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It's not for everyone, and I don't like the fact that people get court orders to go to AA meetings, but it does help some people, so it's not all bad.
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.
court ordered AA will never work. It has to be voluntarily and when the real desire and wish is there to stop. Also you cannot stop for other people/a loved one, only for yourself.
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.
AA does work for a lot of people. A former brother-in-law of mine has been very active in AA for 30+ years. It took being gutted and left to die in a bar ditch for him to commit to sobriety. For him, I think this has meant daily meetings for years. AA is how he met his now long-time wife too, and AA is their big thing. It's almost like a pseudo-religion for them. They're very happy and grateful for the purpose in their lives and the opportunity to help others, so I say live and let live.
I say thumbs up on AA.
If it keeps addicts off the street thereby not creating problems for good people, that is a good thing
This post is an excellent example of the exception proves the rule fallacy.
I know tons of people who have gone through AA and are alive, clean, and happy and many have been for long periods of time... decades. I've also know plenty who rejected AA. Many of them are dead or in jail. AA has been shown to work, but as substance abuse is a very difficult ILLNESS to treat, relapse happens regardless of treatment. Oh, and as a psychotherapist. I send MANY people to AA, and most have very positive experiences there, and remaining in the program is a good indication of success in recovery.
I'm glad that you are doing well. But how you've gotten to where you are has ZERO to do with how anyone else, does. You want to condemn AA because it didn't work for you, that's all well and good. But it is not your place to judge whether it works for anyone else. Of that, you are have no knowledge. And you seem to have very little understanding of the addictive process, either
Good people?
So no addict is a 'good people'?
Noted.
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.
Which speaks volumes about you.
Good day.
Some interesting replies in this thread. One thing I have a problem with is AA's insistence that one needs a "higher power" in order to get better. From my experience, a lot of AA's indeed make AA itself their higher power - hence, that's where the word cult comes into play.
I was one of those that made AA my higher power - it was the most screwed up thing I ever did. It's taken me nearly 20 years to undo the damage that AA did to me.
Look, the bible says this: "God created man in his image." What that means is that I (as are all humans) am God. The bible goes on to say, "There is no God but me." That is I, the soul of the individual. "Be still and know that I am God." Again, the same point.
Duality (the belief that there is a God or power apart from the soul of the individual) is the only devil, from my experience. AA teaches anything but that.
From AA's perspective (as well as Christianity's), I am a "heathen" of sorts - an agnostic or even an atheist from their perspective. Little do they know, their lack of understanding where "God" is really found makes them ignorant, if not stupid.
I haven't been drunk in over 20 years. I drink occasionally, but only in moderation. That's another thing AA says that I would not be able to do - MEANWHILE, the ones whom told me that (including most of my former sponsors) are pushing up daises.
Less that 1% of the people whom go to AA end up staying "sober" for the rest of their lives - I would hardly call that a successful program.
Everything is relative, and knowing all too much about AA I don't they'd care if somebody said "I think AA is crap and got clean without them." The fact is that, for addiction, nothing works. Once a person gets physically addicted to alcohol, it's a different beast, one that I'm glad I never had to deal with. OP, did you get to the point where you had to drink or you'd become delirious? I'll bet my rep points you didn't. The biggest problem is that we never get the full and true story. I know people who say they're addicts and it seems totally untrue and I've known people who say they aren't addicts and clearly are. People say they got clean without AA and are simultaneously having a few drinks (it's not hard liquor so it doesn't count you know) and people in AA who are drunk at meetings and preaching about how they have all the answers.
Nobody has the answers. In the future, we'll probably have a pill that addicts will take and they will magically feel great without their drug of choice. For now, nothing works. AA doesn't work for the vast majority of people. Rehab doesn't work for the vast majority of people. Somebody above said that methadone is just a crutch. Well, methadone has the highest success rate of any treatment plan we currently have for heroin addicts. So instead of slamming somebody who's taking methadone, you should be praising them for choosing the option that has the highest success rate. I know that person said it in a nice way, but even if a person chooses AA or NA, so what? Great. People are trying to help themselves. They're not a cult if they don't care whether or not you join and there is no central figure capitalizing from it. I know they're not the best think in the world but I won't publicly condemn them on a forum where people might need help and will start disliking an organization that could have otherwise helped them. It's all relative.
Everything is relative, and knowing all too much about AA I don't they'd care if somebody said "I think AA is crap and got clean without them." The fact is that, for addiction, nothing works. Once a person gets physically addicted to alcohol, it's a different beast, one that I'm glad I never had to deal with. OP, did you get to the point where you had to drink or you'd become delirious? I'll bet my rep points you didn't. The biggest problem is that we never get the full and true story. I know people who say they're addicts and it seems totally untrue and I've known people who say they aren't addicts and clearly are. People say they got clean without AA and are simultaneously having a few drinks (it's not hard liquor so it doesn't count you know) and people in AA who are drunk at meetings and preaching about how they have all the answers.
Nobody has the answers. In the future, we'll probably have a pill that addicts will take and they will magically feel great without their drug of choice. For now, nothing works. AA doesn't work for the vast majority of people. Rehab doesn't work for the vast majority of people. Somebody above said that methadone is just a crutch. Well, methadone has the highest success rate of any treatment plan we currently have for heroin addicts. So instead of slamming somebody who's taking methadone, you should be praising them for choosing the option that has the highest success rate. I know that person said it in a nice way, but even if a person chooses AA or NA, so what? Great. People are trying to help themselves. They're not a cult if they don't care whether or not you join and there is no central figure capitalizing from it. I know they're not the best think in the world but I won't publicly condemn them on a forum where people might need help and will start disliking an organization that could have otherwise helped them. It's all relative.
This post is an excellent example of the exception proves the rule fallacy.
I know tons of people who have gone through AA and are alive, clean, and happy and many have been for long periods of time... decades. I've also know plenty who rejected AA. Many of them are dead or in jail. AA has been shown to work, but as substance abuse is a very difficult ILLNESS to treat, relapse happens regardless of treatment. Oh, and as a psychotherapist. I send MANY people to AA, and most have very positive experiences there, and remaining in the program is a good indication of success in recovery.
I'm glad that you are doing well. But how you've gotten to where you are has ZERO to do with how anyone else, does. You want to condemn AA because it didn't work for you, that's all well and good. But it is not your place to judge whether it works for anyone else. Of that, you are have no knowledge. And you seem to have very little understanding of the addictive process, either
Most of the "new recruits" are young and court ordered. Typical college age-- reckless mistake-- but brainwashed to believe "they have a disease" that is "lifelong!"
Talk about job security...:roll:
AA/NA do at least as much harm as they do "good."
This post is an excellent example of the exception proves the rule fallacy.
I know tons of people who have gone through AA and are alive, clean, and happy and many have been for long periods of time... decades. I've also know plenty who rejected AA. Many of them are dead or in jail. AA has been shown to work, but as substance abuse is a very difficult ILLNESS to treat, relapse happens regardless of treatment. Oh, and as a psychotherapist. I send MANY people to AA, and most have very positive experiences there, and remaining in the program is a good indication of success in recovery.
I'm glad that you are doing well. But how you've gotten to where you are has ZERO to do with how anyone else, does. You want to condemn AA because it didn't work for you, that's all well and good. But it is not your place to judge whether it works for anyone else. Of that, you are have no knowledge. And you seem to have very little understanding of the addictive process, either
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