Pills anonymous (PA): definition, meetings, and requirements to join

Pills Anonymous (PA) is a fellowship of individuals with an addiction to prescription medications who want to quit their unhealthy drug-use habits or are already working toward recovery. It is based on the 12-Step methodology and focuses on abstinence.

Pills Anonymous meeting activities vary depending on the nature and style of the meeting, which are pre-determined. A majority of the meetings constitute prayer sessions at the start and end of the proceedings, time spent reading and discussing 12-Step literature and/or the foundational text of the organization, and participants sharing their personal stories of addiction and recovery. The meetings are free to join.

There are no requirements to join Pills Anonymous except for the individual’s desire to stop abusing prescription drugs and their willingness to commit to the path of recovery.

What is Pills Anonymous (PA)?

Pills Anonymous (PA) is a fellowship of individuals recovering or seeking recovery from an addiction to prescription pills. It is grounded in the 12-Step methodology and is modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous.

Pills Anonymous is a global, non-professional, peer-led, mutual-aid fellowship that focuses on complete abstinence as a means of treating prescription drug addiction. The creation of PA was driven by a surge in prescription medication abuse in the 21st century.

What is the history of Pills Anonymous?

The history of Pills Anonymous dates back to 1972 when it was founded to support individuals with prescription drug addiction in their journey to abstinence. However, much of its history is unknown. It is believed that a long-running group in New York is the first Pills Anonymous unit. One of the original members of Pills Anonymous is Dr. Paul O. who was also a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Besides his alcohol use problems, Dr. Paul O. also battled with an addiction to prescription drugs. Around 1972 and at about the same time the New York chapter of the organization was operational, he founded Pills Anonymous groups, most likely in his home in Southern California. Pills Anonymous was incorporated as a charitable, non-profit organization in 2008 in a location near Phoenix, Arizona, after it conducted two conferences that year.

Is Pills Anonymous religious?

No, Pills Anonymous is not religious. The organization declares on its website that it is not affiliated with any religious group. It does not endorse or oppose any religious cause and refrains from engaging in any controversies related to religious matters. Although the Pills Anonymous program has a spiritual basis, the organization does not advocate or express its opinion on any religious issue.

What are the goals of Pills Anonymous?

The goals of Pills Anonymous are listed below.

• Helping members solve their common problem of addiction: As a self-help or mutual support group, Pills Anonymous (PA) is grounded in the premise that individuals battling addiction have the ability to help one another achieve and sustain abstinence. The goal of PA is to help members achieve and sustain complete abstinence without the need to seek long-term professional treatment.
• Helping members build a new, drug-free life: PA not only supports individuals as they embark on a journey to quit addiction and achieve long-term abstinence but also helps them build a new life that is healthier, happier, and more productive and purposeful than the one they had been living. It gifts its members a whole new lifestyle. By participating in the activities of the group, members are able to change the way they perceive themselves. They learn new and healthy coping skills and shift their social network to include individuals who support recovery instead of those who support drug use.
• Providing a platform to build inspiring and helpful connections: Self-help groups like PA provide a platform for recovering individuals to connect with others with similar lived experiences and life goals, according to a release by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs titled “Recovery-Oriented Mutual Self-help Groups” that was authored by Cindy A. Burzinski and Aleksandra Zgierska and last updated on 11 March 2022. These groups allow members to build healthy and meaningful relationships with sober individuals who share their life’s stories to inspire those who have started their journey to recovery and provide actionable tips and hacks to help the latter navigate the challenges of daily life.
• Serving as a catalyst for behavioral change: Behavior change is critical to the success of addiction treatment because it enables the individual in recovery to develop and apply skills and coping mechanisms necessary to replace maladaptive habits, prevent relapse, and achieve lasting sobriety. 12-Step and mutual support groups like PA serve as a primary source of behavioral alteration for individuals in recovery, according to a 2013 article by Donovan et al., published in the journal Social Work in Public Health, titled “12-Step Interventions and Mutual Support Programs for Substance Use Disorders: An Overview.” According to Kelly et al., in a 2018 article titled “MECHANISMS OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN 12-STEP APPROACHES TO RECOVERY IN YOUNG ADULTS” published in the journal Current Addiction Reports, the strategies for behavior change used by mutual support groups are similar to those delivered by professional addiction treatment service providers. These strategies include creating positive social networks, increasing motivation, and enhancing abstinence self-efficacy.
• Serving as an adjunct to conventional treatment: Like other 12-Step and self-help or mutual addiction support groups, PA too, has the ability to complement formal addiction treatment methodologies. Author Rudolf H. Moos in a 2008 article titled “How and Why Twelve-Step Self-Help Groups Are Effective” published in Recent Developments in Alcoholism, a publication by the American Medical Society on Alcoholism, the Research Society on Alcoholism, and the National Council on Alcoholism, notes that substance abuse disorder treatment providers are known to refer patients to self-help groups.
• Promoting self-growth: Undergoing personal growth is critical to the success of any addiction recovery initiative. By orienting an individual toward their thoughts, feelings, triggers, and motivations, self-growth processes prime them to change their lives for the better. It has been found that engaging in personal growth initiatives significantly decreased the risk of relapse in a population of drug addicts, according to a 2022 article by Namood-E-Sahar and Irum Naqvi published in the Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, titled “Personal Growth Initiative and Chances of Relapse Among People with Substance Use: Moderating Role of Polysubstance Use.” Mutual addiction recovery support groups promote personal development through self-reflection and peer support. Self-growth and individual maturity come about when an individual cultivates a state of acceptance and recognizes that addiction is a chronic relapsing disease that has no cure. They minimize self-centeredness and learn to look beyond themselves and their desire for self-gratification so that they become more attuned toward helping others.
• Reducing the need for further professional treatment services: Mutual self-help groups are easily accessible. Members have the freedom to attend as many meetings as they desire and for any duration they wish. They have access to these meetings when they need support the most, for instance, during evenings and weekends when they have the most risk of relapsing, according to a 2011 article by John F. Kelly and Julie D. Yeterian published in the journal Alcohol Research & Health, titled “The Role of Mutual-Help Groups in Extending the Framework of Treatment.” Further, members are encouraged to get in touch with one another over the phone whenever they require support. Thus, mutual support groups like PA act as a form of continuing care and community support that is highly responsive to fluctuating relapse risk. They, thus, reduce the need for further professional care.
• Spreading the message of hope: PA declares on its website that the organization encourages its members to share their stories and victories to instill hope in those who are still battling and suffering from addiction. Listening to and learning about the experiences of others with shared life experiences reduces feelings of shame or guilt and boosts self-esteem. A hopeful disposition is believed to be a critical component of addiction recovery, according to a 2009 article by Mathis et al., published in the Journalof Groups in Addiction & Recovery, titled “Hope and Substance Abuse Recovery: The Impact of Agency and Pathways within an Abstinent Communal-living Setting.” A hopeful individual perceives recovery as an attainable goal and thus, remains committed to the journey even in the face of adversities. These individuals have been found to be more effective than those with less optimism in generating and executing coping strategies to deal with triggers and prevent relapse.

