Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
Social Aspects of Alcoholics Anonymous Relieve Depression
By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on January 29, 2010 A new study suggests going to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings appear to lower depression as well as reduce drinking.
Experts believe AA meetings convey a variety of benefits with alleviation of depression a key factor toward a reduction in alcoholic consumption.
Our study is one of the first to examine the mechanisms underlying behavioral change with AA and to find that AA attendance alleviates depression symptoms, says study leader John F. Kelly, PhD, associate director of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Addiction Medicine.
Perhaps the social aspects of AA helps people feel better psychologically and emotionally as well as stop drinking.
The authors note that problems with mood regulation such as depression are common among people with alcohol problems both preceding and being exacerbated by alcohol use.
Although AA does not explicitly address depression, the programs 12 steps and social fellowship are designed to support participants sense of well being. While mood problems often improve after several weeks of abstinence, that process may happen more quickly in AA participants.
The current study was designed to investigate whether decreasing depression and enhancing psychological well-being help explain AAs positive effects.
The researchers analyzed data from Project MATCH, a federally funded trial comparing three treatment approaches for alcohol use disorder in more than 1,700 participants. While participants in that study were randomly assigned to a specific treatment plan, all were able to attend AA meetings as well.
Among the data gathered at several points during Project MATCHs 15-month study period were participants alcohol consumption, the number of AA meetings attended, and recent symptoms of depression.
At the beginning of the study period, participants reported greater symptoms of depression than would be seen in the general public, which is typical among alcohol-dependent individuals. As the study proceeded, those participants who attended more AA meetings had significantly greater reductions in their depression symptoms, along with less frequent and less intensive drinking.
Some critics of AA have claimed that the organizations emphasis on powerlessness against alcohol use and the need to work on character defects cultivates a pessimistic world view, but this suggests the opposite is true, Kelly says.
AA is a complex social organization with many mechanisms of action that probably differ for different people and change over time. Most treatment programs refer patients to AA or similar 12-step groups, and now clinicians can tell patients that, along with supporting abstinence, attending meetings can help improve their mood. Who wouldnt want that? (Snagged from Psych-Central)
By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on January 29, 2010 A new study suggests going to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings appear to lower depression as well as reduce drinking.
Experts believe AA meetings convey a variety of benefits with alleviation of depression a key factor toward a reduction in alcoholic consumption.
Our study is one of the first to examine the mechanisms underlying behavioral change with AA and to find that AA attendance alleviates depression symptoms, says study leader John F. Kelly, PhD, associate director of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Addiction Medicine.
Perhaps the social aspects of AA helps people feel better psychologically and emotionally as well as stop drinking.
The authors note that problems with mood regulation such as depression are common among people with alcohol problems both preceding and being exacerbated by alcohol use.
Although AA does not explicitly address depression, the programs 12 steps and social fellowship are designed to support participants sense of well being. While mood problems often improve after several weeks of abstinence, that process may happen more quickly in AA participants.
The current study was designed to investigate whether decreasing depression and enhancing psychological well-being help explain AAs positive effects.
The researchers analyzed data from Project MATCH, a federally funded trial comparing three treatment approaches for alcohol use disorder in more than 1,700 participants. While participants in that study were randomly assigned to a specific treatment plan, all were able to attend AA meetings as well.
Among the data gathered at several points during Project MATCHs 15-month study period were participants alcohol consumption, the number of AA meetings attended, and recent symptoms of depression.
At the beginning of the study period, participants reported greater symptoms of depression than would be seen in the general public, which is typical among alcohol-dependent individuals. As the study proceeded, those participants who attended more AA meetings had significantly greater reductions in their depression symptoms, along with less frequent and less intensive drinking.
Some critics of AA have claimed that the organizations emphasis on powerlessness against alcohol use and the need to work on character defects cultivates a pessimistic world view, but this suggests the opposite is true, Kelly says.
