With these competencies, we will do what is good for us and for our health. That means learning all we can about our disease or disability. It also means that we develop healthy lifestyle habits. Yes, according to the model of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA and all groups based on the AA model believe that the addictive process requires constant vigilance.
Addictions connects social habits with behaviors that all too easily trigger a relapse.
We can only applaud AA's success. There are more than 20 thousand AA groups. Sometimes people have felt oppressed by certain self-help groups. Women's groups and other substance abuse groups now exist that provide alternatives to the AA model. Mental illness requires a similar vigilance for preventing relapse.