(New York, NY) – The General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous in New York City revealed today that significant changes are being made to the Alcoholics Anonymous program in light of recent concerns about privacy, and the psychological damage caused by the practice of condition-labeling. 

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith (not their real names), has been at the forefront of healing and restoring the lives of many sufferers of alcoholism, and returning these citizens to having productive and healthy lives. When AA was first founded, society at large considered alcoholism to be a moral failure, and the medical community considered it to be an incurable and lethal disease. The work of many millions of caring citizens has changed all of this; now, it is known that alcoholism is a treatable disease, and that it is not only possible, but highly likely that a person suffering from alcoholism can lead a full, healthy life with the support of a loving, caring community such as AA.

The tried and true method for the recovery within the AA framework consists of twelve steps that lead members through a process of healing that is not only meant to restore them to health, but to enable them to reach out to others in need of healing, as well.

The first step of a person in any “twelve step” program is to admit that they are powerless over alcohol, and that their lives have become unmanageable as a result. This step is usually demonstrated through attending an AA meeting, standing up at the appropriate time, and introducing oneself in this manner: “Hello, my name is John (not his real name), and I’m an alcoholic.”

With the new privacy and condition-labeling rules, those presenting themselves at AA meetings will be asked to remain truly anonymous, by not revealing their names, and also to refrain from labeling themselves with a named condition. This will mean that a person would introduce themselves at an AA meeting by simply standing up and saying, “Hello.”

“I’m not sure that this fulfills the spirit of the first step of the program,” said long-time AA member Felix Draught (not his real name). “How can you admit you have a problem with alcohol unless you actually say it? And how can you be accountable to anyone if they don’t know your name?” 

These concerns are being echoed around the country, as thousands of AA meetings are becoming nothing more than a place for people to stand up and say “hello,” and sit back down. “No one seems to be progressing any more,” Felix added, “they just seem to be stuck immediately before step one in the program. We can’t help them if they won’t admit that they have a problem, and it’s really difficult to follow up with someone when they won’t tell you who they are.”

However, in order to remain an official chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous, the organizers much follow the official rules of the organization. Fred Miller (not his real name), chairman of the non-profit organization is adamant about this. “There can be no exceptions. If we don’t follow the rules; if we try to cheat; we will never get better. It has been proven that condition-labeling is psychologically damaging for people. We also live in an age where privacy is paramount. We can’t survive as an organization unless we change with the times, and respect those we are caring for.”

Meanwhile, the lives of many would-be recoverees are being held in stasis, waiting for permission to move on to step two. Many of those who are most desperate for healing have joined AA’s sister organization, AAA, which is far less worried about being politically correct, though its efficacy in treating alcoholism will need to be researched further before any conclusions can be stated.