Brian watched Lindsay walk, head held high, but with her body stiff as a board, toward the front of the restaurant. She didn't look back at him, just spoke to the Maitre D as he handed her the wrapped food. Returning to his lunch, he put each bite in his mouth, savoring the mix of ginger and spices. He'd never been an overeater, especially since the food at home was never particularly appealing, often being typical Irish food, bland. His mother often couldn't be bothered with cooking as she was too drunk or at church praying for the redemption of her soul. Therefore, Brian and his sister, had often scrounged for dinner, opting for peanut butter sandwiches or a can of soup. At least his mother did go to the grocery to fill up on those easily prepared staples.
Before he stopped drinking, food had been something he consumed. He was more concerned with the impact it had on his waistline rather than the cuisine. He had noticed about a month into his journey that he actually appreciated the taste of food, often being surprised by the rich array of spices and seasonings that were available. He remembered the first time he ate at Debbie's house, the smell of true Italian cooking wafting through her home when he walked in the door always gave him a feeling of warmth. He'd associated Italian spices with Debbie since the first time he had eaten at the Novotny's home. Gus and Emmett's pizza extravaganza last weekend reminded him of his teenage years at Deb's, as well as, the familiar Italian spices wafted through his loft. Smiling fondly as he pictured Gus' enthusiasm, while he helped Emmett prepare the pizza. He'd thought that cooking might be something he'd like to pursue, especially now that he realized that food could be enjoyable. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go down that road, having heard of many people who stopped drinking, only to gain a lot of weight. He'd read in the literature as well as overheard a few participants discuss that topic before AA meetings. Alcoholics often missed meals or forgot to eat when they were drinking, substituting their calories with alcohol instead of food. While alcohol had calories, it was often less than a person would consume if they were eating. Either way, he wasn't ready to invest in an array of spices, seasonings and cooking lessons. His evenings were taken up by his meetings and now his weekends would be busy with Gus.
As he finished his meal, he signaled for the check. While waiting for the waiter, he allowed himself to review his short conversation with Lindsay. While it had not gone like he anticipated, he was pleased that he remained calm and told Lindsay how things were going to be. He had no doubt that the discussion was far from over and that there would be lots of tears, shouts and threats directed at him, but he was expecting no less. He had essentially closed the barn door on the "Bank of Brian" while at the same time telling Lindsay that she really had no recourse and could no longer use Gus as a pawn to get what she wanted from him. He felt proud of himself, advocating for what he wanted versus what someone wanted or expected from him. He was continuing his journey to be proactive in his life, versus reactive. He was excited to tell Justin about his success. Starting to take out his phone, he smiled at his actions. He'd never had anyone that he wanted to share with, and realized that he liked having someone who was interested in something besides his money.
After paying his bill, he returned to the office where he met Ted in the hallway.
Ted glanced at his watch, a Rolex that he'd purchased with his bonus check he received a few years ago. As he lifted his eyebrows and slightly tilted his head, he walked to his office and Brian followed, recognizing the invitation. Ted waved his arm toward his client chair and walked behind his desk to take a seat in the large executive chair.
"She didn't know anything when we got to the restaurant, but now she knows the "Bank of Brian" is closed and I'm an alcoholic," Brian said, no inflection in his voice as if he were reviewing the third quarter profits for the business.
Ted debated how he wanted to respond. He could ask how Brian felt about the meeting or he could wait for Brian to talk. He could ask for directions from Brian regarding any communication from Lindsay or he could interpret Brian's actions as he thought Brian would. He could also choose to discuss information pertinent to Kinnetik, basically ignoring Brian's current concerns. Before he had a chance to choose an option, Brian spoke.
"You should have seen her, ordering a glass of wine and going on and on about how she doesn't get to eat at such nice places as they aren't family friendly and very expensive. She then started on how she was so happy that I was spending time with Gus, building our relationship." Brian looked at the credenza in Ted's office, noticing a Keruig with a small tree of coffee pods. Standing up, he walked to the credenza and perused the pods, picking out a dark roast. After putting the pod in the top, he poured water in the top and placed a mug underneath. While it was brewing, he turned to Ted, "That's when I informed her that I didn't do anything that I didn't want to do and that I didn't want to give her money any more." His coffee stopped brewing and he took the mug out. Brian picked up 3 of the sugar packets Ted kept in a small container next to the Keurig and prepared his coffee, returning to his seat.
