The Science Behind the Big Book

While the Big Book (and the Twelve and Twelve) is predominately a spiritual book of tools and ideas (primarily the Twelve Steps), it does touch on science - particularly within "The Doctor's Opinion." However, although science and the medical community are touched upon throughout both volumes at various times - it is not the primary purpose of the book. This page contains scientific research that corroborates statements and observations in the Big Book - ones that had not been discovered in any evidence-based study when the book was written, but over time became clear that Alcoholics Anonymous appears to have contained astute observations that science eventually caught up with.

Some examples are: alcoholism can go faster in women (Alcoholics Anonymous p. 33), that spirituality can quell addiction (throughout the book - see the study below about spirituality/religion taking place in the same part of the brain as addiction) among many others. I have also included new study results showing the incredible efficacy and positive outcomes of the program offered by way of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Women and Gender Issues

A study has revealed why women are more prone to binge drinking. (Women's Day coverage - 3 June 2020) Journalistic coverage of a study led by a psychiatrist at the University of Illinois citing affects of estrogen levels in women with respect to alcoholism, as well as potential medical treatment implications.
Physical consequences of alcoholism appear faster and are more severe for women than for men. (Scientific American)
Why alcohol affects women more than men. (BBC coverage).
Sex Difference in Alcoholism: Who is at a Greater Risk for Development of Alcoholic Complication? (U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine) - Includes the double-stigma and harsher consequences for women (due to societal expectations) - at least in perception - among other observations.
Are Women More Vulnerable to Alcohol's Effects? (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
Alcohol Consumption Among Women Is on the Rise. (WebMD coverage of several cited studies).

Spirituality/Religion and Addiction Correlation (in the brain):

Religion can have same effect on the brain as taking drugs, study finds. (The Independent).
Believing in God can trigger the same reward regions of the brain as taking drugs. (Wired).
Religious thoughts trigger reward systems like love, drugs. (CNN).
Reward, salience, and attentional networks are activated by religious experience in devout Mormons. (Journal of Social Neuroscience). This is the study some of the coverage above is based on, see coverage for a laymen's explanation)

Shame is the Biggest Precipitator of Relapse:

Shame About Past Alcoholism Predicts Relapse and Declining Health in Recovering Alcoholics. (Association for Psychological Science).
Shame about past alcoholism predicts relapse and declining health in recovering alcoholics. (Science Daily). Laymen coverage of the above study.
Study Finds Shaming an Alcoholic Is the Worst Thing You Can Do. (Promises Behavioral Health).
Alcoholism and Shame: The need for pride in recovery. (Psychology Today).
Breaking Down Barriers: Understanding How Stigma Affects the Recovery Process. (Waypoint). Good coverage of how this may happen, and how to flip it.
Flip side sites:
- Stop the Stigma. "Tackling the stigma of addiction through education" - founded by the daughter (among other family members) of the late musician Chris Cornell.
- Faces and Voices of Recovery. (The National Recovery Institute).
- Recovery Pride. (Unknown).
- Smashing the Stigma of Addiction. (Hazelden).

The Efficacy of A.A.:

Alcoholics Anonymous vs. Other Approaches: The Evidence Is Now In (New York Times coverage).
Alcoholics Anonymous most effective path to alcohol abstinence. (Stanford).
Alcoholics Anonymous Is Most Effective Treatment for Addiction, Researchers Say. (Healthline coverage).
Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12‐step programs for alcohol use disorder. (The actual study most recent coverage is based on - see journalistic coverage to better understand the raw data).
Secret of AA: After 75 Years, We Don't Know How It Works. (Wired) Journalistic coverage of a variety of studies observing reduced synaptic plasticity (exactly why our behavior was insane), is effective at treating PTSD (though by no meant to replace professional medical help), as well as evidence that one's level of involvement in A.A. is correlated with one's success with the program. It also touches on other tenets of the program and is an objective (though respectful) evaluation of A.A. Mercifully, the low overall effectiveness of A.A. as reported by a study at the time of this 2010 article have been trumped by new data, and is an excellent read on other less-discussed issues.