Some observations on the "Recovery Business"

"While your current plague of 'AA' dog and pony shows does involve money as a motive, many such groups don't. Prestige, authority, a sincere belief that the 'right kind' of AA needs to be carried to the heathen; these may be more common, and even more insidious.

'Joe and Charlie' acolytes and Pacific Group clones are recruited face to face more often than at 'shows.' Our local Big Book Comes Alive folks make a great to-do about not being paid (they sell and raffle CDs of AA swamis instead).

Whether they go into the biz or not, attendees at these events are lead to believe that there is a 'secret sauce' version of AA which is somehow more real or 'better than' the real article. The AA they advocate is always one that involves charismatic leadership, abusive styles of sponsorship, overt religiosity and requirements for conformity and obedience from the newcomer. This is the AA of pre-Tradition power-drivers like Clarence S. of Cleveland, not the post-Tradition AA formed to avoid the tragic errors of such groups."

(as usual our thanks to this AA member (US) for their contribution)

Link to an article on dual diagnosis

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=9527

In particular it is interesting to note the prioritisation protocols applied by this clinical practice with regard to dual diagnosis:

"Our partial hospital program dealt with addiction issues and mental health issues simultaneously, but always prioritized the addictions, on the theory that you cannot benefit much from psychiatric or psychological attention when you are intoxicated".

This approach represents a 180 degree reversal of the cult's response to the dual diagnosis issue. These (unqualified) individuals insist that recovery is not possible whilst someone is still undergoing treatment (either through the use of prescribed medication and/or other therapeutic interventions). The author of the article, Dr Mark Dombeck, a health professional and a proponent of both the 12 Step approach as well as the Fellowships which employ it, seems to indicate that the primary issue to be tackled is that of the addiction (including alcoholism), which then allows the other part of the diagnosis to be addressed accordingly. It would seem, therefore, that dual diagnosis individuals (according to this perspective) should indeed have access to the fullest possible assistance within AA (and other fellowships) rather than have unnecessary obstacles placed in their way by those uninformed, unqualified and prejudiced dogmatists who are currently causing so much harm, firstly to those new to the Fellowship, and thereafter to the reputation of Alcoholics Anonymous itself.

(our thanks to the member who drew our attention to this article)

The Fellas

Bexleyheath Friday - still an AA group!

First - the good news!

It seems that reports of the Bexleyheath Friday meeting's takeover by the local cult were exaggerated - a member of the cultwatch team has made further enquiries to establish a more accurate picture of the situation. Certainly there has been some interference in the running of the group by an "opinionated" member from the Sidcup gang, and a certain amount of disruption due to the relapse of one of the group's members. However it remains an AA group ....

...now the bad news!

....but one in need of support. Currently the group is being kept afloat by people who are only recently arrived in the Fellowship, and who are appealing for longer term members to join in their efforts to keep the meeting viable. So if you live in the Bexley Heath area, don't have a home group, and being mindful of the AA pledge - then get on down to:

BEXLEYHEATH
FRIDAY
20.00
United Reformed Church, Geddes Place, The Broadway

Cheers

The Fellas

Bournemouth Road to Recovery

It would seem that this cult group continues in its attempts to gain access to an AA Intergroup - any AA Intergroup! At a recent Bournemouth Intergroup meeting the group requested probationary membership lasting one year. They were asked if they had any connection with the notorious Plymouth Road to Recovery cult group to which the reply was "No". As our correspondent puts it: "First thing out of the mouth was a lie" - so no change there then! No decision has been made, and of course the choice lies with the AA members in that area - but if the West Kent experience is anything to go by, once the cult have got a foothold they won't be satisfied until they control your Intergroup - something to think about perhaps!!

Cheers

The Fellas

Road to Recovery Plymouth Cult group – not so happy, joyous and free these days?

