Comments on: The Alcoholics Anonymous Alternative

By: Rhiannon

Rhiannon — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:07:41 +0000

One can really tell the AA memebrs who are commenting here, their approaches are so similar-

ie any critisism of ‘AA’ is ‘denial’.
‘Give it 3 weeks and you can have yur misery back’- give it 3 weeks and you will be fearmongered into getting a sponsor and doing the steps… being told that otherwise you will face ‘jails, institutions and death’.
You might also get used as a free taxi or even get 13th stepped!
You will certainly be told what to do about yr job, relationship, etc… and btw you have to listen because you can’t trust your own thinking.

Any independant thought is ‘your diease talking.’

Dont get me wrong, there are good people in AA doing good things. But ‘my brain needed washing’? Come on…
There is NO excuse for the brainwashing I have seen in AA and experienced.

You can always tell someone who has been brainwashed, becasue they defend their programmed viewpoint by attcking/dismissing their critics rather than rationally defending their own view.

John- how do you rationally defend this lady being told to stay in an abusive relationship. Or are you just gonna throw another one of those pre-packed slogans at me?

By: Rhiannon

Rhiannon — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:51:18 +0000

You sound like a typical brainwashed dogmatic AA member.
If you research the history… AA NEVER had a 75% success rate, Bill W said ‘we had to cull over hundreds of those drunks to get anyone to take the bait’ in the early days. AA has never even claimed such a rate (they have admitted it’s 5%)

I am weaning off AA after 2 1/2 years- still sober. I have met more people who have tried to bleed me, control me and manipulate me then who have tried to help.
And yes… I do ‘really’ want sobriety.. that’s why I’ve stayed sober.

AA as an organisation refuses to be accountable for the deviance and exploitation within- attacking it’s valid critics instead. This seems to be the response of both the organisation and it’s individual members.

And the steps.. they make u feel worse- that’s my honest true experience.

By: admin

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:28:03 +0000

The article does not adopt a puerile or condescending tone, it merely points out that there are some major difficulties inherent with the AA model, and that perhaps it is time some of them were revised, as many of these issues prevent people from seeking help through the 12 step route. There is no need for you to make it a personal attack by doubting my qualifications or experience.

By: WOW

WOW — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:12:48 +0000

As an adult child of two alcoholics (one died, one went into rehab (12 step program and became sober), and a Dr, I am stunned at the sheer arrogance of this ‘article’. Whilst, I do not dispute that the 12 step program is not for everyone, surely it is unnecessary to adopt this puerile, condescending tone when addressing an alternative to your counseling service. It saved my mother, who was not a religious woman, nor adverse to taking responsibility for her own actions. I can only wonder what qualifications you have.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:38:22 +0000

Thanks Dick B. I rely at present on the Holy spirit
at the core of my being to keep me sober. I am
definitely becoming and am a different person to the
one who ended up not being able to stop abusing alcohol.
I have the utmost respect for the whole simplicity
and effectiveness of STEP 1. A simple truth that i was
willing to work on, willing to see that me and alcohol
really dont get along as yous guys say over in America.
Thankyou for the clear insight into the basis of meetings
in the days prior to the Big Book. It seems that Bill Wilson
shaped and galvanised some very traditional religious ideas
and made them more understandable and approachable to
the suffering alcoholic ? His own Alcoholism and mystical
awakening to God allowed this to happen. Anyway im still
attending meetings but i hope i can help and spread a bit
of good cheer and make a cup of tea perhaps. Step 12
is the key to all this for me at the moment. Anyway sobriety
has made my life much safer and better. People dont
always like to speak about the benefits of a sober life out
of humility but peace, joy and tolerance of others
are just three of the fruits that i experience in my heart.
I am learning to be alone with God as his unique creation
and this paradoxically makes me move loving to be with.
Dick B. Thankyou for you kindness and tolerance.

By: Dick B.

Dick B. — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:41:00 +0000

Congratulations, Joe. You have discerned much about A.A And here are a couple of helpful points: (1) Early A.A. founded in Akron, Ohio on June 10, 1935 had a very simple program that is actually published in one piece of A.A. literature. There were only five components: (a) Abstaining from liquor for good. (b) Surrendering to God absolutely. (c) Eliminating sinful conduct. (d) Growing through Bible study, prayer, seeking God’s guidance, and reading helpful religious literature. (e) Helping others get straightened out. See Dick B., When Early AAs Were Cured and Why. (2) In 1939, Bill Wilson fashioned a different program in his Big Book based primarily on the teachings of Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr. But the emphasis was not on meetings. It was on finding God and establishing a relationship with him. (3) Then came the 12 dark years of Bill’s protracted depression and the proliferation on many spinoff ideas from Richmond Walker, Father Ralph Pfau, Ed Webster, Sister Ignatia, and even Clarence Snyder and two Jesuit priests. The emphasis began to shift to “sharing experience, strength, and hope” and ignoring the Big Book instructions for the 12 Steps. (4) Meetings proliferated not because of quality but because courts were sending people to them and a mountain of treatment programs were bussing people to them. My main point, based on 20 years of research, has been that it is important to know the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played in the early program; to become tolerant of the wide variety of views and meetings today; and to decide whether or not to seek God’s help and learn how the pioneers did it. God Bless, Dick B.

By: deb

deb — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:47:43 +0000

Claire, I am exactly the same, contact me for a chat if you can x

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:39:47 +0000

My problem is with meetings. There are hundreds of AA meetings in big Cities each week. In London there are over 600. Recently I had an extended holiday in Dumfriesshire Scotland and found approximately 6 meetings a week or less. Dumfriesshire is a rural county, of course, with a small population compared to London ; 150,000 to 7.5 million. However, it is perhaps 8 times larger than London at a rough guess. I stayed where it was 20 miles to the nearest meeting which was once a week. My point is that i know long term sober members who swear that they need at least 4 meetings a week to maintain emotional sobriety how could they do it in rural parts of the world ? I’m sure in America and Australia you could travel hundreds of miles to get to a meeting. Have AA members in big Cities become selfish or have they become addicted to meetings ? I live in London and the emphasis placed on attending meetings detracts from finding deep healing and God which is what you need to lead a sober life. AA has become a giant speaking factory and those who love to speak run the meetings. AA is definitely biased in favour of meetings and speaking as opposed to contemplation and silence. God can be found in either.
I think AA would be better off without so many meetings.
Joe

By: Nikki

Nikki — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:12:03 +0000

Hi – I saw Clare’s post and I am in the same situation – I have been denying for years that I have a problem with alcohol, but after a weekend of emotional happenings, I really dont know what to do now ! I want to get back to normal life but cannot imagine an evening without a bottle of red wine !!!!

By: admin

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:13:10 +0000

You could join the free forum on this site - there's plenty of support and advice without any of the AA stuff.