ABSTRACT
There can be no doubt that the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) mutual aid group movement is one of the most significant social phenomena of the twentieth century (Bradshaw, 1988). With group meetings in every city in North America and an equally astounding number of meetings throughout the world, AA has earned the attention and respect of everyone involved in health services. For many, AA has come to represent the prototype of what a mutual aid group should be; its format and organization typify simplicity, economy, and centrality of purpose. AA has spawned a host of similarly formatted groups that identify with compulsive/addictive behaviors other than alcoholism; for example, NA, CA, GA, OA, and SA, which are groups for those struggling with the overuse or abuse of narcotics, cocaine, gambling, eating, and sex.
