Whenever you look at any sort of statistical data, there are usually certain parameters established that help you read and attain knowledge from the finding. Discerning the success and failure rates of Alcoholics Anonymous gets a bit problematic, due to the anonymous nature of the program, the number of meetings available on a given night for people to attend, the actual application of the process and the personal emphasis of the individual.
Significance
The rate of success for people involved in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is actually rather difficult to define, and is quite often up to debate. Results vary rather greatly from study to study, making it virtually impossible to arrive at a definitive number. When AA was being established, it is believed the average success rate was anywhere between 75 and 93 percent--a huge number for any sort of treatment methodology. Today, these numbers are much, much lower, ranging anywhere from a high of 35 percent to a low of 1 percent, depending on the source material.
Identification
If you were to look at the numbers provided by the Betty Ford Center, you'd find that 35 percent of people involved in Alcoholics Anonymous achieve sobriety for more than 5 years. Another 34 percent see their sobriety last anywhere from 1 to 5 years, and even less remain sober for under a year, rounding out the total at 31 percent. These numbers demonstrate that a 12-step program like AA is "successful" for 1/3 of those individuals involved in the organization.
Considerations
Another study, this one from an independent governmental agency, asserts that only 5 percent of people involved in AA actually find success ("success" being defined as staying in the program). The inherent problem with this study is that it doesn't necessarily track a certain individual's movements, meaning she may have left AA yet found support elsewhere. That being said, of alcoholics, 90 percent will experience a relapse in drinking within the first 4 years of a treatment program.
Function
With all of these different numbers flying around, it's hard to set a percentage of people who need to achieve sobriety for a certain number of years to make the program successful. Currently, 50 percent of people involved with a 12-step program (which includes AA) will relapse (use again) within the first few months of the program. Does this number make AA a failure? Not necessarily, because most statistical data revolving treatment does not differentiate between those people who apply and use the steps of the program from those who simply attend the meetings.
Expert Insight
No matter who you talk to, the one thing most experts will agree on is that alcoholism can never be cured. It is a disease that must be continually treated to keep a person from drinking again. This treatment program will vary from person to person, yet should be practiced to find success.
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