How does Pills Anonymous work?

Pills Anonymous (PA) works by providing a community-based approach to prevent the risk of relapse and help individuals in recovery achieve and sustain abstinence. A majority of the benefits of PA arise from social, affective, and cognitive mechanisms.

PA on its website declares that the majority of the addicted individuals in the organization attain and maintain sobriety by participating in group activities. The role of the group is crucial to the recovery journey of both newcomers and those who have achieved recovery. Newcomers find direction and guidance, solutions to their problems, and inspiration from the sobriety tips and the stories of hope and strength shared by those in the group who have recovered. On the other hand, continuing to participate in group activities and receiving help from other members allow those who have recovered to cement the progress they have made thus far in their recovery journey.

PA works by allowing members to obtain a sponsor. It has been found that having a sponsor is associated with greater engagement with 12-Step meetings and improved outcomes, according to a 2011 article by Kristina N. Rynes and J. Scott Tonigan published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, titled “Do Social Networks Explain 12-Step Sponsorship Effects? A Prospective Lagged Mediation Analysis.” A sponsor is a longstanding PA member who has been sober for a long time and is either currently working through the 12 steps or has completed the exercise earlier.

Besides being a positive role model for abstinence, the sponsor guides their sponsee as the latter navigates through the 12 steps. The sponsor has the knowledge and experience to understand what their sponsee has gone through with their addiction and the emotional and spiritual conundrums and dilemmas they confront when they go inward and attempt to reflect on their suppressed emotions as part of their 12-step work. The sponsor eases the 12-Step work of their sponsee by answering their queries, offering advice and hacks, and teaching them tools of recovery.

What happens at Pills Anonymous meetings?

At Pills Anonymous (PA) meetings, the activities carried out depend on the specific format or style of the meeting. The majority of the meetings adhere to a suggested format and commence and end with a prayer. Typically, the leader of the meeting explains the Pills Anonymous program for the benefit of the newcomers and then allows a designated speaker or the participants to take over. These meetings are typically 60-90 minutes long.

Pills Anonymous meetings are either “open” or “closed.” The open meetings are attended by the members of the organization, their families, friends, and any other individual who is interested in knowing how the organization functions or what typically happens in meetings. The closed-format meetings are strictly restricted to members.

There are differences in the way meetings are conducted based on the dynamics and operating principles of specific groups. Pills Anonymous on their website informs that meetings involve studying and discussing one of these three books: the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (the “12” and “12”), or The P.A. Service Manual. In meetings that follow the Book Study format, time is spent reading and discussing Pills Anonymous literature that has been written specifically to address the issues participants are likely to face as they attempt to live a sober life. Participants study and discuss the Twelve Steps in meetings that follow the Step Study format.

During meetings, participants speak one at a time. They discuss their experiences with pill addiction and their recovery journey. They share their stories of strength and hope to inspire others. The members are encouraged to be candid about their feelings, struggles, and specific problems and share the strategies they have adopted and benefitted from in their efforts to maintain sobriety. It is clarified during meetings that the opinions and interpretations offered by the speakers are solely their own and that everyone has the liberty to interpret what is said or happens during these recovery sessions in the way they wish.

