The sober truth : debunking the bad science behind 12-step programs and the rehab industry / Lance Dodes, MD and Zachary Dodes.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 161-170) and index.

The problem -- The rise of AA -- Does AA work? -- The business of rehab and the broken promise of "AA-plus" -- So, what does work to treat addiction? -- What the addicts say -- Why does AA work when it does? -- The myths of addiction -- The failure of addiction research, and designing the perfect study.

Alcoholics Anonymous has become so infused in our society that it is practically synonymous with addiction recovery. Yet the evidence shows that AA has only a 5-10% success rate -- hardly better than no treatment at all. Despite this, doctors, employers, and judges regularly refer addicted people to treatment programs and rehab facilities based on the 12-step model. Addiction specialist Dr. Lance Dodes exposes the flawed science that the 12-step industry has used to support its programs. Dr. Dodes analyzes dozens of studies to reveal a pattern of errors, misjudgments, and biases. He also pores over the research to highlight the best peer-reviewed studies available and discovers that they reach a grim consensus on the program's overall success. But this is more than a book about addiction. It is also a book about science and how and why AA and rehab became so popular, despite the discouraging data. Dr. Dodes explores the entire story of AA's rise, from its origins in early fundamentalist religious and mystical beliefs to its present-day place of privilege in politics and media. The account includes true stories from Dr. Dodes's thirty-five years of clinical practice, as well as firsthand accounts submitted by addicts through an open invitation on the Psychology Today website.