Peer-support
Peer-support groups are a common and effective way in which people seek help for alcohol-related problems.
Peer-support, mutual aid and self-help are all terms used to describe a process where group members all share and wish to address a common problem (eg. problems with alcohol). The groups are run by group members, not professionals. Whilst professionally run groups can be an important part of treatment for alcohol problems, they are not the same as peer-support groups. Whilst a peer-support group refers to a specific group that, for example, meets on a Monday evening in a particular venue, a peer-support organisation is the larger structure (eg. Alcoholics Anonymous).
The most well-known peer-support organisation internationally is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) which started in 1935 in the USA. AA meetings, based on a 12-step programme, can now be found in over 150 countries. Whilst 12-step peer-support groups (including AA) are the most well- known, there are other peer-support organisations that offer alternative programmes including SMART Recovery, Moderation Management, SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety) and Women in Sobriety. In addition to these large organisations, local areas often have peer-support groups that are not affiliated to any organisations and perhaps do not follow a structured programme. Many people like the structure of AA, SMART Recovery and Moderation Management whilst others find that simply getting together regularly with peers and sharing problems and experiences is preferential.
Peer-support organisations operating in England
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the largest mutual aid organisation in the world. It was founded in the US in 1935 and there are currently approximately two million members worldwide with thousands of meetings throughout England. AA regards alcoholism as an illness of which there is no cure. The illness can however be arrested by abstinence from drinking, practicing the twelve-steps and regular meeting attendance. The twelve-step programme fosters spiritual growth. However, it is not a religious organisation.
Moderation Management is a mutual aid organisation founded in 1993 in the USA and operates under the principle that problem drinking, unlike chronic alcohol dependence, is a learned behavioural habit that can be brought under control. Moderation Management believes problem drinkers should be offered a choice of behaviour change goals and members themselves can make informed choices about either moderation or abstinence.
SMART Recovery was established in 1994 in the USA and views excessive use of alcohol and other drugs as a maladaptive behaviour rather than a disease. Its goal is to use cognitive-behavioural techniques based around four steps - building motivation, coping with urges, problem solving and lifestyle balance. A goal of the SMART Recovery programme is abstinence.