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My current girlfriend dragged me to an AA meeting tonight. To be honest, I've never heard so much BS in my entire life. Alcoholism a disease? *Scoff* In my opinion, it's very simple - don't drink and you won't become a drunken ***h***e. More specifically, ever heard of the "steering wheel" concept? Keep your hands on the wheel and don't turn into those convenience store parking lots. It's that simple.
Furthermore, these people (cult members - from my perspective) say that if you don't work the 12 steps, you will either die, go to jail or a mental institution. Guess what? I left AA in a huff over 20 years ago and still am alive, happy and free. Furthermore, all my old AA "friends" are either dead (most of them are dead - young or old at the time I knew them), in prison or in mental hospitals. I have News: AA does not work and is nothing more than a cult! And I'm living proof of that, being that I'm still around :lol: - if my niece or another family member ever has any problems with alcohol/drugs, the last thing I'm doing is sending them to AA.
AA - what a waste of time. I spent two or three years going to them stupid meetings, working the steps, serving on committees, sponsoring others - I found AA at 19 and left at 23 in disgust (haven't been back since until tonight).
I couldn't take it any longer: When it came my turn to share in the meeting, I said just about everything I just posted. You should have seen the looks on their faces. :lol::lol::lol:
AA - A Big thumbs down and screw those people.
They're a self-supported group. I see relatively little reason for hostility toward them.
Do you prefer taxpayer-subsidized alcohol treatment, hospital-based detoxification, public safety escorting them to emergency rooms to be medically cleared for transfer to a state-funded jail's drunk tank? There is a vast array of extremely expensive interventions for substance abusers and addicts. If you want to criticize what exists for such people to drop their habit/addiction/disease/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, the Anonymous groups are the last place you want to start.
They're a self-supported group. I see relatively little reason for hostility toward them.
Do you prefer taxpayer-subsidized alcohol treatment, hospital-based detoxification, public safety escorting them to emergency rooms to be medically cleared for transfer to a state-funded jail's drunk tank? There is a vast array of extremely expensive interventions for substance abusers and addicts. If you want to criticize what exists for such people to drop their habit/addiction/disease/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, the Anonymous groups are the last place you want to start.
I think it obviously works for some people and doesn't for others. If someone has a drinking problem and they want help, they have to find what will work for them and obviously AA works for a lot of people.
I think it obviously works for some people and doesn't for others. If someone has a drinking problem and they want help, they have to find what will work for them and obviously AA works for a lot of people.
If it helps keep others sober and happy, who are the **** are you to condemn them?
My current girlfriend dragged me to an AA meeting tonight. To be honest, I've never heard so much BS in my entire life. Alcoholism a disease? *Scoff* In my opinion, it's very simple - don't drink and you won't become a drunken ***h***e. More specifically, ever heard of the "steering wheel" concept? Keep your hands on the wheel and don't turn into those convenience store parking lots. It's that simple.
Furthermore, these people (cult members - from my perspective) say that if you don't work the 12 steps, you will either die, go to jail or a mental institution. Guess what? I left AA in a huff over 20 years ago and still am alive, happy and free. Furthermore, all my old AA "friends" are either dead (most of them are dead - young or old at the time I knew them), in prison or in mental hospitals. I have News: AA does not work and is nothing more than a cult! And I'm living proof of that, being that I'm still around :lol: - if my niece or another family member ever has any problems with alcohol/drugs, the last thing I'm doing is sending them to AA.
AA - what a waste of time. I spent two or three years going to them stupid meetings, working the steps, serving on committees, sponsoring others - I found AA at 19 and left at 23 in disgust (haven't been back since until tonight).
I couldn't take it any longer: When it came my turn to share in the meeting, I said just about everything I just posted. You should have seen the looks on their faces. :lol::lol::lol:
AA - A Big thumbs down and screw those people.
This. AA won't work for every one, but they do help many, and any group that helps people beat addiction is ok in my book.
My current girlfriend dragged me to an AA meeting tonight. To be honest, I've never heard so much BS in my entire life. Alcoholism a disease? *Scoff* In my opinion, it's very simple - don't drink and you won't become a drunken ***h***e. More specifically, ever heard of the "steering wheel" concept? Keep your hands on the wheel and don't turn into those convenience store parking lots. It's that simple.
Furthermore, these people (cult members - from my perspective) say that if you don't work the 12 steps, you will either die, go to jail or a mental institution. Guess what? I left AA in a huff over 20 years ago and still am alive, happy and free. Furthermore, all my old AA "friends" are either dead (most of them are dead - young or old at the time I knew them), in prison or in mental hospitals. I have News: AA does not work and is nothing more than a cult! And I'm living proof of that, being that I'm still around :lol: - if my niece or another family member ever has any problems with alcohol/drugs, the last thing I'm doing is sending them to AA.
AA - what a waste of time. I spent two or three years going to them stupid meetings, working the steps, serving on committees, sponsoring others - I found AA at 19 and left at 23 in disgust (haven't been back since until tonight).
I couldn't take it any longer: When it came my turn to share in the meeting, I said just about everything I just posted. You should have seen the looks on their faces. :lol::lol::lol:
AA - A Big thumbs down and screw those people.
