A new research study suggests that attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings increases spirituality. This, in turn, may help those attending Alcoholics Anonymous increase their spirituality in their daily lives.
The new study is published online and in the March of 2011 print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The study included more than 1500 alcoholics and followed them through their recovery for a 15 month period. The researchers discovered a strong connection between frequent attendance of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, increased spirituality and the decreased frequency and
intensity of alcohol use.
"I've heard it said that AA is too spiritual, and I've also heart it said that AA is not spiritual enough for some people," said lead author of the study John F. Kelly. Kelly is an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the associate director of the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The study found that while spirituality may be an important component of
recovery from addiction, it is not completely understood how it may compliment or compete with other methods of
recovery from addiction.
"We have also found that AA participation leads to recovery by helping members change their social network and by enhancing individuals' recovery coping skills, motivation for continued abstinence, and by reducing depression and increasing psychological well-being."
