 So today, we're going to be talking about a new study on the AA success rates. So make sure that you stay tuned. What is up everybody? This is Chris from the Rewired Soul where we talk about the problem, but focus on the solution. So Vox just published a story about new studies around the AA success rates and other 12 step programs. And there is a reason why I keep using air quotes for the word study. And let's dive into this. So I came across this because there's a podcast where I listen to it's mainly political, but I like the guy he's kind of cool. But anyways, like when he talked about this, I was just like, oh my God, like I lost, I lost so much respect for him. Okay, because you can tell like he's a very smart and intelligent guy, very smart. But you can tell he pretty much just read the headline of this. He already had a bias towards 12 step programs. And then he kind of just ran with it and did this clip. I'm like, no, no, no, no, you can't, you can't do that. So I felt like it was time to chime in and talk about this. I left some comments on the video from his podcast and I got a bunch of hate and things like that, but whatever, let's talk about it here. So first I want to start out by saying this, granted that you haven't turned this video off like screw that guy, Chris. My clients at my rehab know that I am extremely, extremely open minded about recovery. One saying that I have is I do not care what program you work just as long as you work a program. That is my catchphrase. That is what I always say. I would be a downright liar if I sat here, looked you in the eyes and said 12 step programs are the only way to stay sober. It's a bold face lie. I know plenty of people who don't use it. Did it save my life? Yes, but it would be a lie to tell you that it's the only way that works. But I take issue when people write these articles and they try to talk down about these programs and they are just not well founded in any way, shape or form. So like I highly suggest that you check out a video from last week tonight by John Oliver. I love that guy, but he did a whole episode on scientific studies and it's amazing and you should really, really watch it because the word studies or research is thrown around left and right and the criteria to meet that is very, very low. For example, they'll say a new study found this and they like studied like two people. Like are you going to take any scientific evidence based off of like two people? No, you want it to be hundreds if not thousands of people to get a very clear view of this thing. You know what I'm saying? But anyways, I'm going to jump into the article now and please do me a favor. Like if you take anything away from this video, please share it. Like my I don't like how people are getting turned away from the program just based on ignorance or poorly written articles. So please share this video and spread some awareness. Okay. But anyways, let's jump into it. So the Fox article starts out by saying this what the study found the study conducted by the alcohol research group at the public health Institute in California and published last month in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment surveyed more than 600 people with alcohol use disorder, AUD, who were divided by which mutual help group they primarily participated in. Researchers followed up at six months and then 12 months measuring involvement in the groups and various substance use outcomes, including abstinence from drinking and alcohol related problems. After controlling for several factors, the researchers concluded that women for sobriety, life ring and smart are as effective as 12 step groups for those with AUDs. Okay. So the first thing I had to do. So I've heard of women for sobriety. I've also heard of smart recovery, neither of which I have an issue with. But the first thing was I thought was like what the heck is life ring. So I did a quick Google search and I checked out life ring. And according to the life ring website, there are meetings, but there are meetings available right now in 10 states, in 10 states. Okay. So this is one of the issues that I have. One of the issues I have when people are down talking 12 step programs is that the availability for these alternatives is not there. Like hopefully they are there. Hopefully they get there. Like if any of you know me, like I love refuge recovery. I love that program. Like I'm all about Buddhist philosophy and meditation. I love refuge recovery, but it's hard for me to promote it because it's not available everywhere. Okay. So I feel that it's a disservice to say like, Oh, the success rates in this are just as well when there's a very lack of availability. Like as it stands, you can go to pretty much any country on earth and any major city and some like medium sized cities, and you'll automatically find a 12 step program. That's how available they are. So like when trying to promote these other programs that are very limited, like I find an issue with that because the lack of availability. And like, let's just put it this way too. What if this was a whole another scenario where it involves money, right? Like this is the best treatment you can get, you know, and like promoting all this stuff, but it costs money, you know, that that one of the reasons why I talk about these 12 step programs, because there's some people who say, well, this type of treatment works better than 12 step programs. Okay. Well, I don't know if you got the memo, but most drug addicts and alcoholics have lost everything, including health insurance. Like my rehab, the one I work with, like it costs about $30,000 out of pocket. So like, if you've destroyed your life the way I did, you're not coming up with $30,000. So that's why I feel like it's not okay to like talk down about 12 step programs when they are the easiest to access. Now, like I will touch on this pretty soon in this video. Like, you know, hopefully these other programs do expand so we can do more proper research. But anyways, getting now, let's talk about smart recovery. Smart recovery for those of you who don't know is based on cognitive behavioral therapy, which is evidence based treatment. And I will make a more dedicated video on smart recovery. But to put it in perspective for you about smart recovery, Las Vegas, where I live, the city of Las Vegas has about 1000 1000. That's not an exaggeration. 