My current girlfriend dragged me to an AA meeting tonight. To be honest, I've never heard so much BS in my entire life. Alcoholism a disease? *Scoff* In my opinion, it's very simple - don't drink and you won't become a drunken ***h***e. More specifically, ever heard of the "steering wheel" concept? Keep your hands on the wheel and don't turn into those convenience store parking lots. It's that simple.
Furthermore, these people (cult members - from my perspective) say that if you don't work the 12 steps, you will either die, go to jail or a mental institution. Guess what? I left AA in a huff over 20 years ago and still am alive, happy and free. Furthermore, all my old AA "friends" are either dead (most of them are dead - young or old at the time I knew them), in prison or in mental hospitals. I have News: AA does not work and is nothing more than a cult! And I'm living proof of that, being that I'm still around :lol: - if my niece or another family member ever has any problems with alcohol/drugs, the last thing I'm doing is sending them to AA.
AA - what a waste of time. I spent two or three years going to them stupid meetings, working the steps, serving on committees, sponsoring others - I found AA at 19 and left at 23 in disgust (haven't been back since until tonight).
I couldn't take it any longer: When it came my turn to share in the meeting, I said just about everything I just posted. You should have seen the looks on their faces. :lol::lol::lol:
AA - A Big thumbs down and screw those people.
Now to respond more directly. I don't have a problem with Alcoholism being a medical condition, though I'd hesitate to use the word disease. More akin to a mental health issue, an inability to say no to certain temptations (here I'm going into addiction as a whole, but they have AA type for nearly everything so I think we can do that). I would expect AA works about as well as any group therapy, for some very well, for others' not so much. I think that depends on whether you're a person who prefers individuality or camaraderie.
My personal opinion of them based solely on what I've seen on tv and read about them, having never attended one, it seems like a whole lot of "poor me," and not enough pulling up the britches and finding solutions. I feel that way about most psychological solutions, too much looking back and not enough solid planning skill learning for tomorrow, and the day after.
In my opinion, they need to be role playing and things like that to learn how to handle those temptations regardless of how or why they have the addictions. I could care less why I have PTSD, okay that's not true, but I do know why, we all do, some of it's rational some not, but what I want when I'm having issues is answers, not answers from my past, or answers about the world. I want to learn and practice til I'm super comfortable with how to walk away, or how to handle without getting anxious, or practice not ducking everytime a man raises his hand... practical stuff.
Some people claim to need all the emotional upheaval of places like AA, but I just have never understood how it ever actually helps outside of it the comrade in misery and recovery aspect.
They're a self-supported group. I see relatively little reason for hostility toward them.
Do you prefer taxpayer-subsidized alcohol treatment, hospital-based detoxification, public safety escorting them to emergency rooms to be medically cleared for transfer to a state-funded jail's drunk tank? There is a vast array of extremely expensive interventions for substance abusers and addicts. If you want to criticize what exists for such people to drop their habit/addiction/disease/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, the Anonymous groups are the last place you want to start.
Attend an open AA meeting or two. You'll find out your assessment that it's a lot of "poor me" is quite far from the truth.
I have no reason to, I have the least addictive personality of anyone I know. I don't drink, I don't gamble, I don't do drugs,... I'm a control freak, addiction just doesn't fit with that personality trait.
I'm not so sure they really are so self-supporting. The courts sure seem to force a whole lot of people into it. That's not self-supportive.
They don't profit or even employ workers to any significant degree as a result of judicial system referrals, so compared to most psychiatric and substance abuse providers (who receive grant funding, Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, insurance reimbursement, etc.), Anonymous groups are indeed self-supporting by almost any standard.
Harbor criticism for the tools/programs via which substance-abusing/addicted people address their issues? So be it, but attack the Anonymous groups last of all.
If it helps keep others sober and happy, who are the **** are you to condemn them?
My current girlfriend dragged me to an AA meeting tonight. To be honest, I've never heard so much BS in my entire life. Alcoholism a disease? *Scoff* In my opinion, it's very simple - don't drink and you won't become a drunken ***h***e. More specifically, ever heard of the "steering wheel" concept? Keep your hands on the wheel and don't turn into those convenience store parking lots. It's that simple.
Furthermore, these people (cult members - from my perspective) say that if you don't work the 12 steps, you will either die, go to jail or a mental institution. Guess what? I left AA in a huff over 20 years ago and still am alive, happy and free. Furthermore, all my old AA "friends" are either dead (most of them are dead - young or old at the time I knew them), in prison or in mental hospitals. I have News: AA does not work and is nothing more than a cult! And I'm living proof of that, being that I'm still around :lol: - if my niece or another family member ever has any problems with alcohol/drugs, the last thing I'm doing is sending them to AA.
AA - what a waste of time. I spent two or three years going to them stupid meetings, working the steps, serving on committees, sponsoring others - I found AA at 19 and left at 23 in disgust (haven't been back since until tonight).
I couldn't take it any longer: When it came my turn to share in the meeting, I said just about everything I just posted. You should have seen the looks on their faces. :lol::lol::lol:
AA - A Big thumbs down and screw those people.
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