There is also a lot of conflicting research on the efficacy of AA & NA. While these programs saved my life, some research suggests that their success rate is much lower than previously thought & rather, it is AA/NA's dominance, & the paucity of other available treatment options that leads to its perceived efficacy.

Something else about these programs is their tautological approach. If AA works for you, you're an alcoholic, if it doesn't, it is either because you didn't work the program or because you could actually "drink like a gentleman," aka you weren't an alcoholic in the first place.

What this does is taint the sample such that only those who find success in AA are counted, whereas those that don't are dismissed as not qualifying for the program. It makes it hard to get accurate statistics on how successful AA is compared to other treatment options.