| Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international, | | | | definition of the term alcoholism. They see it as a |
| spiritually oriented society of recovering alcoholics who | | | | progressive disease afflicting an alcoholic. AA |
| meet in small groups regularly. The chief purpose of | | | | prescribes that alcoholism cannot be cured, and the |
| AA members is basically to remain sober and assist | | | | alcoholic has no alternative but to wholly abstain from |
| other alcoholics to do the same. AA created the | | | | alcohol. |
| original twelve-step program that has been the main | | | | Today, there are several alcohol rehabilitation |
| source and model for all other recovery groups like | | | | programs along the lines of AA. Most of these centers |
| Gamblers Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, | | | | are run by other recovered alcoholics who believe that |
| Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, etc. | | | | the recovereing alcoholic has a special ability to |
| In the early part of the 20th Century, alcoholics without | | | | connect with other alcoholics. |
| the financial means to go to a psychiatrist or admit | | | | AA literature explains the difference between an |
| themselves to a private health center could only find | | | | "alcoholic" and a "problem drinker" with the logic that a |
| help in jails, through street ministries or state hospitals. | | | | 'problem drinker' may drink alcohol, but has the will to |
| Alcoholics Anonymous marked the first approach to | | | | stop or decrease the amount he or she drinks. On the |
| aiding the recovery of the alcoholic, notwithstanding | | | | other hand, an alcoholic has a permanent disease and |
| their financial standing. | | | | is incapable of moderating the consumption of alcohol. |
| One major aspect of Alcoholics Anonymous is their | | | | |