How does AA work?

Among the mental health professions, of which a CDAC is an addiction counselor license, AA is not our first recommendation. There are religious undertones which may or may not be in line with the patient's beliefs. But moreover, there is no evidence based therapeutic intervention involved, per se. What it provides in mindfulness and support, which can go a long way to reducing relapse. Ideally, you would receive therapy to address the issues that made you drink in the first place. Not just provide a lifelong nanny to shake her finger at you when you're about to do a bad thing.

AA is one of the 12-Step programs, so yes it is a teaching program. There was a very elaborate study called Project MATCH. It found that the 3 main treatment programs - AA, CBT, and motivation enhancement counseling - are all good and equally good. If you want good information, a good source is SMARTRecovery.org. They have a program based on the standard counseling methods.  Also, I suggest talking with your doctor, because withdrawal is a medical problem that can be treated with medicine.

AA in my area is full of snobs and know-it-alls.... there is one meeting which is decent, it's mostly young people.

It actually works about as well as quitting without any help.