Criticisms of Alcoholics Anonymous

When doing NLP work with people who have substance-abuse issues, particularly alcohol, there is almost invariably a mention of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). There is no doubt that AA has helped a lot of people, but it is not without its critics. One such article at http://www.orange-papers.org/ does raise some interesting points and potential problems with AA. However, while I recommend this article, I do find that it is a little overly critical and unbalanced – please keep that in mind as you read!
For a slightly more balanced critique of Alcoholic Anonymous and some interesting insights into other treatments for addiction, have a look at Richard Bolstad’s article.
In another post, I have described the Brooklyn Program and the freely downloadable manual is a great resource for an NLP-based approach to addictions.
All of the above is not intended to be a criticism of AA, just information about the wider range of possibilities available for people with issues with alcohol or other substance abuse.