Deck 35: Support Groups to Promote and Sustain Recovery

Question 1

One factor that seems to predict a successful outcome from participation in Alcoholics Anonymous is

A)the group leader taking responsibility for identifying group members who require special assistance when they are in danger of relapsing.
B)maintaining an exclusive focus on material in the Big Book and not discussing personal problems.
C)the open discussion of group meetings with coworkers, etc.
D)active participation in meetings.

Answer 1

active participation in meetings.

Question 2

For many years, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) had been described as having

A)a near-exclusive dominance in the addictions field.
B)virtually no detractors in the general, medical, or mental health care populations.
C)absolutely no use other than the illusion of recovery.
D)the most research support of any treatment approach.

Answer 2

a near-exclusive dominance in the addictions field.

Question 3

The Secular Organization for Sobriety holds that each of the following is true, EXCEPT that

A)it is possible for many people to learn to be social drinkers again.
B)the physiological need for a chemical is brought about by tolerance.
C)chemical use is a learned coping habit.
D)SUDs rest on the denial of use as a learned habit and tolerance causing cravings.

Answer 3

it is possible for many people to learn to be social drinkers again.

Question 4

One of the challenges to the traditional 12-step program holds that

A)these programs place too much emphasis on the individual's psychosocial growth.
B)the Big Book repeatedly references people who have "recovered" from alcohol dependence, in spite of what group members often say.
C)making a lifelong commitment to 12-step involvement is appropriate for all recovering persons.
D)its emphasis on anonymity is appropriate but too strongly enforced.

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true in regard to the first 3 years of AA's founding?

A)There were so many success stories from members that the movement exploded onto the therapeutic scene.
B)It was widely embraced by therapists, but success stories could not be made public because of the emphasis on anonymity.
C)There were only a few success stories.
D)Physicians rushed to refer their alcohol-dependent patients to the new movement.

Question 6

The Rational Recovery movement

A)draws heavily on psychoanalytic theory in its attempt to assist the person.
B)draws heavily on family systems theory in its attempt to assist the member.
C)draws heavily upon the cognitive-behavioral schools of therapy.
D)works toward helping the individual learn to control his or her drinking.

Question 7

The research pool addressing Alcoholics Anonymous and its success

A)consistently supports the claim that it is effective.
B)is rather limited.
C)is based on mandatory participation in research studies.
D)suggests that those ordered to attend by the courts tend to take longer to benefit from the group than voluntary members.

Question 8

Kaskutas and colleagues (2005) found that in the first year of participation in AA,

A)there was an inverse relationship between the number of meetings attended and the length of abstinence.
B)there was no relationship between the number of meetings attended and the length of the person's abstinence.
C)those who attended more meetings were more likely to abstain.
D)there was a positive correlation between financial contributions and abstinence.

Question 9

One core belief of Alcoholics Anonymous is that

A)the individual is hopelessly addicted to alcohol.
B)the person is powerless over alcohol.
C)the person's perception of his or her substance use is more accurate than others'.
D)members do not make attending meetings an important goal in their first year of recovery.

Question 10

Which of the following is true of Shirley Kishline, the person who founded Moderation Management?

A)She killed two people in an alcohol-related accident prior to starting MM.
B)She killed two people in an alcohol-related accident after founding MM.
C)She now advocates a computer-based treatment process.
D)She suggested that involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous was useless.

Question 11

The Alcoholics Anonymous program is based on the premise that

A)spiritual growth is an important part of substance misuse recovery.
B)once the person is abstinent, it is necessary to identify the cause of the person's alcoholism.
C)alcoholics as a group tend to be focused on pleasing others too much.
D)it is a time-limited program, and the individual should expect to outgrow the need to attend the group meetings.

Question 12

At the "open" meeting,

A)the individual is encouraged to discuss his or her progress in the 12-step program.
B)one or two volunteers will speak about the program, and visitors are encouraged to ask questions.
C)each group member is expected to stand up and confess his or her shortcomings.
D)a designated topic is discussed in detail, with members joining the discussion as they desire.

Question 13

McPherson et al.(2009) have described Alcoholics Anonymous as

A)being over-rated in its effectiveness and without any supportive empirical data.
B)an essential element in recovery.
C)a program that causes many people to reject it because of the length of time it would take to work through all 12 steps.
D)a form of mind control that is tantamount to cult-like groups.

Question 14

What percentage of those who join AA will abstain from alcohol for the rest of their lives?

A)20%
B)5%
C)75%
D)50%

Question 15

What percent of substance abuse rehabilitation programs utilize some kind of 12-step group model similar to AA?

A)Around 95%
B)Less than 50%
C)About 10%
D)33%

Question 16

Narcotics Anonymous

A)provides exactly the same program as Alcoholics Anonymous.
B)differs from Alcoholics Anonymous only with regard to its use of the all-inclusive term, "addict."
C)is a subgroup of Alcoholics Anonymous that reports to the same home office.
D)does not place the same message on "carrying the message" to those who still are addicted as does Alcoholics Anonymous.

Question 17

The court system in various states has ruled that

A)there is no violation of the person's religious freedom since 12-step groups do not mention a God by name.
B)one cannot be compelled to attend AA without also being given a secular option as well.
C)the ends justify the means, and if there is a violation of the individual's rights, they are outweighed by the benefits to the individual and society by the person's recovery from alcohol and drugs.
D)as long as there is appropriate emphasis on anonymity, there is no problem.

Question 18

Which program rejects the 12-step style, instead maintaining there are multiple paths to recovery?

A)AA
B)LifeRing
C)Faith-based recovery
D)Women for Sobriety (WFS)

Question 19

The financial contribution of each member of Alcoholics Anonymous

A)cannot exceed $1,000 per year.
B)is established on the basis of his or her annual income.
C)is small compared with the contributions from local businesses.
D)should be zero, as AA is and always has been entirely grant-funded.

Question 20

A significant premise of Alcoholics Anonymous is that

A)there is only one "Higher Power."
B)once you have finished step 5, you no longer have to examine your personal failings.
C)for the person with an alcohol use disorder, alcohol has become his or her "Higher Power."
D)the stress of modern living contributes to feelings of inadequacy on the part of the individual, who then turns to alcohol.

Question 21

One of the three factors that have been found to determine the success of AA is the frequency with which the individual attends meetings.

Question 22

Steps 4-9 of the AA 12-step program have been identified as a series of change-oriented procedures.

Question 23

It has been estimated that 20 million people in the United States alone attend a self-help group because of alcohol or drug-use disorders at least once each year.

Question 24

Describe the relationship between Alcoholics Anonymous and religion.

Question 25

Discuss some of the outcomes of studies evaluating the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Question 26

Discuss some of the criticisms and challenges to the traditional 12-step movement.

Question 27

Despite its status as an "Anonymous" organization, Alcoholics Anonymous has a board of directors, a national president who speaks for the organization, and is established as a "501.(c) (3) Not-for-Profit" organization in the United States.

Question 28

AA members are limited to donating no more than $500 to the organization annually.

Question 29

What are the four central goals for adults with SUDs according to the Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) program?

Question 30

List and describe three support groups that are not 12-step groups and discuss their primary difference from the 12- step model.