In: Psychology
Does Alcoholics Anonymous work because it's a form of cognitive behavioral therapy?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an interactive group which uses a 12-step program that shares many similarities with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Yes, we can say that AA works because it is a form of CBT. The central belief of CBT is that an individual's thought and action can affect their behavior at an emotional level. Every individual holds this power within himself/herself and this power can help overcome addictions and other mental problems. Their advice sometimes closely mirrors this belief of CBT. So, we can say that AA uses the same form of thought and belief to help their clients. They also use the methods of corrective thinking and action which are other two cornerstones of CBT. These methods help in creating self-awareness while engaging in self-monitoring, overcoming fears, take responsibility for one's own actions, and change course of their life. So, basically AA might owe its success to the parts of program that can be attributed to having similar facets to that of CBT.