Yep! The snake oil purveyors will always be with us. These days they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes whether it be the Wayne B “Last Mile Foundation” (a snip at only $5,000 to $50,000 “and more” for 7 to 28 days pain free dollar extraction) or all the other money driven treatment centres which, via their eternally 'revolving door' policy, will happily relieve you of all your cash if not your obsession. Then there's the Joe and Charlie roadshow (and their ilk) flogging yet another version of the 'programme' (with gaping great holes running through it, leaving out the bits they don't like and inserting the bits that they do – in other words just like the rest of us!). Next comes Wally P's “Back to Basics” ('express pain relief') which claims an extraordinary success rate but seems rather vague on the details not to mention (but we will) the sponsor obsessed Visions cult with its core tenet that a “human power” CAN relieve your alcoholism. Of course we couldn't possibly leave out the Big Book obsessives who can hardly leave their front door without referring to the Blessed Tome etc etc ….. So in our own INESTIMABLY humble opinion we SUGGEST that you keep a firm grip on your wallet and toddle off to your local FREE AA meeting (whilst giving control freaks, Big Book evangelists, programme lawyers, step Nazis and other assorted blood sucking parasites a swerve) and get stuck into your very own version of recovery. It all sounds a bit too simple doesn't it ….. Well guess what! That's because it is! Remember: no 'special' interpretations of the programme are necessary (Dr Bob's words .. not ours!)
Cheerio
The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS Of course if you absolutely cannot resist the impulse to throw away your cash we're more than willing to take the filthy lucre off you! After all there's one born every minute!