"It was actually amusing to watch her scramble as she tried to convince me that 10-year-old boys need things constantly and that I'd be at the store all the time. It was obvious to me that she already knew that if I did all the shopping and paid for all of Gus's school activities that she'd be out a lot of cash. As you and I discussed earlier, I'd written out checks for over $3000 for Gus in the last six months and that didn't include the money I'd spent directly on him."
"I assume that you told her this first, before you told her about the sobriety?" Ted asked. He was very pleased that Brian was confiding in him. He owed Brian a huge debt when he'd given him a chance after his own involvement with Crystal. He understood this conversation was so much more than Brian sharing information about his finances. As his accountant, he knew that Brian had more than sufficient income to continue to support Gus in the way Lindsay was used to. This conversation was about taking control of his life, making decisions that were right for him. It was a part of his recovery. Ted was elated Brian wanted to include him on such an integral level of his recovery.
"Yes. I informed her that I would have plenty of time to take Gus shopping since I would be spending every weekend with him. Of course, she told me that couldn't possibly work since I would miss Woody's and Babylon. That's when I told her that I hadn't been going due to being an alcoholic. And true to form, she informed me that it wasn't safe for me to have Gus if I was an alcoholic and she started to get up from the table. Of course, she protested, but when I told her that I had seen a lawyer, I could actually see the wheels turning in her head." Brian drank some of his coffee, the drink having cooled down from the brewing process. He compared it to the coffee at the various places he and Justin had been going to after their meetings, deciding that the diners Justin and he frequented served a better brew.
"Originally, I told her to eat her lunch, but then decided that I wanted to enjoy my lunch and I had accomplished my goals. I called the waiter over and informed him that Lindsay wasn't feeling well and to wrap up her food and call her a cab. She wasn't going to create a scene in the restaurant as I'm sure she was fearful that it would get back to the "important people". She is so transparent. I almost feel sorry for her. I'm done with her manipulations and fantasies. She is the mother of my child so I have to keep a relationship with her, but I will no longer allow her to control the number and types of interactions I have with him. The lawyer has already filed the DNA information with the courts. If she fights, she will lose. Gus was the impetus for my sobriety, I'm not forgetting his role in changing my life."
"Unfortunately, she reacted exactly as you had anticipated. I'm glad you decided to contact a lawyer before you told her. Do you think she will fight you?"
"I'm sure she is on her way to the "she wolf's" office as we speak. I would expect my phone to start ringing soon. The "she wolf" will most likely be angry and tell me I can't have Gus while Lindsay will try to appeal to my vanity, telling me that my time at the gym would be impacted if I had Gus. I can almost hear the conversations in my head. She is quite predictable." Brian finished his cup of coffee, placing it on the stone coaster on the small table that was between the two office chairs. "While I had practiced how I wanted to tell Lindsay numerous times, I hadn't decided the exact conversation. In the end, I stated my decisions with no room for compromise. Lindsay is used to getting her way, but when it was obvious that I was not open to her suggestions, she balked. Of course, I have no intention of listening to any messages at this time. My phone is on silent and I will instruct Cynthia to take a message if either of them call." Brian looked at the large clock with Roman Numerals on the wall, realizing he'd taken enough time with the situation.
"I have work to finish before I leave for my meeting tonight. Thanks for asking how the lunch went," Brian said as he stood up, walking to the side of Ted's desk to give him a hand shake. "I appreciate that."
"Any time," Ted said as he shook Brian's hand and walked with him to the door. "Let me know if you need anything."
Brian walked toward his office, realizing that Ted's words were said with genuine feeling. It was odd to think that he had friends who actually cared about what happened in his life.
Returning to his office, he checked his phone, guaranteeing it that it was on silent. Opening up the file he was working on this morning, he read through the information, making necessary changes. He continued working until the alarm on his phone went off, notifying him that it was time to leave so he could get to his AA meeting on time. He saved his work, grabbed his briefcase, and left the building.
As he drove to the meeting, he found he was excited to talk to Justin. He parked the car, walked into the meeting, and located Justin at the proverbial coffee table. Justin smiled when he saw Brian which made Brian smile in return. He realized that Justin was happy to see him.
"I see you made it through the day. How'd it go?" Justin asked.
