The Dr. Junkie Show
The Dr. Junkie Show is a podcast hosted by addicted person, convicted criminal, prison educator and college educator Ben Boyce. Topics include drugs and those who use them, media, and communication, along with an overall focus on systems of power.
The Dr. Junkie Show
143: Cults, Drugs & The 12-Step Success Story
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Email us at DrJunkieShow@gmail.com
This week I revisit a topic I've discussed repeatedly on this show: the reported success rates of 12-Step programs like AA and NA. I talk about the reason these programs persist as the norm despite an odd lack of data to verify their success, and I walk through the reasons AA and other 12-Step programs are highly religious while almost always claiming (and appearing) not to be.
Read Cochrane's new(er) meta-analysis of 12-step success rates on their website.
Read more about aging out of addiction in Zimburg's work.
14% - 31% of people who walk into a 12-Step meeting keep coming for at least 1 year.
21% - 22% of people who stay in a 12-Step program for more than a year remain sober.
5% - 8% of people who walk into a 12-Step meeting will remain sober for at least 1 year.
Some studies show that those who try a 12-Step program actually have worse success rates than non-treatment groups.
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