I remember reading the Atlantic article when it came out back in 2015. I shared it on FB and ALL the 12 step true believers came out of woodwork to comment. It was a genuine pile-on, albeit respectful. Anecdotal, obviously, but not one person who commented was willing to believe there could be another way besides AA. It's a quasi religio…
I remember reading the Atlantic article when it came out back in 2015. I shared it on FB and ALL the 12 step true believers came out of woodwork to comment. It was a genuine pile-on, albeit respectful. Anecdotal, obviously, but not one person who commented was willing to believe there could be another way besides AA. It's a quasi religion. I know it works for some people (including a few in my extended family), but it doesn't work for a lot of people (including a few in my extended family).
I've always been wary of the program as one-stop shopping for addiction. My husband was going to meetings when we met way back in the midst of time. About five years into our marriage he started socially drinking and it's truly never been an issue. So I've seen first hand that it is possible to come out of the other side of drinking too much and still having a beer with the boys without it spiraling into a wrecking ball.
AA is purposefully and explicitly decentralized. There are some extreme ideas circulated through AA in many cases, but it might be that another meeting has a completely different culture.
Personally I think the religious undertones are a universal problem that manifests to a different extent in each group.
AA worked for my dad, not for my mom. He stopped drinking in NY, and they moved to North Carolina and when my mom tried to quit she was turned off by the fact that most AA groups in her area were very Jesus based, and she is an atheist (still closeted). I think the Sinclair method would’ve worked for her by allowing her to drink socially without getting to the point of blacking out, falling, etc.
I remember reading the Atlantic article when it came out back in 2015. I shared it on FB and ALL the 12 step true believers came out of woodwork to comment. It was a genuine pile-on, albeit respectful. Anecdotal, obviously, but not one person who commented was willing to believe there could be another way besides AA. It's a quasi religion. I know it works for some people (including a few in my extended family), but it doesn't work for a lot of people (including a few in my extended family).
I've always been wary of the program as one-stop shopping for addiction. My husband was going to meetings when we met way back in the midst of time. About five years into our marriage he started socially drinking and it's truly never been an issue. So I've seen first hand that it is possible to come out of the other side of drinking too much and still having a beer with the boys without it spiraling into a wrecking ball.
Thank you so much, Katie.
AA is purposefully and explicitly decentralized. There are some extreme ideas circulated through AA in many cases, but it might be that another meeting has a completely different culture.
Personally I think the religious undertones are a universal problem that manifests to a different extent in each group.
AA worked for my dad, not for my mom. He stopped drinking in NY, and they moved to North Carolina and when my mom tried to quit she was turned off by the fact that most AA groups in her area were very Jesus based, and she is an atheist (still closeted). I think the Sinclair method would’ve worked for her by allowing her to drink socially without getting to the point of blacking out, falling, etc.
I believe atheist AA groups exist, although they maintain a spiritual angle (like NA 'higher power).
In Europe it is much less faith based. You can tell the difference in the English speaking groups with a lot of US Expats.