Proponents of Alcoholics Anonymous and related programs that use its Twelve Steps are passionate in their belief that “it works if you work it.” But others feel that the program may be outdated, or that science does not support its efficacy. Two articles have just been published that summarize the current landscape:

• Author Gabrielle Glaser (Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink—And How They Can Regain Control) critiques 12-step programs and offers an overview of the current state of evidence-based treatment in this comprehensive article from The Atlantic, “The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous.”

• New York Magazine’s Jesse Singal defends 12-step programs with a counter-argument, “Why Alcoholics Anonymous Works”

• Gabrielle Glaser appears on NPR’s All Things Considered March 26, 2015