Learning Objective #1: understand the concepts of successful abstinence processes in Alcoholics.

Learning Objective #2: understand the concepts of empowerment of Alcoholics.

---

Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore the concepts of successful abstinence processes in Taiwanese Alcoholics Anonymous members. Grounded theory method was used in this study. The study chose nine participants who had succeeded in abstinence using theoretical sampling method and conducted in-depth interviews by open-ended questionnaire. The result indicates that the core of the process during which alcoholic clients succeeded in abstinence was an empowerment process. Alcoholic clients felt that their family, interpersonal relationship, job and economy all had been down to the bottom after long period of alcohol dependence. Such a feeling causes the emotion of loss of control and provokes clients' inner conscious rising resulting in the generation of driving force for abstinence. Inner conscious rising helps to self-examine client's situation and seek for abstinent methods until the clients find their ways to manage their sentiments in response to fear and baffle. It also helps clients to release from alcohol, devote themselves, and share experience with other clients, family, and even medical staff. Internal wakening demonstrates its strength in the empowerment process of reposition, release, and active sharing and assists in keeping the clients on sobriety. Moreover, following the expansion of internal wakening power, it helps clients to maneuver assistance and to defy resistance. Therefore, the power from the stages of reposition, release, active sharing, and resistance and assistance are the maintenance factors of empowerment process keeping on successful recovery from alcohol.