AA is a complex social organization with many mechanisms of action that probably differ for different people and change over time. Most treatment programs refer patients to AA or similar 12-step groups, and now clinicians can tell patients that, along with supporting abstinence, attending meetings can help improve their mood. Who wouldnt want that? (Snagged from Psych-Central)
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My 6mo twin DD's are EBF and just started rice cereal on the first. Everything has been going fine except this morning one of them had a diaper rash (lots of redness around her anus). I read this as one of the signs of an allergy. BUT I did just buy a different brand diaper yesterday (which they have used randomly before w/no issues). Do you think its the cereal or the diaper? Im ready to start...
Billie
18 months ago I moved to country Victoria and it is so different here. I enjoy the meetings and try to be of service, but there is no culture of getting together for coffe or lunch or pop into each others places. With only two meetings a week (there are others but they're dodgy), it's great be in meetings but there isn't any other extension of people into each others lives.
The full benefit for depression alleviation that the study talked about isn't evident here. I am moving to a larger town this year and they have meetings every day and I'd guess they are much larger in numbers - so I hope there is much more opportunity for social interaction, and I hope there is also more opportunity for both getting a sponsor and being a sponsor, which isn't viable where I live.
For me being involved in servicw at meeting's is a great way to get out of self and feeling low.also taking responsability to open up,set up,get the tea& coffee going gives a feeling of being more than wortless at a time when many are feeling totally worthless.
I do various service positions at my home group.On thursday the regular tea maker couldent make it.the pleasure i got from having direct interaction with members as they arrived and throughout the meeting was so up lifting to me. I actually felt a bit low prior to meeting but that just disapeared as i happily filled the cup's
totally agree with last paragraph as well thanks for passing it on
There was a buzz of excitement about the place and as the professor took to the platform a hush of expectation filled the room. He spoke for a short while ab out research methods etc and finally decided to sum up the findings.
'What we have found' he said, 'Is that those who do not attend AA have a greater % of relapse within the group, those that attend AA meetings just for support were found to relapse less but they had to attend many meetings each week in order to get that benefit; those in the study who went to AA, got a sponsor and worked through the 12 step programme have a significantly higher success rate than either of the other two groups.
Any relapse seems to be shorter in duration and the AA philosophy of one alcoholic helping another seems to allow the person to build their social skills and to take the focus off of themselves - there is a level of selflessness which had not been detected in these people prior to AA.
There was a huge round of applause and most of the other attendees had loads of question but my friend and I looked at each other in astonishment and remarked to each other. 'They could have saved that research grant because we knew that all along!'
I think one aspect of AA is that it asks its members to continue to look within for the source of Power.
Happiness is found within!
I think alcoholics and the rest have a perceptual problem of not being able to discern where happiness, joy, peace and the like come from. We are what psychologists typically refer too as "field dependent", that is, constantly looking outside to get something. Always trying to get what we can out of situations and others. We especially gravitate towards alcohol and the likes as the quickest means to satisfy this seeming only way to happiness. Alcohol is one of the quickest ways to experience a state of joy (at least for a moment anyway). But the quick blasts of joy do nothing more that relieve tension (not create joy) and we mistaken that for happiness.
What's more, each time we do this, we perpetuate the belief that something outside ourselves is doing for us what we could not find within ourselves.
Happiness is found within!
Can anyone say ginny pigs? lookout, this is how antibuse came about researchers doing research.
I completely agree with it and can also see why other orginations, such as religious and spiritual, work to attain sobriety as well.
In the books it talks about us having to go through a phsycic change. I see an article that talks about that change in clinical terms as to express support for the programs effectivenes.
It never seizes to amaze me people that are so closed minded of things put into another perspective. Or looked at in another light.
AA is as great as it is because of change and evolution. I mean the very essence of the program is growth and change but if you try to express that you are usually jumped on by a pack of uh you know. ;)
AA prides itself in members being able to choose a God of their understanding but that better be all you try to understand individually.
I am an active member of AA and believe in its principles 100%. Its principles have nothing to do with looking at something like this without an open mind and respect. We have somthing to learn from everything.
:)Lisa(: