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From “90 minutes in 90 days,” to “people, places, and things,” to “cucumbers and pickles,” Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) slogans have been influencing the public’s understanding of the addictive process for almost a century. Regrettably, these terms have, inadvertently, alienated the scientific community. The translation and subsequent use of AA slogans has been a valuable tool in engaging science experts with mutual-help fellowships such as AA.
Recent advances in the neurobiology and neurochemistry of addiction have validated several of the memorable sayings of AA.1 As a result, physicians and scientists are now more willing to explore AA’s mottos.
Here are five well-known AA slogans that we have translated into medical terms and then briefly assessed in terms of their validity and relevance in today’s treatment of alcohol addiction:
1. “90 meetings in 90 days”
TRUE! Clinically, the first three months of sobriety constitute the most severe part of prolonged withdrawal syndrome and pose the most dangerous opportunities for a relapse.
2. “Keep it simple”
NOT TRUE! Clinical research and everyday practice of addiction treatment show that combination approaches—with medications, group psychotherapy, individual psychotherapy, involvement in mutual-help groups, family therapy, primary care, and treatment of psychiatric comorbidities—typically result in better outcomes than singular approaches.2
3. “Denial is not just a river in Egypt”
NOT TRUE! Since motivational inter-viewing was introduced in the treatment of addiction, we have learned how to effectively work with patients who are in complete denial and have absolutely no interest in changing anything about their life.3
4. “Beware of people, places, and things”
TRUE! Otherwise known as “cues” in psychology literature, triggers of relapse have been implicated in both the basic understanding of the addictive process and its treatment. “Classical conditioning” and “operant conditioning” models of behavior incorporate triggers. Additionally, cognitive behavior therapy helps extensively with maintaining sobriety. Even the DSM-5 gives a nod to “people, places, and things” by introducing “cravings” as a bona fide criterion of a substance use disorder.
5. “A cucumber that has become a pickle cannot become a cucumber again”
EQUIVOCAL. It is not clear, and highly debatable, whether an alcoholic who has been sober for more than 20 years still has a heightened vulnerability to reverting to alcoholism after consumption of alcohol. What is evident is that, even if the neuroadaptations responsible for hijacking the pleasure-reward pathways of the brain one day return to a normal, pre-addiction state, this healing process takes a long time—probably measured in decades, not years.
Click here for another Pearl on alternatives to 12-step groups.
Disclosure
The authors report no financial relationships with any company whose products are mentioned in this article or with manufacturers of competing products.
1. Volkow ND, Baler RD. Addiction science: Uncovering neurobiological complexity. Neuropharmacology. 2013; (13)217-7.
2. Nunes EV, Selzer J, Levounis P, et al. Substance dependence and co-occurring psychiatric disorders: Best practices for diagnosis and clinical treatment. New York, NY: Civic Research Institute, 2010.
3. Levounis, P, Arnaout B. Handbook of motivation and change: A practical guide for clinicians. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.; 2010.
From “90 minutes in 90 days,” to “people, places, and things,” to “cucumbers and pickles,” Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) slogans have been influencing the public’s understanding of the addictive process for almost a century. Regrettably, these terms have, inadvertently, alienated the scientific community. The translation and subsequent use of AA slogans has been a valuable tool in engaging science experts with mutual-help fellowships such as AA.
Recent advances in the neurobiology and neurochemistry of addiction have validated several of the memorable sayings of AA.1 As a result, physicians and scientists are now more willing to explore AA’s mottos.
Here are five well-known AA slogans that we have translated into medical terms and then briefly assessed in terms of their validity and relevance in today’s treatment of alcohol addiction:
1. “90 meetings in 90 days”
TRUE! Clinically, the first three months of sobriety constitute the most severe part of prolonged withdrawal syndrome and pose the most dangerous opportunities for a relapse.
2. “Keep it simple”
NOT TRUE! Clinical research and everyday practice of addiction treatment show that combination approaches—with medications, group psychotherapy, individual psychotherapy, involvement in mutual-help groups, family therapy, primary care, and treatment of psychiatric comorbidities—typically result in better outcomes than singular approaches.2
3. “Denial is not just a river in Egypt”
NOT TRUE! Since motivational inter-viewing was introduced in the treatment of addiction, we have learned how to effectively work with patients who are in complete denial and have absolutely no interest in changing anything about their life.3
4. “Beware of people, places, and things”
TRUE! Otherwise known as “cues” in psychology literature, triggers of relapse have been implicated in both the basic understanding of the addictive process and its treatment. “Classical conditioning” and “operant conditioning” models of behavior incorporate triggers. Additionally, cognitive behavior therapy helps extensively with maintaining sobriety. Even the DSM-5 gives a nod to “people, places, and things” by introducing “cravings” as a bona fide criterion of a substance use disorder.