The word is that all is not well in Happy Land. Apparently there has been something of a breakout amongst “Satan's Rejects” (and before you all get into a sweat about this choice of phrase these are not our words but those of the inestimable Little Wayne, in his latest (recycled) article on the R2R website). Here he extols the virtues of sponsorship and even an admission of his own imperfection: “ I have never claimed to be humble nor perfect and I often fail in living up to the ideals that others seem to practice so well”. This might be a most encouraging sign if voiced by another but we're not at all sure that this particular article is directed towards any other end than a bid to hang on to control of the group by plugging sponsorship (for those of you who are not in the know this cult group practices the “cascade style” of control – Wayne sponsors those who then sponsor those who then sponsor those etc. So if the dictum “Do exactly what your sponsor tells you” is followed, essentially this amounts to Wayne “running the whole show”). Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately - we shall have to see how things develop - it would seem that a significant number of the gang have decided they no longer want to follow Little Wayne's direction. From what we can gather some twenty odd members of this little fraternity have decided to split off and form their own group. The schism seems to have been prompted by a “unity” meeting held recently at the R2R venue. Here it was put to the assembled ranks that it was a case of 'fall into line and back the leader' or go for the 'high road' option – as already indicated a score or so decided upon the latter course, and so this “unity” meeting concluded with the resultant split (more of a “disunity” meeting by the sound of it. It's worth remembering that this is a group whose members regularly lecture the rest of us on the value of AA solidarity??) It is not in itself an unusual event for a cult group to split – usually the fracture occurs around a clash between “personalities” (for personalities read “egos”) and the disgruntled ones head off to start their own brand of madness (usually more extreme – hence our caution in defining this event as fortunate or otherwise). On this occasion, however, it would seem that the issue may revolve around what might be called a disparity between what is said, and what is practised – or as it is more simply put in AA “Someone who talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk”. The danger of placing anyone on a pedestal is that sooner or later they topple off – and the higher the pedestal the bigger the drop, which, of course, illustrates the whole point of Tradition Twelve – the central importance of placing principles before personalities. But unfortunately the cult have not learnt this lesson, and through their advocacy of sponsorship idolatry fall easily and frequently into this trap.

Still – the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak ….. Man can but propose, only God may dispose.... To err is human, to forgive Divine....and finally … There but for the grace of God …..

And so, on that uncharacteristically spiritual and compassionate note (for us at least), we shall conclude

Cheers

The Fellas

All the signs of desperation! But more publicity for us ...

They just don't get it! After the rather sad attempts of the anti-aacultwatch Twitterer - he's still Tweeting away like a good'un – last time we looked we'd been accused of homophobia, women abuse, charging for sponsorship, doing pills, etc etc - it's amazing we'd have any time to run the website with all that going on. Still, now the cats-out-of-the-bag, we'd like to 'fess up - to causing: the credit crunch, the MP expenses scandal, global warming, the success of John and Edward on the X-Factor, swine flu ….fill in the blanks ….. anyway we digress .... it would seem that a Google sponsored link has been set up advertising an anti-aacultwatch blog by “A lady member from Battersea”. The blog hit the ether yesterday with the opening shot in what we're quite sure will be a cogently argued counter-campaign to the aacultwatch site – NOT! If the first entry is anything to go by we've simply got ourselves a slightly longer version of the Twitterer. The banner declaims: “Who do you think you are?” Now we have to assume that the question is intended to be rhetorical rather than literal because if it were the latter then it is self-evident that we do, in fact, not only know who we think we are but simultaneously know who we are also; it is not even a matter of opinion but of direct experience (although it does imply some interesting epistemological questions – but we'll save that for another time – even now we can hear the huge sigh of relief heaving round the land!). Therefore it must be that the device is intended to be ironical – but surely not! One thing that can always be discerned within the character of your average cult member is that they've undergone 'wit bypass' surgery – but perhaps this is a clone mark II – an evolved hybrid version of the bog standard assembly line creation. Anyway we digress yet again …. the “lady member from Battersea” asserts the following:

“ I am a sober, grateful member of the amazing fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. I would like all AA's who surf the world wide web to know and understand that the majority of AA members here in the UK think aacultwatch is a farcical nonsense and injurious to AA.

Wow you can hear the clash of egos across the oceans... they are no more than self appointed internet police whose sobriety has clearly not advanced beyond the insanity of a failed step 2.

Let all sound AA members do as we are bidden and pray for our misguided friends and in particular that their ISP connection fails permanently..”