"I listened to the messages like you suggested. Most were from Mikey as I suspected. One was from Deb chastising me for not telling her but saying she was happy for me. And then there was one from Lindsay verifying my weekend plans for Gus," Brian said.
"Pretty much what you thought," Justin said. He grabbed the styrofoam cup of mediocre coffee and walked to a corner of the room.
Brian followed him. "I invited Lindsay to lunch. Since she still appeared to be far enough removed from the gay grapevine, I decided I needed to tell her before she heard it from someone else."
"How'd that go?" Justin was eager to hear the answer, concerned how Brian would handle the confrontation.
"The food was delicious, although I'm sure that Lindsay didn't enjoy her's," Brian said, tongue in cheek, smiling at the vision of Lindsay being handed her food by the Maitre D. "I had rehearsed the conversation in my head so many times that I'm not sure what the final version of the conversation actually was supposed to look like. Regardless of the actual words I used, she reacted exactly how I expected. Indignant. Denying that I was an alcoholic and then telling me I couldn't be with Gus as it wasn't safe."
"You seem to know her well," Justin said.
Brian pulled out his phone, scrolling to the missed call section. "And true to form, I have 8 messages from her, 2 from her "she-wolf' and another 5 from Mikey. There is one from Debbie and another one from Ted, I'm not changing my mind about any of my decisions and no phone call, tears, or threats are going to impact me moving forward."
"Good for you. I'm proud of you," Justin said as he reached over to give Brian a hug as he carefully balanced his half full cup of coffee.
Brian found himself accepting the hug without feeling awkward. He wasn't used to physical contact except in the context of sex. He heard the leader calling for the meeting to start. "I guess we better join the group," he said as he walked toward the small circle of chairs.
As usual, Brian and Justin found two chairs next to each other. Today the leader of the group was a woman and everyone turned toward her as she spoke.
"Hi, I'm Katherine and I'll be your leader tonight. Good evening and welcome. If anyone is new to sobriety, there is a new comer group next door in room 5 but everyone is welcome to stay," she said as she looked at the ten people sitting in a small circle. When no one moved, she continued. "Tonight we are going to talk about Finding Freedom through Sobriety. When I was drinking, alcohol controlled my life. My thoughts were about my next drink or when I could leave my current activity so I could drink. Being sober for three years has helped me realize that alcohol controlled me more than I ever imagined."
A man with slightly graying hair at his temples who sat next to Brian spoke. "I'm Sam and I've been sober for 8 months. I always thought that I controlled my drinking. You know, I can stop when I want to, but now that I've been sober for awhile, I realize it was the other way around. The alcohol controlled me."
Several members of the group nodded in agreement. "Hi, I'm Clarissa and I've been sober for over 2 years. I know exactly what you mean, Sam. At first, I thought that I was the one in control. I had the choice to buy the alcohol, drink the alcohol, but then I realized that the addiction controlled me. My body craved the dull sensation that alcohol allowed me to enjoy. I didn't have to feel any disappointment. I didn't have to judge my interactions with others or lack of interactions. All I had to do was get the alcohol. Now that I'm sober, I realize that I allowed the alcohol to be my shield. If I was drinking I didn't have to confront my fears and self loathing. Now, I can engage in life, not hiding behind my fears."
The group of people listened to each speaker, allowing each person to share their thoughts and feelings. One thing that Brian had learned was that everyone wanted to help one another. They came for themselves but also for others. He remembered feeling skeptical when Justin had offered to be his sponsor and help him with this sobriety. No one had ever offered to help him with anything without some ulterior motive. But here was this man who volunteered to guide him in his journey of sobriety. Brian was thankful that Justin had offered that night. He didn't want to think what might have happened if no one had stepped up or the person who stepped up had a different agenda.
Brian said, "I've been sober for two months and I'm beginning to realize all the things in life that I've been missing. I didn't really think about alcohol controlling me or me controlling it. I never really had the thought that I could stop any time, because I didn't think I had a problem so I didn't need to stop. But now that I'm sober, I finally realize how my drinking was impacting my life. I was going through the motions rather than living."
Katherine said, "Sounds like you've started making some changes in your life." She looked at Brian and smiled.
Brian said, "Yes."
"I want to thank everyone for sharing tonight. Change is slow. We all strive to be a part of something, not alone. Coffee is at the back. Remember, we only have the room for about half an hour. See you next week," Katherine said.
