🙏A.A. Is A Path Not THE Path
“Let justice roll down like waters.”
Amos 5:24
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
In the world of addiction treatment the is ubiquitous. Maia Szalavitz noted in a column this week for the New York Times that 90% of residential addiction treatment centers in the United States are centered in 12-Step methodology.
She acknowledges that many people, including herself for a time, found critical help and support in the program. But far too often, this explicitly spiritual approach, one deemed religious by the courts, is the only option.
She highlights a few problems including lack of options for non-religious folks (or people who just don’t like A.A.), resistance to medically assisted treatment and exclusion of other evidence based approaches.
A.A. represents a specific belief system about the nature of addiction and what the process of recovery looks like. Some aspects of A.A. I agree with, others I do not. But far too often those in treatment or pushed to accept the entire system or risk being told that they are the problem.
I am deeply grateful for what A.A. has done in the lives of many people I know and love. Many of those folks are open to harm reduction, a variety of pathways to better health and aren’t dogmatic about abstinence.
As a person of faith I also need to say, it is unjust and a violation of fundamental constitutional rights for the government to mandate participation in a religious (or spiritual) program.
As a person of faith I also need to say, it is immoral to withhold other forms of help to those in a vulnerable position and coerce participation in a religious (or spiritual) program.
There is a world of difference between being motivated by your faith to help others and requiring others to participate in your religion (or spiritual) program in order to receive help, support and assistance.
A.A. is a path not the path.
When it comes to cancer, there was a time when researchers were looking for a universal cause of the malady and a universal solution. The field leaped forward when scientists focused on trying to discover a multitude of therapies for a wide range of different kinds of cancer.
Reducing addiction treatment to participation in A.A. would be like limiting cancer treatment to surgically removing tumors.
I celebrate those who have found life and freedom through the 12-Steps.
At the same time, coerced participation in a religious program needs to end.
Keep the faith,
Timothy McMahan King
Senior Fellow, CNDP
Research and roundup compiled by Cassidy Willard, Research Associate
Can a court, prison, or probation officer sentence me to attend A.A., a religious program?
The answer is more controversial than it should be.
The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment prohibits the government from coercing an individual to participate in any religion. This is especially important when looking at vulnerable populations.
Many Federal Circuit Courts have agreed that A.A. (and N.A.) is a religious body for purposes of 1st Amendment Analysis and forcing prisoners or probationers to attend A.A. meetings under the threat of withholding a benefit is a violation of the Establishment Clause.
However, New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently vetoed a bill requiring judges to inform drug court participants of their right to choose nonreligious rehabilitation. Additionally, courts still regularly sentence people to attend A.A.
While the law may offer a remedy for persons sentenced to A.A. (in some Federal Circuit Courts), many, if not most people being sentenced to A.A. do not know that non-religious addiction treatment is an option. In fact, in many rural areas, non-religious addiction treatment is not an option.
The Origins of the Minnesota Model of Addiction Treatment–A First-Person Account
By the 1950s the “Minnesota” abstinence model of addiction treatment had developed based on the principles of A.A.. The program included “an individualized treatment plan with active family involvement in a 28-day inpatient setting and participation in Alcoholics Anonymous both during and after treatment.” Although developed 60 years ago, this model remains at the “heart of modern addiction treatment.”.
Full Article on tandfonline.com
LSD could help alcoholics stop drinking, AA founder believed
Even A.A. co-founder Bill Wilson did not think A.A. should be the only treatment option. Instead, Mr. Wilson believed LSD was a promising treatment and credited his own use of the drug with helping his depression.
Full Article on theguardian.com
Therapies Offered at Residential Addiction Treatment Programs in the United States
Out of 613 residential treatment programs for opioid use disorder surveyed, 92% offered some form of a 12-step program.
Why is religion so pervasive in addiction treatment? Many experts attribute this link to A.A. and later the “Minnesota Model” of addiction treatment.
Full Article on jamanetwork.com
A longitudinal study of the comparative efficacy of Women for Sobriety, LifeRing, SMART Recovery, and 12-step groups for those with AUD
A 2018 study found that Women for Sobriety (WFS), LifeRing, and SMART are just as effective as A.A. for those with Alcohol Use Disorders.
Full Study on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
People Have a Right to Nonreligious Rehab
Even A.A. co-founder Bill Wilson did not think A.A. should be the only treatment option. Instead, Mr. Wilson believed LSD was a promising treatment and credited his own use of the drug with helping his depression.