Why does AA seem to work?

Why does AA seem to produce more lifetime sobriety than all other forms of “help”? After all, tremendous amounts of money, research and time have been invested in all forms of drug and alcohol rehab. What makes the success of one stand out over another?

Make no mistake, it is note worthy to state that people do in fact get sober in a huge variety of ways. Some find relief in churches, others from doctors and hospitals. Perhaps some even get help from psychiatrist and/or psychologist, treatment facilities and detox centers. Jail has even produced sobriety at times. Some people have just simply decided to stop drinking all on their on. Be all that as it may, no other form of “help” has the percentage of life time success as the twelve step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Why is that?

When I was drinking, which was over half my life, everything occurring in my world was “I, I, I” or “Me, Me, Me”. I had no other moral compass by which to live. The spiraling pit of painful self obsession was truly my greatest addiction of them all! How much money can “I” make? How big of a house can “I” have? How powerful of a career can “I” get? On and on the progressive mental illness continued and with every thought would always come a drink.

The very first word of AA’s twelve steps is not “I” or “Me” but it is “WE” and in those simple two letters lay the mystical and miraculous spiritual healing qualities of AA’s entire program! The first half of AA’s first step reads “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol” and thusly a program of “WE” came into existence! The absolute power of “WE” has now saved the lives of millions of otherwise hopeless drug addicts and alcoholics. The concept that “I can’t do this by myself but somehow because YOU are sober, I gain the strength to live sober today also” is the “WE” power of AA.

A single sewing thread has no strength what-so-ever and will snap with the lightest tug. But weave a thousand threads together and suddenly you have the strength of a cable that can pull an aircraft carrier! Such is the miraculous qualities of AA, the strength of “WE” allows “ME” to live happy, joyous and free just for today.