Social Work Commons^™

Exploring Recovery Experiences Of Women In Alcoholics Anonymous, Linda Myllmaki

Undergraduate Review

Twelve step recovery programs are prevalent in the United States, however, there is relatively little empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of these programs for female alcoholics or addicts. How women experience the process of recovery within the twelve-step model is critical to our overall understanding of the recovery process. This article reports the results of an exploratory qualitative study of women in Alcoholics Anonymous. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, nine women were asked to discuss their personal experiences of recovery in the AA program. Grounded theory methodology was utilized to analyze the data. Reasons for joining AA, meeting attendance, …