> AA doesn't work for all personality types Confession time: Hi, my name is [redacted] and I'm an alcoholic who tried AA a couple times and spent a few years s

> AA doesn't work for all personality types Confession time: Hi, my name is [redacted] and I'm an alcoholic who tried AA a couple times and spent a few years shitting on it after that. Looking back, most of this was due to the heavy emphasis on Christianity within the groups I attended, and I have since learned it doesn't occur in all areas. My current approach is harm reduction, then sensible moderation-- I have gradually brought my drinking down to 3-4 drinks per day after a peak at 20 or so a while back. My ultimate goal is an average of 2 per day or less. I am not fully confident I will succeed, but continuing to try is the lifestyle change I am hanging on to. I got to this point by focusing on the things I wanted that alcohol was preventing, along with getting better exercise, nutrition and sleep. I don't think my approach would work for everyone. It wouldn't have even worked for me a few years ago. As others have pointed out here, this is an extremely complex issue with lots of ever-changing variables. AA is a stopgap. It is the most widely available & accessible program, available nearly everywhere, and it's free. For some people, in some groups, it is far better than nothing. For others in other groups, it may be worse than nothing. Regardless, I'm convinced it saved the life of a dear friend of mine and I cannot casually dismiss it any longer. If you suspect you are an addict, all I can tell you is that any time you feel the tiniest spark of inclination to do something about it, chase that. Try different things until something seems to start working, then stick with it for a while. There is a good chance you'll eventually find a way out-- studies have reported varying numbers, but it appears that at least 1/3 of people in this predicament do. The important thing is to destroy that sense of being resigned to your fate, and to value whatever you've ever loved in life enough to act. You absolutely can have a brain that works better and behaves more like you want it to, and and this affects everything you experience.