Introduction
Alcohol addiction is defined by Gofford (2009) as the uncontrolled and compulsive consumption of beverages containing alcohol. Alcohol addiction affects the drinker’s health, social standing, and personal relationship. Psychologists like Freud consider alcoholism as a disease under addictive illness category (Langwith, 2010). Some of the factors influencing alcoholism include stress, social environment, family health, age, mental health, gender and ethnical group. My friend in college developed alcoholism problem as a result of stress from his girlfriend. Currently, John has adopted a new lifestyle, and he can not spend even an hour without taking alcohol. The alcoholic anonymous (AA) program includes 12 steps recovery program used to help people stop alcoholism.
Experience on Addiction
In real life, I witnessed a friend of mine (John) ending in alcoholism after parting ways with his girlfriend (Jane). John used over $ 20,000 helping Jane and in the end the Jane married another man.
According to Lemma (1996) alcoholism is a serious problem caused by several factors like environmental, mental health, stress, and social issues. John became an addict due to stress and availability of alcohol beverages. According to Dasgupta (2011) abuse of alcohol causes different problems like high blood pressure, cancer, sexual problems, osteoporosis in women and stomach problem among others. John developed stomach problem and high blood pressure. For treatment purposes, we advised John to join the alcoholic anonymous program for treatment (Langwith, 2010).
Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) Program
Alcohol anonymous applies the use of 12 steps to help people stop the use of alcoholism (Kurtz, 2013). The program focuses on religion, spiritual and God having power to change individual life. AA’s 12 steps guarantees confidentiality and does not disclose individual’s information. AA is confidential and ensures safety of information to the participants. At the beginning an individual entering to the program receives a sponsor who acts as a mentor. The participant gets help from the sponsor in undergoing the 12 steps.
Step One
The first step requires the participant to admit alcohol has overpowered him or her, and it is difficult to manage live. In this step, admission of the problem helps the participant in developing a desire to seek a solution. Participants fear to admit the problem but in healing admission helps because it creates awareness of the problem to participant’s mind. According to Kurtz (2013), admitting the problem to other people brings up the desire to stop the problem.
Step Two
The second step requires the participant to accept that a greater power that can restore an individual to sanity exists. The participants should have faith and hope in restoration healthy state (Lemma, 1996). The participants have faith that one day God will help them to recover from alcoholism. Believing in God help the participants to have faith and hope in recovering. The participants should accept that their effort can not help in recovering and ask God to intervene in the process.
Alcoholic Anonymous Step Three
Step three requires the participants to turn their lives and will to God’s care as they understand him. The program does not compel the participants to adhere to Christian values because it is not a strict Christian organization. As a result, AA permits different group to work using different religions and spirituality (Gofford, 2009). The flexibility of the program allows members to feel comfortable after choosing their favourable religion (Anonymous, 2012).
Step Four
Step four requires participants to make a fearless and searching moral intervention. After admitting the problem, an individual should admit that the took place or occurred as a result of self-faults. The participants should look at the present and past situations and determine their faults and contribution to alcoholism (Lemma, 1996). By accepting the problem and causes, a participant can try to resolve (Gofford, 2009).
Step Five
According to Anonymous, (2012) participants should accept their mistakes and present them before God for assistance. In respect to AA, accepting the mistakes and understanding the mistakes have differences. An individual can understand the mistake and fail to accept their existence. In the program, participants have to admit their past wrongs and errors to a group and receive support to change (Gofford, 2009).
Step Six
In this step, the participants prepare to ask God to remove the defects of character and help in changing (Gofford, 2009). Participants are advised to accept problem and have a desire to change. Step six requires the participants to accept the responsibility to change (Anonymous, 2012).
Step Seven
According to Kurtz (2013) step seven focuses on prayer, healing, hope, meditation and faith. Participants requests God to remove their shortcomings.
Step Eight
In this step, the participants make a list of people harmed by alcoholism and try to make amendments (Gofford, 2009). In this case list making enable an individual to understand and accept responsibility. Step eight is about acceptance and planning of making amends rather than finalizing the task (Dasgupta, 2011).
Step Nine
Making amendments to people’s mistakes can injure them or save them on the other hand. In the ninth step, participants should admit their wrong acts, apologize and inform group members they are getting help (Dasgupta, 2011). In some cases, an individual can get hurt by an apology. Through the use of group, decision on who to receive assistance through apology is made. For example, accidents took place or occurred as a result of drunk driving may need an apology but not all people want to hear an apology (Anonymous, 2012).
Step Ten
The tenth step requires participants to continue admitting and taking responsibility for their actions. Participant falling back into drinking should admit their problem and stop. In this step, admitting trouble and weakness do not count as a failure but a way of keeping on track to a proper lifestyle (Kurtz, 2013).
Step Eleven
Participants are required to improve their lifestyle through meditation and prayer to improve conscious contact with God. Through praying and keeping in touch with God, a participant manages to reflect the mistakes and focus on things that can make life better (Anonymous, 2012).
Step Twelve
The last step tries to help the community or individuals experiencing alcoholism problem to recover (Kurtz, 2013). In this step, the individuals in the community having alcoholism problem should seek help.
Conclusion
In conclusion, alcoholism is a serious problem, and it has many side effects. People should learn how to avoid alcoholism and those addicted should seek help. The individual who gets help from alcoholic programs should encourage their friends to attend the program for treatment.
References
Anonymous A. (2012). Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More than One Hundred Men have Recovered from Alcoholism. New York: Literary Licensing.
Dasgupta A. (2011). The Science of Drinking: How Alcohol Affects your Body and Mind. London: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing, Inc.
Gofford M. L. (2009). Alcoholism. Boston: ABC-CLIO.
Kurtz E. (2013). Not God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous. Boston: Hazelden Publishing.
Langwith J. (2010). Alcoholism. Pennsylvania: Gale/Cengage Leaning.
Lemma A. (1996). Introduction to Psychopathology. New York: SAGE.