The main reason that AA/NA helped me was that it brought me around sober/clean people that I could hang out with and make friends with. The step work is BS in my opinion. But the sober friends kept me alive.
That may be true. A 2018 paper shows that other non-12-step fellowships are as effective as AA (as long as the goal is abstinence from alcohol, not moderation). Since the paper is still under paywall until later this year, here's a good lay summary:
