How many anonymous groups are there

Other groups such as Narcotics Anonymous use a similar set of Traditions to define the values, relationships and guidelines of the organization. Here is the original short form version of the 12 Traditions:.

If practiced properly, the 12 Steps should enable the member to maintain sobriety. Other anonymous groups use these original 12 Steps as a model.

The 12 Step model was a revolution for people seeking sobriety. Soon, groups for a variety of addictions began, and they used the 12 Traditions and Steps as a starting point.

Addicts in rehab or just beginning their sober journey have options when it comes to anonymous groups. Bob Smith. These two men who struggled with addiction decided, after leaving another faith-based sobriety group, to begin Alcoholics Anonymous. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements.

Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem. Cocaine Anonymous began in the s in Los Angeles after an AA member saw what was happening to friends and people in the film industry. Cocaine was a popular drug at the time. Members, however, need not be cocaine addicts specifically. The group welcomes those addicted to any number of drugs including speed and crack. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using. There are no dues or fees for CMA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.

CMA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; and neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to lead a sober life and to carry the message of recovery to the crystal meth addict who still suffers. The Food Addicts Anonymous program includes and eating plan to keep food addicts from overeating. There are no dues or fees required for membership, but only a desire to stop eating addictive foods.

We are not affiliated with any diet or weight loss programs, treatment facilities or religious organizations. We neither endorse nor oppose any causes. Some dislike the quasi-religious element, others the emphasis on complete abstinence rather than the possibility of moderate consumption. There's also a new film - The 13th Step - about sexual assaults carried out by AA members on other members.

But perhaps the greatest criticism is from those who want concrete evidence that this widely accepted programme actually produces results. A review of scientific studies of Alcoholics Anonymous' success in aiding sobriety in found that "no experimental studies unequivocally demonstrated the effectiveness of AA".

Dr Lance Dodes, a former substance abuse treatment specialist, wrote in a book about step programmes that: "Alcoholics Anonymous was proclaimed the correct treatment for alcoholism over 75 years ago despite the absence of any scientific evidence of the approach's efficacy, and we have been on the wrong path ever since.

Another bone of contention is that porting across the step programme to other areas offers cultural legitimacy to the idea of a wide range of compulsions as addictive diseases.

Scientists continue to be divided over whether food addiction really exists. They are torn as to whether sex addiction is real or not. It does not, for example, appear in the American Psychiatric Association's list of mental disorders. But for many, the programme is effective. Krentzman notes: "It works because of a psychological process, a social process, a spiritual process. Because of the way it gives people a sense of community and knowing other people who have the same problem.

That's something Jennifer, who attends Overeaters Anonymous, agrees with. She joined the group in , when she was 37 years old and and-a-half stone. What use is my life? Who knows? No matter if you pray or not, you may not know why you are here. Your life may feel without purpose. When you walk to the bodega to buy a soda, you kick a can off the sidewalk. No one falls and dies. That may be your purpose in life. None of us know why we are here.

People filled with faith think they know, but they do not. Your purpose in life may not be known to you. One day you kick that can away, another day you step on a burning cigarette butt and prevent a fire. None of us gets out alive. Death comes soon enough. Around the corner, love may walk in to your life and stay awhile. You do not know. No one does. Milford, DE. Asheville, NC. New Castle, DE. Williamsburg, PA. Galloway, NJ. Philadelphia, PA. Allenwood, PA. Louisville, TN. Shickshinny, PA.

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