Norway recommends 12-Step self-help for alcohol and drugs
Treatment of drug addiction is complex; hence there is a debate in the field of what is the best approach. An honest desire to stop using drugs is the entry ticket into the self-help programmes Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
They employ the twelve-step programme and are found in most large cities in Norway and around the world.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether the use of self-help groups is associated with higher rates of abstinence two years after participants started attending groups.
Researchers contacted alcoholics and addicts 2 years after formal treatment. They found that Of regular 12-Step self-help participants, 81% had been abstinent over the previous 6 months, compared with only 26% among non-participants.
The conclusion is that a positive effect is strong enough to recommend participation in self-help groups as a supplement to drug addiction treatment.
Reference; Kristensen O, Vederhus JK. Self help programs in drug addiction therapy. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 125(20):2798-801.
One program that is designed to do the above is BriefTSF, a professionally designed course for facilitating and understanding 12-Step fellowships.
Alcohol Self-Help News 