143: Cults, Drugs & The 12-Step Success Story

Email us at [email protected] 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. Support the show