Justin and Brian stood up, walking toward the exit and their respective cars. "The diner two blocks over?" Justin asked as they walked down the steps of the community center.
"Of course. I had some of Ted's coffee this afternoon and I compared it to the diner. Believe it or not, the diner's was better. I've been thinking about the coffee all afternoon."
Justin laughed. "See you there. I'll order us some coffee if I get there before you."
They arrived at the same time and were seated in the back of the diner. Brian ordered a coffee as did Justin. While they waited for their coffee to arrive, Justin said, "Tonight's topic was really pertinent to what's going on in your life. I was happy to hear that you spoke up in group."
"I never thought that AA or any of this was real. I always thought it was mumbo jumbo, but every meeting I learn something new. I just wish that every meeting did not leave those pesky hamsters running around my head. Every morning I think I've got stuff under control, and then I attend a meeting at night and learn more things about my journey. Don't get me wrong, I'm okay with it, I just want to know all of it so I can get those damn hamsters out of my head," Brian said. The waitress brought their coffee and Brian spent a few minutes opening the sugars and fixing it to his liking.
"Brian, I've been attending meetings for over a year and I still learn new things. The topics aren't really new or different, it's that we are in a different place when we hear them. If you think back to the first meeting you attended, what do you remember?"
"I remember saying I was an alcoholic and then you came up to me offering to be my sponsor. I remember almost turning around and walking out before the meeting even started."
"Do you remember the topic of the meeting that night?"
Brian drank some coffee, racking his brain for the information, but came up short. "No."
Justin asked, "Do you remember the meeting from two weeks ago?"
Brain was quiet for a moment and shook his head, "No. Crap. Does that mean that I'm fooling myself regarding my sobriety?" Brian asked, both wanting and not wanting to hear Justin's answer.
"No. You are not fooling yourself. It's just like I said. Every day you are in a different place in your journey. You pick up different pieces of the message. Sometimes you are ready to hear the whole message, but other times, it's a little piece of what is said that impacts you. Tonight, we talked about seeking freedom, being there for ourselves and our lives. We are free from the pull of alcohol," Justin said.
"I'm free to be a father to Gus and to figure out what I want from my life. The alcohol was just an excuse to not live my life. I was just going through the motions," Brian said.
"Exactly. You've made some huge decisions regarding Gus; The DNA test, the financial entanglements, and contacting a lawyer regarding your rights. Those decisions were not due to attending one specific meeting, but rather a result of a cumulative effect. Life is a journey and if we stop learning, we stop living."
"Are you sure you're not a Philosophy teacher?" Brian said, the light teasing evident in his voice.
"Nope. Only philosophy I have is that you only live once, so you need to enjoy the ride to the maximum."
"I guess I've been living in an alcohol fog for so many years, I'm still figuring out what I want my life to be," Brian said.
"Life is messy. We might think we have a path but the path can change. Often something horrible happens to a person, someone dies, they encounter someone who is hurting, or they lose their job, and that is an impetus for change." Justin took a sip of his coffee and heard his stomach growl. Ignoring his stomach, he continued, "The person might have been a high level executive and their child died in a car accident. That person may turn to advocacy to change the laws for safer cars, leaving corporate America for a position in government. All I'm saying is that you don't have to make every life decision in the next 3 months or even the next 6 months." Justin reached for the menu in the rack at the edge of their table. "Are you hungry? The waitress is looking at us like a hawk, but since we haven't even picked up our menus yet, she is keeping her space," Justin asked.
"I could eat."
Brian picked up the menu and perused it quickly, and then put it back. When both men had replaced the menu in the holders, the waitress came to take their order.
"Could I have more coffee, please?" Brian asked as he finished his cup of coffee.
"Certainly. I'll bring some out when the pot is finished brewing. It should be just a few more minutes," the waitress said.
Brian said, "When we talk, what you say makes perfect sense. I always drive home with the feeling that I'm on the right path, but then I get home and start mulling over the conversations, which in turn gets those damn hamsters running amok in my head"
The waitress came to the table, pouring each of them a fresh cup of coffee. "Just finished brewing. Your food will be right up."
Both Brian and Justin nodded and said thank you to the waitress. She left, leaving them alone to continue their conversation.
