Maybe you shouldn't try Alcoholics Anonymous

AA is the name that comes readily to mind when you think of help for an alcoholic. But there are other sources and they may be better for a particular alcoholic, says Gabrielle Glaser in The Atlantic. The fact that there are alternatives - such as prescription drugs and therapies that aim to help patients learn to drink in moderation - may be news to you and me. But, as Glaser points out, Alcoholics Anonymous came into being in 1935 and the scientific world has changed. Now, there are methods based on modern science and proven, in randomized, controlled studies, to work. There is hardly any scientific evidence validating AA's reputation. AA's 12-step approach does not rely on modern science: not the character building, not the tough love, not even the standard 28-day rehab stay.

Part of the problem is an extension of AA's program from its original 'market' - chronic, severe drinkers who may be powerless over alcohol - to a much broader market. Today's scientific world knows that there are different types of people with alcohol problems. At least one comprehensive analysis of treatments for alcoholism ranked AA 38th out of 48 methods. The analysis concluded that the best approach consisted of: brief interventions by a medical professional; motivational enhancement, a form of counseling that aims to help people see the need to change; and acamprosate or a similar drug, a drug that eases cravings.