5. “A cucumber that has become a pickle cannot become a cucumber again”
EQUIVOCAL. It is not clear, and highly debatable, whether an alcoholic who has been sober for more than 20 years still has a heightened vulnerability to reverting to alcoholism after consumption of alcohol. What is evident is that, even if the neuroadaptations responsible for hijacking the pleasure-reward pathways of the brain one day return to a normal, pre-addiction state, this healing process takes a long time—probably measured in decades, not years.
Click here for another Pearl on alternatives to 12-step groups.
Disclosure
The authors report no financial relationships with any company whose products are mentioned in this article or with manufacturers of competing products.
From “90 minutes in 90 days,” to “people, places, and things,” to “cucumbers and pickles,” Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) slogans have been influencing the public’s understanding of the addictive process for almost a century. Regrettably, these terms have, inadvertently, alienated the scientific community. The translation and subsequent use of AA slogans has been a valuable tool in engaging science experts with mutual-help fellowships such as AA.
Recent advances in the neurobiology and neurochemistry of addiction have validated several of the memorable sayings of AA.1 As a result, physicians and scientists are now more willing to explore AA’s mottos.
Here are five well-known AA slogans that we have translated into medical terms and then briefly assessed in terms of their validity and relevance in today’s treatment of alcohol addiction:
1. “90 meetings in 90 days”
TRUE! Clinically, the first three months of sobriety constitute the most severe part of prolonged withdrawal syndrome and pose the most dangerous opportunities for a relapse.
2. “Keep it simple”
NOT TRUE! Clinical research and everyday practice of addiction treatment show that combination approaches—with medications, group psychotherapy, individual psychotherapy, involvement in mutual-help groups, family therapy, primary care, and treatment of psychiatric comorbidities—typically result in better outcomes than singular approaches.2
3. “Denial is not just a river in Egypt”
NOT TRUE! Since motivational inter-viewing was introduced in the treatment of addiction, we have learned how to effectively work with patients who are in complete denial and have absolutely no interest in changing anything about their life.3
4. “Beware of people, places, and things”
TRUE! Otherwise known as “cues” in psychology literature, triggers of relapse have been implicated in both the basic understanding of the addictive process and its treatment. “Classical conditioning” and “operant conditioning” models of behavior incorporate triggers. Additionally, cognitive behavior therapy helps extensively with maintaining sobriety. Even the DSM-5 gives a nod to “people, places, and things” by introducing “cravings” as a bona fide criterion of a substance use disorder.
5. “A cucumber that has become a pickle cannot become a cucumber again”
EQUIVOCAL. It is not clear, and highly debatable, whether an alcoholic who has been sober for more than 20 years still has a heightened vulnerability to reverting to alcoholism after consumption of alcohol. What is evident is that, even if the neuroadaptations responsible for hijacking the pleasure-reward pathways of the brain one day return to a normal, pre-addiction state, this healing process takes a long time—probably measured in decades, not years.
Click here for another Pearl on alternatives to 12-step groups.
Disclosure
The authors report no financial relationships with any company whose products are mentioned in this article or with manufacturers of competing products.
1. Volkow ND, Baler RD. Addiction science: Uncovering neurobiological complexity. Neuropharmacology. 2013; (13)217-7.
2. Nunes EV, Selzer J, Levounis P, et al. Substance dependence and co-occurring psychiatric disorders: Best practices for diagnosis and clinical treatment. New York, NY: Civic Research Institute, 2010.
3. Levounis, P, Arnaout B. Handbook of motivation and change: A practical guide for clinicians. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.; 2010.
1. Volkow ND, Baler RD. Addiction science: Uncovering neurobiological complexity. Neuropharmacology. 2013; (13)217-7.
2. Nunes EV, Selzer J, Levounis P, et al. Substance dependence and co-occurring psychiatric disorders: Best practices for diagnosis and clinical treatment. New York, NY: Civic Research Institute, 2010.
3. Levounis, P, Arnaout B. Handbook of motivation and change: A practical guide for clinicians. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.; 2010.