"I've always liked order, maybe because I grew up in chaos. Neither of my parents were great role models. I definitely didn't aspire to walk in my father's footsteps, working in a factory all day. My mother spent all her time at the church and that definitely didn't appeal to me."
Brian stopped talking and was quiet for a few moments. "However, I guess I did follow in their footsteps. Both were drinkers and probably alcoholics. I remember many nights when my father would come home, staying only long enough to take money from the jar so he could join his buddies at the union hall for a drink. Mom was always saying she needed a little Sherry to calm her nerves." Brian took 3 sugar packets and prepared the new cup of coffee. Blowing on the hot drink, he took a tentative sip and smiled, licking his lips in enjoyment.
"I decided at an early age that I was going to college and make something of my life. Here I am, owner of a boutique advertising agent. Success. But you're right again. My life is changing. My son, who I never expected to have or want in my life was the impetus for change."
"Right. Even three months ago, you wouldn't have dreamed that you would be sitting in a diner with me," Justin said as he also prepared his coffee to his liking. "Remember we have talked about sobriety. It's not like a syllabus where you can check off the items on the list and then you have completed the course."
"I'm just not good at not having a plan," Brian said. The waitress brought their food. Brian's mouth began watering as the smell of his dinner hit his nostrils. He cut into his chicken and took a bite. "This is good."
"You like order and not knowing where everything will end is difficult for you," Justin said, trying to make sure he understood what Brian was saying.
"Yes. I want to know that my sobriety is going to make my relationship with Gus great."
"Unfortunately we have no guarantees in life. I can't tell you that sobriety will result in a great relationship, but I can tell you that by being sober, you have control over your actions. You are not always thinking of the next drink or hanging out at the bars so you can get high. When you're sober, you are clear headed, drink isn't controlling you, calling you to come and drown your fears and insecurities."
"It's what Katherine was talking about at the meeting. I'm free to make my own decisions and I have the ability to make my own destiny?" Brian said as he started to ingrain the ideas from tonight's meeting.
"Exactly. Freedom means a lot of things, but in our world freedom is associated with the ability to choose how we live our lives. It means having the freedom to make friends, address our feelings, and to be a part of our lives, not an outsider who watches what happens to us without being a participant." Justin took a bite of his hamburger, appreciating that diners had good food, not just good coffee.
When he first became Brian's sponsor, he remembered convincing him by extolling the virtues of the diner nearby. He had made a little hobby of rating the coffee shops around the area since he was fond of the drink. He'd started this hobby when he'd been kicked out of his home; therefore, money was tight. It was relatively inexpensive, much less than alcohol. He could order a pot, drinking it as he people watched and thought about his own life. Unfortunately, after he had finished the pot, he moved to the liquor stores where he bought several bottles of rum to dull the pain of his life.
"I'm free to make my life what I want and I want to have Gus in my life."
"See, you do know what you want right now. What Gus in your life looks like is still an unknown, but you've come a long way from that first meeting, Justin said.
"I am making changes in my life. I guess at some point I have to listen to my messages," Brian said.
"Do you want me to listen with you? I can do that." Justin took another bite of his burger, thinking that maybe he needed to start a new hobby of which restaurants had the best burgers.
Brian thought about Justin's offer for a moment. "My first reaction was that I can do this on my own and I don't need anyone there. But, I think that would be great. While I can do it on my own, I think I would benefit from your neutral viewpoint. You have no vested interest in the outcome and I think that would be helpful. Besides, you have the uncanny ability to make me think through things and analyze shit. I guess I'm learning that I don't have to do everything by myself."
Justin nodded in agreement, pleased that Brian had taken him up on his offer. "Do you want to listen to them here or go somewhere else?"
"I'd like to go to my loft. If you are there, we could talk and maybe put the hamsters to bed before I go to sleep," Brian said tongue in cheek. Brian ate a few bites more of his chicken, enjoying the savory spices.
"I find eating a lot more enjoyable these days. Does that sound weird? I mean I never used to think about food or what it tasted like, but today at the restaurant, I was enjoying the spicy ginger on my Sushi."
"It makes perfect sense. When you're drinking, it doesn't just dull your feelings and emotions. The liquor is a sedative and dulls your taste buds too. It has a lot of effects on your body. When people who have been drinking are in car accidents, they are often more likely to walk away unscathed or with minimal harm. That's because alcohol relaxes the muscles. It also impacts your memory, causing you to forget what you did while you were drinking," Justin said, giving Brian his little PSA about the effects of drinking on the human body.
