Should AA/NA attendance be totally voluntary?

Question

It is my opinion that AA/NA are good programs but are not for everyone. The program started out to be voluntary and seemed to work well for those who chose it. I don't believe that anyone should be forced to attend. I believe that any professional recommending AA/NA should fully explain the program including the religiousosity of the program /

Answer 1

Yes, unfortunately courts in many parts of the country still mandate AA. Some people will whine that people have a choice, but choosing jail time isn't a real choice. Many in AA complain that it is these mandated people that screw up AA's statistics, but they were never very good to begin with. I sure wouldn't want to be sitting next to some of the criminals that are sent there:
http://news.usti.net/home/news/cn/?/world.law/2/wed/be/Uus-woodry.Rwzx_FA9.html

Many AAers place the blame solely on the courts, when in actuality, the GSO sold you all out:
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/en_pdfs/mg-05_coopwithcourt.pdf
"Attraction rather than promotion" wasn't enough to keep AA going, Those AA officials in NYC wanted to keep their part-time six-figure salaries:
http://www.silkworth.net/gsowatch/tax/index.htm ,
but by rapidly increasing membership, forcing people to attend, only brought more attention to AA's failings and created a sub-culture of irate ex-members.

Coercion doesn't just come from the courts, there are also people mandated by employee assistance programs, licensing boards (the legal and medical are the worst), Social Services, and other government agencies.

I'm diagnosed with major depression (before I started drinking) and PTSD, I was never able to afford proper mental health care, the money or insurance always ran out before I made any progress, so I'd return to drinking. I kept trying AA but it only made the depression worse.

Finally, I swallowed my pride and went onto public assistance to get the mental health care I needed. No matter how hard I tried to explain that AA did not work for me and only made things worse, how my atheism prevented me from engaging the program full-heartedly, I was coerced into six months of a 12step halfway house and 12step treatment along with mandatory meetings in order to receive the help I needed. Even then, the only way I finally got it after 4 months of promises, was to walk into the local mental health center and demand to see someone or be locked up as a danger to myself and others.

I've stayed sober the last 5 years because I finally got the help I needed; not because of AA, but in spite of it. As a peer advocate for the dually diagnosed, I've seen and heard many AA horror stories. If someone WANTS to join a religious, anti-medication, anti-therapy, shame-inducing group for the chance of being one of the lucky 5% of new members that actually stays sober for a year or more, fine: freedom of religion. But telling someone else that they must join violates their constitutional rights and violates the traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Answer 2

AA is still totally voluntary. A professional counselor can only recommend attendance at meetings, they cannot mandate. The courts also recognize AA and cooperate fully. Nobody is sentenced to AA meetings. Open meetings are available for the general public and closed meetings are for alcoholics only. But just because someone needs to get a signature on a sheet of paper does not mean they do not have the desire to stop drinking. Stay sober long enough to learn the traditions before you go ranting and raving about things that won't change. I'll keep a seat warm for you.
Meritt H. 11-19-1984

Answer 3

AA/NA is most definitely mandatory. It is generally NOT up to the person what type of "aftercare", etc they choose. The judge simply says you must attend so many AA/NA meetings per week. And the groups cooperate in this coercion by breaking anonymity to sign court cards. Many jurisdictions, as well as licensing boards, require a "sponsor report" every month, where the sponsor writes a letter saying if the person is working the steps, showing up for meetings with them, etc and the person's life and freedom can swing on this "sponsor's" opinion.

Answer 4

AA and NA do not and can not make attendance mandatory. Courts will often require people convicted of drug or alcohol offenses to attend drug or alcohol treatment and out patient follow-up. The courts will often allow the followup to be completed via attendance at AA or NA or other out patient facility. People often choose to go to AA or NA because of the low cost. So the attendance at AA or NA is only mandatory in that attending some out patient follow-up is required.

On the question about religion, AA says:
A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination,
politics, organization or institution;

Step three is the major mention of God:
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

The key here is "as we understood (or understand) Him". For a christian, they will understand him as the God from the Bible. For a Pagan, they will associate this with the Pagan god they worship. I have discussed this with a couple of AA members close to me that are non-Christians and they all pretty much agree that you do not need a christian belief to operate in the AA or NA approach.

Answer 5

After 21 years in,around, and on aa I am out, finally. AA is neither real "alcoholics" or "anonymous" anymore. I must say that the Orange Papers was the straw that broke my camels back. Like many oldtimers with many years "sober" I was coming to this place Ray mentions, "... forcing people to attend, only brought more attention to AA's failings and created a sub-culture of irate ex-members." Thanks

Answer 6

I agree, forcing someone into such a program, defeats the purpose of the program, people that are forced to be there don't listen to anything being said, all they do is check their watch waiting for it to end, so they can go have a drink, pill, snort, or puff.

Answer 7

Yes.