/ Resources mentioned:  The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12 Step Programs and the Rehab Industry Episode #11  

Buy Breaking the Bottle Legacy: How to Change Your Drinking Habits and Create A Peaceful Relationship with Alcohol on Amazon. 

US Kindle

US Paperback

UK Kindle

UK Paperback

Join my private FB group Alcohol Minimalists here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/changeyouralcoholhabit

Has this podcast helped you?  How about leaving a review: Itunes

Follow me on Instagram: @AlcoholMinimalist 

You can grab two free chapters of my upcoming book here!

Have you grabbed your free e-book, "Alcohol Truths: How Much is Safe?" Get it here. 

Low risk drinking guidelines from the NIAAA:

Healthy men under 65:

No more than 4 drinks in one day and no more than 14 drinks per week.

Healthy women (all ages) and healthy men 65 and older: No more than 3 drinks in one day and no more than 7 drinks per week.

One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. So remember that a mixed drink or full glass of wine are probably more than one drink.

Abstinence from alcohol Abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for people who take medication(s) that interact with alcohol, have health conditions that could be exacerbated by alcohol (e.g. liver disease), are pregnant or may become pregnant or have had a problem with alcohol or another substance in the past.

Benefits of “low-risk” drinking Following these guidelines reduces the risk of health problems such as cancer, liver disease, reduced immunity, ulcers, sleep problems, complications of existing conditions, and more. It also reduces the risk of depression, social problems, and difficulties at school or work.

This week's episode I'm discussing what's wrong with Alcoholics Anonymous.  This isn't a conversation intended to condemn AA for the many people it has helped, but it's important from a historical perspective to understand it's influence on the collective consciousness surrounding alcohol and alcoholism.

Without any scientific basis, Alcoholics Anonymous has become the thought leader for addiction and recovery. 

The reasons this is problematic aren't because of AA's low success rate, but because of the mindset AA created that people who misuse alcohol are sick, broken or bad.

AA claims that people are powerless to control alcohol and even for people who simply want to change their habits around drinking, they have developed stories fueled by the AA that they believe about themselves. 

For more information on Alcoholics Anonymous visit https://aa.org/

Resources mentioned: 

The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12 Step Programs and the Rehab Industry

Episode #11

 

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What's Wrong With AA?
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