Comprehensive exams for Mental Health Q 86
The nurse provides a referral to Alcoholics Anonymous to a client who describes a 20-year history of alcohol abuse. The primary function of this group is to:
A. Encourage the use of a 12-step program.
B. Help members maintain sobriety.
C. Provide fellowship among members.
D. Teach positive coping mechanisms.
Correct Answer: B. Help members maintain sobriety.
The primary purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is to help members achieve and maintain sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about their drinking problem.
Option A: Alcoholism and drug addiction are often referred to as ” substance abuse” or “chemical dependency.” Alcoholics and nonalcoholics are, therefore, sometimes introduced to AA and encouraged to attend AA meetings. AA members share their experience with anyone seeking help with a drinking problem; they give person-to-person service or “sponsorship” to the alcoholic coming to AA from any source. The AA program, set forth in the Twelve Steps, offers the alcoholic a way to develop a satisfying life without alcohol. This program is discussed at AA group meetings.
Option C: Only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings or become AA members. People with problems other than alcoholism are eligible for AA membership only if they have a drinking problem, too. According to AA traditions, the only qualification for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
Option D: Although each of the remaining answer choices may be an outcome of attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous, the primary purpose is directed toward sobriety of members. Open AA meetings, which anyone can attend, are usually “speaker meetings,” at which a member of AA will tell their story—what it was like, what happened, and what it’s like now. Most AA meetings, however, are closed meetings for members only.