"The Insane Idea"

Here is a very long -- probably too long -- article which goes in to, among other things, the fact that the science shows, as we say after the serenity prayer, "it works if you work it."

http://thepointmag.com/2016/examined-life/the-insane-idea Mirror: https://archive.is/u2ttt

One point this article makes is that it is an objective scientific fact that "the longer people attend twelve-step meetings, the more likely they are to achieve long-term sobriety."

The article, however, while acknowledging the countless studies showing a correlation between AA attendance and long-term sobriety, and correctly points out that "It is [a] gerrymandered set of data that leads Dodes to the conclusion that just “5 to 8 percent of the total population of people who enter AA are able to achieve and maintain sobriety for longer than a year”," simply quotes Dodes' assertion that AA's success rate may be because of self selection, without looking at PMC4285560 which indicates that it's not just self-selection which causes people who regularly go to meetings to stay sober.

A somewhat disappointing article; while it engages Glaser and Dodes for their inaccurate polemics, the author did not look at the recent research showing that AA is effective before writing this extended rambling piece.

the longer people attend twelve-step meetings, the more likely they are to achieve long-term sobriety - See more at: http://thepointmag.com/2016/examined-life/the-insane-idea#sthash.v6jBN2HS.dpuf

the longer people attend twelve-step meetings, the more likely they are to achieve long-term sobriety - See more at: http://thepointmag.com/2016/examined-life/the-insane-idea#sthash.v6jBN2HS.dpuf

the longer people attend twelve-step meetings, the more likely they are to achieve long-term sobriety - See more at: http://thepointmag.com/2016/examined-life/the-insane-idea#sthash.v6jBN2HS.dpuf

the longer people attend twelve-step meetings, the more likely they are to achieve long-term sobriety - See more at: http://thepointmag.com/2016/examined-life/the-insane-idea#sthash.v6jBN2HS.dpuf

the longer people attend twelve-step meetings, the more likely they are to achieve long-term sobriety - See more at: http://thepointmag.com/2016/examined-life/the-insane-idea#sthash.v6jBN2HS.dpuf