Announcements related to Pills Anonymous are made during the course of a meeting. Since PA is a self-supporting organization, contributions are collected to cover the rental charges for the venue, literature, key tags, and refreshments. It is to be noted that these contributions are deposited in baskets that are made available during meetings, and it is not mandatory to contribute.

Where to find Pills Anonymous meetings?

To find Pills Anonymous meetings, individuals need to visit the organization’s website. The Find a Meeting page under Meetings lists the dates, times, and venues of all upcoming meetings in various locations around the world. The nature of the meetings is specified using alphabetical codes, and an index for these is provided on top of the web page. The virtual meetings of Pills Anonymous are listed on the Find a Virtual Meeting page under Meetings. The listing information is categorized based on geography and contains the date and time of the meeting, its nature and format, a link or access code to join the meeting, and the password. Individuals have to register for a meeting using the forms provided on the website under the Meetings tab.

Are Pills Anonymous meetings free?

Yes, Pills Anonymous meetings are free to join. It is free to become a Pills Anonymous member; there are no fees or dues to be paid. However, local groups of the organization are self-supporting through member contributions. So, during the meetings, a collection is taken to pay the rent for the meeting venue, refreshments, literature, key tags to commemorate a period of sobriety, and the functioning of the World Service Office. The members are free to attend as many meetings as they desire or deem necessary to resolve their issues. They are also free to attend meetings of different Pills Anonymous groups.

What are the requirements to join Pills Anonymous?

There are no requirements to join Pills Anonymous except for the individual’s desire to stop abusing prescription pills and commit to the path of long-term recovery, as stated by the organization on its website. No physician referral or insurance approval is needed to join Pills Anonymous. The individual just has to show up to a meeting. The Twenty Questions of Pills Anonymous is a questionnaire featured on the organization’s website that has been designed to help an individual determine if they have an addiction to pills and whether they will benefit by joining the organization.

How long does a Pills Anonymous program last?

A Pills Anonymous program lasts for as long as the participant desires. The difference in duration is primarily due to the differences in how long an individual takes to go through the 12 steps. Sponsors of 12-Step programs usually advise sponsees and newcomers to attend 90 meetings in 90 days, or at least one meeting daily for three months. Individuals who attend 12-Step meetings regularly, frequently, and early during their recovery journey manifest better treatment outcomes, according to a 2013 article by Donovan et al., published in the journal Social Work in Public Health, titled “12-Step Interventions and Mutual Support Programs for Substance Use Disorders: An Overview.” Attending three or more meetings in a week is regarded as being frequent.

Although long-term engagement is associated with improved outcomes, the success of a Pills Anonymous program is not solely based on the number of meetings an individual attends or how quickly they work through the 12 steps. The degree of commitment the individual manifests, the thoroughness with which they work through the 12 steps, having a sponsor, performing service work at the meetings and for others, and the depth of their engagement with the group are strong predictors of the success of a Pills Anonymous program (Donovan et al., 2013).

What is the difference between Pills Anonymous (PA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)?

The difference between Pills Anonymous (PA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is most significantly noticed in the nature of the substance the groups focus on. There are also differences in the foundational literature that each group conforms to and topics discussed during the meetings of each group.

Pills Anonymous focuses on creating and nurturing a community of individuals battling prescription drug abuse and seeking to heal from their addiction.Alcoholics Anonymous focuses on individuals with alcohol addiction. On the other hand, Narcotics Anonymous is more inclusive than PA and AA. Anyone with an addiction to any drug, including alcohol, is welcome to join and receive support from NA. It recognizes the prevalence of polysubstance substance abuse and supports individuals battling such an issue.

The difference between Pills Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Alcoholics Anonymous is in the topics discussed during meetings. Speaking about drugs is discouraged during AA meetings. The meetings focus on alcohol-related challenges. As NA focuses on drug addiction, the topics of discussion between group members during meetings tend to be related to recovering from an addiction to street drugs. The topics addressed during PA meetings include the challenges faced by members as they confront and work on their problems with prescription drug abuse.

The foundational text of Pills Anonymous is There Is A Solution: The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Pills Anonymous, which was published in August 2013. The foundational text of Narcotics Anonymous is the Basic Text, which was approved in 1982 by the World Service Conference. It is based on the outline laid out in the white book, Narcotics Anonymous, which was published in 1962. The Big Book states the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and was published in 1939. Although the foundational texts of these three organizations contain guidance for their members on how to work through the 12 steps, these books differ with respect to the group-specific content they carry. For instance, the NA literature contains personal stories of individuals with an addiction to narcotics who have remained committed to the path of abstinence in the face of personal struggles, such as losing loved ones and experiencing ill health, and the challenges of professional pursuits.

AA is the oldest 12-Step organization in the world. It started in 1935. NA was founded in 1953. PA is traced back to 1972. There are in excess of 1,23,000 AA groups in the world spread across 180 countries with an active membership of 1,967,613 in 2021. NA has a smaller global footprint than AA and is present in 145 countries. In contrast, PA is much smaller. Besides the US, It is present in a handful of countries like Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden. In the US, it is mostly present in the states of Arizona and California.