Under Readers' comments
“I haven't drank in 4 years, and I had a really bad drinking problem and a miserable life. I was a mess, bussing tables in a restaurant, college dropout, could hardly keep up with bills - etc. If it weren't for AA I'm pretty sure I'd still be drinking. I found the most amazing and life changing discoveries and attitudes -- using the steps and meetings as a SPRINGBOARD (It did not come directly from them, although they definitely have a good benefit). I read a lot of outside literature and changed so much for the better in these last 4 years. However, I've noticed SO many people who never get past dogma and slogans. I know some people with 30 years who are just grumpy and self-deprecating through and through. I also discovered, and I'm so glad I was spared this, that there are genuine, hands down, no question about it cults inside of AA. It's not every single person in the program, probably a very small percentage, but the way AA is set up it unfortunately lends itself to this sort of problem.
Sponsorship
is really helpful in the beginning, but the reliance on that sponsor
should naturally decline as time goes on. However, and It's very
unfortunate to say this, but when I run into a newcomer who needs
guidance, and for whatever reason doesn't ask me (I don't push myself
on people -- even in a passive aggressive way that some AAs do), I
can think of very few people to direct him to.
If
there is one thing that I dislike about AA it's the prevalent
anti-intellectualism. Some of my greatest growth came from
questioning and meditating on my problems, not pushing them out of my
mind and writing it off with something like, "My best thinking
got me here!" I still get a lot out of AA, and I seriously
believed that if I didn't have a big group of sober people around me
I wouldn't have stopped drinking, but it's very unfortunate to see
the intellectual/personality casualties.”
Cheers
The
Fellas (Friends
of Alcoholics Anonymous)