1000 12 step meetings every single week 1000. Okay, now think about where I live. Las Vegas, Nevada, a city that is designed to kill people like me, drug addicts and alcoholics. And there are 1000 meetings. Okay, you can find them 24 hours a day. Now here in Las Vegas, a pretty big city, a city that needs recovery. There are two two smart recovery meetings. Okay, so again, availability is the issue. So another clip that I took from this article, it says this again, the study is not the final word. John Kelly, an addiction researcher at Harvard Medical School was not involved in the study, told me that the study is quote unquote good news in general, but pointed out that it's limited bias methodology is based on an online survey, not the kind of randomized trial that's typically the gold standard in research that may have led to some potentially biased results. Perhaps participants in specific groups were less likely to report bad outcomes, for instance. So that's another issue. Remember how I said this guy on the podcast, a big huge podcast, like the dude has like I think half a million subscribers. So to put this information out there for something that is blatantly saying that this is not a proper study, it kills me. It kills me because it says this more than once in the article like this is not a proper study. Like first off, it's from an online survey. Okay, like I will also link in the description a video I did a while back on a success rates, like one issue is honesty, but the other thing they bring up is bias. Okay, like that is a big issue. Like, for people to run with this one with the headline, or just like the cliff notes of this thing, and say like, Oh, these other programs work just as well. Like this was nowhere near a proper study, like this might as well have been like a high school like science project. You know what I mean? Like this did not meet the gold standard of studies. One of the other issues that this encounters is the version of success. Okay, so we're talking about success rates. Well, there's there's automatically a problem because 12 step programs, they talk about abstinence. Okay, so success is of staining. Then you have programs like smart recovery that sometimes not all smart recovery meetings, but some of them promote harm reduction, which means success is drinking or using less than you were. Okay, so the standard of success is not equal. That is another issue when you're talking about success rates. All right, I hope that makes sense. This next clip that I've heard from pulled from the article says this, the US is far from that at the moment. Most treatment facilities in America are, according to the survey data and research, at least partly based on 12 steps, making it the only option for many people. While alternatives like smart or life ring do exist, they're not nearly as available as AA, and they certainly aren't built into professional treatment programs in the same way as the 12 steps. So let me explain why and this is something I explained to my clients all the time. Okay, so the affordable care act ACA, this has made it so all insurance companies must provide treatment for people with addictions as well as mental health issues. All insurance providers must do this, but here's the catch insurance providers get to decide which treatment programs they they cover. Okay, so what they use is, is they go base off evidence based treatment. Okay, evidence based treatment is treatment methods that are scientifically proven, scientifically proven to help people recover from drug and alcohol addiction. Stay with me. Okay, so for example, the rehab that I work at is based around 12 step programs. Okay, there's a lot of other forms of therapies, evidence based therapies and things like that. But we're largely based around 12 step programs. So let's let's put these things together. Okay, people who 99.9% of the people who come through my rehab have insurance. So based on what I just told you, why will insurance cover my rehab? Because we're using evidence based treatment, but we're a treatment center that works around 12 a 12 step model. Okay, so if you've been able to like kind of put this together, do a little Sherlock Holmes, 12 step programs are scientifically proven to help people scientifically proven other programs, smart recovery, life ring, these other options. Hey, even one of my favorites, refuge recovery, there was no scientific evidence behind it. Yes, 12 step programs like AA started in the 1930s, they've had a lot more time. But you have to realize this. So when talking about success rates, we need to make this very clear. Science has proven that those who work these programs have much better chances of staying clean. Okay, so that's something like I feel like I have to come out here and like, set the record straight on some of these studies and some of these things because ultimately what's happening is you know, I there are some people out there who are like, look, mom, this article from Vox says the 12 step programs aren't all that great. Why should I go to them? Like there are people out there doing that. So without an argument against that, people are going to just going to take that and run with it. You know what I mean? So it's important that we really look at this we break them down. It's important like I again, I encourage all of you to check out that video from the John Oliver last week tonight episode about scientific studies. Because like for example, like you got to understand news reporters like, for lack of better words, studies are like they're they're they're cocaine, they're drugs, they're math, you know what I mean? Like when they hear the word Oh, Oh, there's a new there's a new study out. Oh, let's do a let's do a report on that. You know what I mean? So you got to be very careful with these studies that you're looking at and you kind of got to pay attention. Don't just be a headline reader, really go in there and say huh, was this a proper study? You know what I mean? Because news outlets like Vox and other places, they'll find stuff like this and they'll just roll with it. You know what I'm saying? But anyways, like I said, please share this video, share it so we can get some awareness out there about what's really going on. Like I said, I am not some like AA or NA Thumper or anything. I'm very open minded about what program people work. I just want to get the truth out there so we can honestly look at this stuff. You know what I mean? But anyways, I would love to know what your thoughts are. I will link to the Vox article in the description. But leave a comment down below. Let me know what your thoughts are. Okay. But anyways, if you liked this video, give it a thumbs up. If you're new here, I'm always talking about addiction recovery and mental health and all that good stuff. So click that subscribe button. You can also click or tap on one of those thumbnails. Check out some other videos on this channel. All right. So thanks so much for watching. Make sure you're investigating these studies and I'll see you next time.