Brian laughed at Justin's little talk. "You sound like a PSA."
Justin smiled, "I guess I do, a little. AA has taught me a lot and I want to share my knowledge. There are a lot of alcoholics who become treatment counselors because they want to help others who have experienced what they have. They have this feeling that they want to help alcoholics like they were helped. However that idea is a little misguided."
"Misguided?" Brian asked.
"How long have you been attending AA?" Justin asked.
"About 2 months," Brian said.
"Right. Do you think if I told you all the things we've discussed in group on the first day or even in the first week, it would have made it any less painful to admit how much alcohol has controlled your life?"
Brian was quiet for a moment before he answered. " We were just talking about that. I told you I wanted to know all the information so I could sort it out, but you explained that I needed to hear it gradually. Sobriety is a journey and people process the information at different rates. It's frustrating, but I understand how it is helpful."
"Now, don't get me wrong, treatment counselors who have been alcoholics make great counselors. They have been there, done that as it were. It's just that they really can't speed up the process for someone who is starting the journey. They can empathize and truly understand the struggles. However, if someone doesn't want to get sober or is being pushed into it by others, they won't be successful. The desire for sobriety has to come from within and it's a lot of work. Whether you have a counselor who has been an alcoholic or has never touched alcohol, the success of sobriety is up to the individual."
"Another PSA. But how do you know?"
"I listen. I've talked to many attendees at meetings and heard so many stories about other addicts journeys. I would be wealthy if I had $100 for every time I heard 'I went to treatment x times but it never stuck because I wasn't ready. This time I'm ready.' Treatment facilities are filled with former alcoholics just like every meeting you attend is filled with people trying to remain sober. There is more structure in a treatment facility, but the goal is the same, sobriety."
"So treatment programs don't work?"
"They work. In fact, the research shows that people who go through treatment and then come to AA have a higher success rate than those who don't join AA. It's a little harder to judge AA effectiveness since it is anonymous. However, the research shows that 50% of people who attend just AA were still clean after three years, but only 25% of people who only attended treatment were clean. There is good evidence that AA alone can work for those people who attend regularly," Justin said, sounding like a professional researcher.
"I can't see me going to a treatment facility. I think that would have been too many rules. Did you ever try a treatment center?" Brian asked, but added, "I'm impressed that you have all those statistics. I've never heard those in a meeting. Don't you think they would help sway people to participate?"
"Not really. I think people get sober when they are ready. So keeping that in mind, I think that a treatment center or AA would be good. It's a personal choice. As for a treatment center, I thought about it, but felt AA met my needs better. I guess I'm one of the 50% since I'm still sober after a year."
"I'm glad you were a success and have been there for me. It's getting late, if you want to wait till tomorrow to listen to the messages, I would understand," Brian said, wanting to be respectful of Justin's time, but also feeling a little guilty that he was asking for Justin's time.
"I'm glad to help. It's not that late, only 9:45. If you want to wait, that's fine, but I have a sneaking suspicion that if you wait, you'll be thinking about them until you do listen to them."
"True. Okay, let's get the checks. I only live about 15 minutes away. I live at 515 Tremont, right off Liberty Avenue."
Justin took out his phone and tapped on his note app, typing in the address. "Sounds good. Let's pay the bill and go listen to your messages. See, you are taking charge of your life, even in this area."
Brian smiled at Justin's praise. It felt good to have someone acknowledge his actions.
The waitress brought their checks, they paid their bills, and left the diner to drive to Brian's home.
TBC
*For those interested, here are the statistics to back up the statements in the story. They are from a study from an article citing The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The article was updated 11-2-2020
The one-year and three-year follow-up points indicated that half of the participants who entered into AA on their own were abstinent while only a quarter of those who entered into formal treatment were abstinent at the time of the follow-up.
The eight-year follow-up showed that 46% of those who chose formal treatment were abstinent while 49% of individuals who attended AA were abstinent.
Results revealed that those with alcohol issues who participated in both formal treatment and AA were more likely to be abstinent than those in formal treatment between years one and three, but did not show much difference in abstinence rates after eight years. This group did not show much difference with the AA-only group across the follow-up period in terms of abstinence rates.
The results concluded that for some, AA attendance can be a source of recovery.
