If you or one of your loved ones is struggling with this its worth knowing and worth asking your doctor about. Article mainly discusses generic anticonvulsants that have proven beneficial, but there are others such as Naltrexone that can also be helpful.
And in the US they insist religion will cure it. My sister in law had to demand medication, she just kept getting referred to AA. Guess which one finally got her sober?
Yes, referring someone to AA if they know it will not work for them is just stupid. AA may work for some people but it cannot and should not be the only referral or treatment option - medication is going to be a better option for many. Unfortunately its much the same here
If you don’t mind the magical thinking monotheism and 1930s pseudoscience and sexism that must never be changed, then it may work for you. Plus its success rate is a non-negative number. What’s not to like??
Funnily enough all of the above does actually work for some people, but it should absolutely never be the first or only option. When peole ask me if they should use medication, therapy, or 12 step programmes I would say all of the above
I read that AA has an 8% success rate. It didn’t work for me.
Someone very close to me was an atheist alcoholic who went into AA. The mental gymnastics that went into getting around all the “higher power” stuff to somehow make the program effective was horrible to see. I wish it wouldn’t get pushed as a real option for alcoholics in the US, especially for those people actively asking for help.