Well, all we can say is that we're mightily impressed by all this - only one day in operation and already she has gauged the pulse of the “majority of AA members”. Not only this but she's a mind reader as well – she knows what we “think” - this would be truly terrifying if it were not so awesome. Still at least AA has a spokesperson now – one who knows what the majority thinks – perhaps even before they do. Moreover she knows exactly what Step we're on (although she doesn't seem to understand what it refers to ie. alcoholic insanity). Anyway - we put our heads together and decided that we ALL, the entire aacultwatch team, want to be sponsored by this spiritual giant. And as for the “clash of egos across the oceans...” – we can hear that as well. Still it is quite heartening to learn that yet more people are being exhorted to pray for us – at this rate sainthood can only be a short step away, though we do think that bit about our “ISP connection failing permanently” might not be quite in accordance with the spirit of the programme – but then who are we to question such spiritual insight?

And now for the killer blow – the cartoon depicted on the blog. If anything sums up the cult's stance on sponsorship this production does it perfectly:



'Nuff said.

Cheerio

The Fellas

PS. No – we don't think we'll be wasting a lot of our time on this blog in the future

Latest from Eastbourne

Re: Eastbourne: There is a Solution
Friday 19.30 Elim Church, Hartfield Rd

“The "new" Thursday and Friday meetings in Eastbourne failed to get the required 2/3 majority to be voted out. The Hastings one was voted out. I have a feeling that this is not the end of the story - members of the Friday group in particular were not seen in "mainstream" meetings for a while, but have started popping up here and there, always in pairs.....”

This, by the way, is not an unusual tactic for the cult - when the going gets tough this lot go underground thinking that if they hide and keep very, very, very still we won't notice them any more. Then when the heat's off they get up to their little tricks again. Well - we've got news for you – that isn't going to work any more – the going's going to get tougher and tougher and ….

Finally it would seem that the aacultwatch Cult 'Where to Find' is not being greeted with universal approbation – hardly a surprise – but even so you'd think that the cult would be grateful to us for giving them all that free publicity – but it seems not – rather the reverse. So (and as usual in the spirit of seeking to be helpful) we can save all those outraged cult members the time and trouble of sending us emails containing those apparently standardised (and transparently emotionally manipulative) comments and questions flying our way.

Q: How can we sleep at night?
A: Like babies. We'd find it a lot harder to do so if we did just stand by and do nothing while newcomers suffer (and in some cases die)

Q: Shouldn't we hang our heads in shame?
A: No. Rather the reverse in fact (see above answer)

Q: It's all just speculation and hearsay. You don't know what you're talking about?
A: Yes we do. It's all based on evidence supplied directly by aacultwatch members

Q: You're damaging AA unity and breaking the Traditions aren't you?
A: This is always an entertaining line of attack especially coming from the cult who are, after all, expert practitioners in both areas. AA unity is not going to be served by pretending that nothing is wrong with the Fellowship. The whole purpose of AA is to help the still suffering alcoholic. If we act in such a fashion that we not only fail to carry out this objective but indeed heap yet more suffering upon the new man or woman then what real function does AA have? Is there any point to its continued existence? Nor do we support the view that AA unity must be preserved at “any cost” - a ludicrous concept in itself and dangerous in its implications – we, as citizens, and as moral human beings, have a duty of care to our fellows which supersedes any adherence to a set of rules or guidelines. We operate within a wider community and are bound by its laws and by its socially and culturally defined principles. Any organisation that chooses to ignore the context within which it exists and fails to govern itself responsibly will finally come into conflict with those principles, and this to the detriment of all. Consequently the organisation degenerates to such a point that it exists only to perpetuate its own existence without regard to the welfare of its members, or those it is supposedly serving, and is thus rendered both irreversibly corrupt and essentially redundant.

To conclude we would remind you of the AA pledge:


I am Responsible.
When Anyone, Anywhere
Reaches Out For Help,
I Want The Hand Of A.A.
To Always Be There.
And For That,
I Am Responsible !

The final question is: Do you want the hand of AA to be extended, or that of the cult? We've made our choice – it's up to you to make yours!

(As usual our thanks to the AA member for the info)

Cheers

The Fellas

A light interlude

A helpful AA member has suggested a formatted template for all those aspiring motivational speakers out there - here is the promo: