January 1963

in Mental Hygiene, is baffled by the liation. The absence of a close friend inability of some to join: “With all or relative who had quit drinking by the advantages AA offers, one can- his own will power was decidedly not resist speculating on what char- influential. The nonaffiliates had a acterizes those potential recruits who significantly larger number of assoare unable to profit from member- ciations with esteemed friends or ship,” but offers no explanation. relatives who, they thought, had In the light of this meager litera- stopped using alcohol by individual ture regarding affiliation, a series of volition. Thus, they had a “will exploratory interviews with both af- power model” in their immediate asfiliates and nonaffiliates was under- sociational experience that competed taken by this writer. strongly with AA. As one nonaffiliate From three groups in Madison, put it, “One of these days I’ll do Milwaukee and Janesville, Wis., a like my old uncle. One day he threw Why Don’t They Join AA? total of 111 members cooperated. his bottle down on the floor and Informal discussions with group sec- swore never to touch another drop, by Dr. Harrison M.Trice retaries indicated that approximately and he didn’t.” The fact that his 6 out of 10 members in the coop- “old uncle” may not have been an “Why do so many sick ulcoholics uvoid the therupy thrrt might help thein? Wlrat car; crating groups responded. alcoholic, or may never really have he done to make them more receptive?” These qrtestions, usked wherever drinkitrg is Certain experiences before going stopped drinking, is beside the point. o problern, are taken rip by Hurrison M. Trice, Ph.D., ~vlrois Assistunt Profr.ssor of to any meetings at all discriminated The nonaffiliate is convinced his Indrr.strid und Lohor Relutions i t / C o r t r d Utrivrrsity c r d U I I A . A . Trrtstrr. significantly between affiliates and model did stop by his own will power. nonaffiliates. Most prominent of Thus when he comes to AA meetings OR more than twenty-five years looked, namely, the alcoholic who is F Alcoholics Anonymous has grown and spread on the American exposed to affiliation with this group but who, for some reason, “doesn’t these is self-conception as a person he says to himself, “This stuff is all who could share basic emotional re- right, but why should I get mixed up actions with others. in something that tells me to give up? scene. Rarely are treatment activities take to it.” In contrast, nonaffiliates did not One of these days I’ll stop by myself described without a prominent place Usually it is maintained that some perceive themselves as persons who like old Uncle Joe.” It must be born being accorded to “AA.” It has been problem drinkers are “ready” to join readily shared emotional reactions in mind, too, that this reaction is eulogized and analyzed, but seldom while others are not. This immedi- with others. It is interesting to note highly approved by our society, have its “negative instances” been ately raises the question, what con- that very little discrimination be- which places a high premium on inscrutinized. Emphasis has been stitutes “readiness?” tween the two groups existed con- dividualism, on independent action, placed on what happens after an in- The available literature indicates cerning the self-label “alcoholic.” on “standing on your own two feet.” dividual affiliates with it. Only in- a mild awareness of the problem of Apparently many nonaffiliates as A second experience that differenfrequently has attention been given nonaffiliation, accompanied by inci- well as affiliates applied this term tiated between affiliates and nonto the question of how affiliation dental hunches as to its explanation. to themselves before ever going to affiliates is the fact that the former came about in the first place. In the Bill W., one of the co-founders, states an AA meeting. had, before going to any meetings at flush of favorable publicity and wide- that the majority of nonaffiliates Among the various associational all, already lost their drinking spread recognition, one factor in this “have powerful rationalizations to be experiences recounted by the subjects friends, while the latter had not. This ‘ “group therapy” has been over- broken down.” R. Wilson, writing- in the exploratory interviews, three suggests that the affiliates came from F~OIII rhc Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcoholism seem to be highly conductive of affi- a background in which “symptoms”

of alcoholism are readily stigmatized that cantained accurate descriptions tivities before and after meetings. The affiliates were able to accept while the. nonaffiliates came from so- of what AA meetings are actually This made it, compared with non- the spiritual ideas in AA more readily cial situations in which these mani- like, while nonaffiliates had confused affiliates, easy to give up their drink- than nonaffiliates, although the diffestations are more readily accepted expectations; often, in exploratory ing friends. The therapy of AA is ference was not as great as might as “normal.” interviews, they spoke of expecting thus revealed as one of informal, have been expected. If, before going to any meetings a similarity to church, expecting more spontaneous groupings, centering It seems reasonable for treatment at all, an alcoholic had been exposed ceremony, more speechmaking, more around a formal base. agencies to develop pre-AA group to favorable descriptions of the sin- prayer. Two aspects of family life tended therapy aimed at reducing the barcerity of members, his chances of At this time, affiliates experienced to influence affiliations: the wife and riers. blood relatives. In the case of affili- Specific suggestions to AA groups ates, the wife (or girl friend) tended can also be derived from the findings. TIPS FROM TRICE How To Keep Your Newcomers: to go to meetings and support what The value of sponsorship coupled 1. Be a greeter: introduce yourself, smile, shake hands. she saw and heard. Nonaffiliates with a positive approach toward 2. Take the newcomer around. were not so fortunate. Often their newcomers seems apparent. Specific 3. Involve him in conversational groups b e f e e and after the wives presented them with a hard efforts aimed at including him in the meeting. choice: drink with the woman you small, informal groupings before 4. Dispel rumors about AA by giving facts on what groups do and after meetings seem to be espeand don’t do. love or abstain with a relatively 5. Keep sober! A good example is the most powerful therapy. strange group. cially important.

affiliation were increased signifi- a closeness of contact with the recantly. Apparently those AA mem- ceiving group that stood in marked bers who quietly and without fanfare contrast to the experience of the nonlive up to the principles of the group affiliates. Not only were the affiliates create impressions that become a sponsored, while the nonaffiliates part of favorable “hearsay.” This, in tended not to be, but the receiving turn, was often the precipitating fac- group stayed in closer over-all contor that helped a nonmember be- tact with them. In other words, the come a member once he tried to “get entire group, or at least large segon the program.” On the other side ments of it, were involved in receivof the coin, nonaffiliates had been ing the newcomer. exposed to an excess of hearsay con- Coupled with this was an inclinatacts that defined members as “going tion to affiliate that apparently arose to meetings and drinking on the side. from a conviction that life without AT THE TIME of first contact the alcohol could be more satisfactory probability of affiliation is further than life with it. increased if there is present in the The affiliation process moves toexpectations of the alcoholic an ac- ward completion in the experiences curate conception of what will take and attitudes that develop after atplace at meetings. In significantly tending meetings for a few weeks. greater proportion, affiliates came Affiliates, in impressive numbers, from a system of communications were attracted to the informal ac-