Posted by SLS on August 31, 2021, at 7:31:46
In reply to Re: I'm creating an 11 step program, posted by undopaminergic on August 31, 2021, at 1:50:35
> Incidentally, I know more people it worked for than not.
But at what cost? You spend 1/3 your waking hours in AA meetings. You are indoctrinated to believe that you can never attain and maintain sobriety unless you invest (waste) half of your life in AA rituals. AA results in and works by segregating people from mainstream society. They think of themselves as "alcoholics". That's a noun. It's the difference between "I have leprosy" and "I'm a leper". But that's what they are - an alcoholic. That is so much nastier than saying that someone has a substance use disorder - in their own minds. It felt cultish to me to be in room of AA members as they go through their rote rituals.
I have sat in on some group therapy sessions designed for MICA patients. I interacted with quite a few people there. Now, many of them devote 1/6 of their waking hours to evangelizing. My guess is that AA keeps the preacher's pants wet. It isn't that hard for a large group of zealots in your emotional support circle to persuade impaired and dependent people what the "true" higher power is.
Perhaps this isn't as universal in AA as I think it is.
There are far too many people for whom the AA paradigm won't work to improve their global satisfaction with life. I can't see it working for intellectual, well-educated people. I can't see it working for people who are by nature free-spirited. I can't see it working for people who are visionary. From what I saw, AA can be like a minimum-security prison. It isn't often that I saw people thrive and grow with such willing conformity.
I know for sure that AA is exactly what many people need. I'm just describing my impressions after being exposed to, and being friends with, members of the AA community. My higher power would have me running in the opposite direction after stepping through the door. There are too many people who think AA is the only source of help. That ignorance can result in what I consider to be a sad outcome for the reasons I described.
As is often said, we are all different - biologically, temperamentally, and spiritually.
- Scott
Some see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
poster:SLS
thread:1116752
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20210723/msgs/1116776.html