Why do people bash Alcoholics Anonymous?

Question

Amber hunny, you're so cute - I think you misunderstood the question. I mean "Alcoholics Anonymous" as in the 12-step program. Luv Jack

Answer 1

What you consider bashing is probably just people like me telling the truth about AA.

Only 5% of newcomers stay in AA for one year, the other 95% leave; that from AA's own Triennial Survey. Out of that 95%, at least some found the program harmful, I know I certain did.

I bounced in and out of the rooms for almost twenty years, never putting together more than a few months of sobriety. AA programmed me to fail. I'm an atheist and found it impossible to do the steps. People told me that even an atheist could manage it, but that's plain bs. I went through all sorts of mental gymnastics in those years and it just cannot be done. AA members don't want you to anyway, they want you to convert. Just read "We Agnostics" or the "12 & 12"...religious tripe. They can claim "spiritual, not religious" as much as they want, ever higher court that has heard the arguments have ultimately decided that AA is at least "religious in nature".

During my brief stints in the rooms, I picked up all sorts of damaging beliefs, powerlessness, that I had a disease, and that I couldn't make it without AA. Over 5 years ago, I took responsibility for my addiction and my recovery, and I'm still sober today.

And I'm not the only one. There are at least a dozen AA "bashing" groups on Yahoo alone, helping people heal from the abuses they found in the rooms.

I've been working with people who have substance abuse and mental health issues, almost every one of them has their own "twelve step horror stories". (BTW, did you know there's a book with that title? It can be read online at:
http://www.morerevealed.com/library.jsp )

Many of these people fell victim to the anti-medication, anti-therapy faction of AA who, despite literature to the contrary, tell people they must give up all medication or else they aren't truly sober.

Have you ever looked at the studies done? How about the Brandsma study that showed that people who were exposed to AA were 4-5 times as likely to engage in binge drinking than those who attempted quitting on their own. Or the various studies that show AA's 5% success rate is the same as the 5% success rate achieved by people quitting on the own? Or the Harvard study that showed that most people more people get sober with no treatment that through AA?

But my all time favorite study was run by George Valliant, Harvard researcher and member of the AA Board of Trustees, in attempting to prove that AA worked, he came up with this conclusion:
"Not only had we failed to alter the natural history of alcoholism, but our death rate of three percent a year was appalling."

But he didn't let a little thing like facts stand in his way, he still promotes AA.
For those who want to read more about these studies and AA's efficiency, go to:
http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-effectiveness.html

Some people do credit AA for their sobriety, mainly because that's were they were when they made to decision to stop, but that's like something always being in the last place you look....you stop looking.

A comparison was done of 48 different methods of recovery, AA placed 38th in effectiveness:
http://www.behaviortherapy.com/whatworks.htm

Why should AA be immune to valid criticism? Where are the studies, the facts and figures that prove AA works? All you have are the testimonials of people who claim AA worked for them, what about the testimonials of those who say it didn't and those who say it harmed them?

Answer 2

First thing is that the only person who would state it this way are members of AA. Bashing is not the correct word although AA'ers seem to be so narrow and closed minded that they can't see any reason for it. Even worse they can never justify this reaction adequately. AA is being scrutinized today the way it never has been before. I thank god for it too. It has been the preffered method of treatment here in the USA. The statistics do speak for itself. Scrutiny is a better word. How did it get this way, remanin this way, and yet somehow mangae to remain the preferred method of treatment? It has done this with the help of the supportive services which surround the care and treatment of addictions ie: hospitals, aftercare treatment centers, shelters, even TC's recomend it. This is an effort to standardize addictions treatmnt. It makes it easy for the billion dollar treatment industries to pay and collect its bills, and perpetuates this one size fits all disease concept method of treating addiction. The overall support from these supportive services gives AA the mythical power that it has. It is all hype and a moneymaker. This is the bottom line. The written program itself doesn't matter here. With the results that AA has compared to the criteria which other businesses use to measure success, AA is cleraly seen as a failure. When major corporations start showing up with results like this they close. This is not bashing here at all, just a little scrutiny.
How it works inside is clearly different as to how is is purported to work. Shunning has become a pastime along with any other number of games which go on in the rooms.
They say stick around and wait for the miracle to happen, the fact that anyone can get or stay clean in AA is a miracle. That is bashing a bit and not unwarrented. There is a difference.

Answer 3

Why is it every time someone questions the bad things that go on in AA people say it is bashing. AA is a cult that has to control every thought and action of it's members. I was forced in AA in May 1991 and was wrongly told I could take what I could use and reject the rest.


That lasted about a month. then I was being forced to say I was an alcoholic and being reminded ever meeting that I was when AA publicly says that only the individual can determine if they are an alcoholic.


The first thing on the very first day I was forced to flush my anti depressants down the toilet because I was told that if I take any medication at all I was not sober. this nearly killed me, I almost committed suicide there the second month.


I had a spiritual belief but my sponsor made me get on my knees and reject Christ and pledge allegiance to AA and their understanding of god even the doorknob part which was idolatry in my belief system. But I was told that only AA was the true path to God and if I did not do every thing they told me to I would die drunk.


I was told I could not date for a year and every time anyone saw me talking to a lady, they took me away by force and fussed at me because women could make me relapse. I was going to 9 meetings a week, but was being told that was not enough I needed to make more meetings. I was fussed at because I did not swallow every aspect of their program and They tried to brain wash me into believing that if I did not believe and do as I was told then i was doomed to die the death of an alcoholic. I was told that AA is the only way and no one can get sober without AA.


AA is a bad religious cult and people need to hear what really goes on in the rooms. AA has only a five per cent success rate and that is the same success rate of those who quit on their own, but AA has a much higher mortality rate than those who go it alone. I know why because AA forces people to believe they are powerless,they need god as AA understands him, they are told it is not their fault they have a disease and nothing can help but AA.
At least in Christian churches you can sit there silently and listen and you don't have to believe everything preached. AA forced me to talk, I tried to just sit and listen, but that was not going to happen.


I went to AA Memorial day 1991 and got sober. I left in late September or early October 1991, started drinking again about November to see if I was really an alcoholic, AA teaches that if you leave and stay sober you are a thief and bad things will happen, so if you leave you must try control drinking to prove if you are an alcoholic. So this is what I did, I could not control it but I decided I would drink until my birthday then quit. Feb 29,1992 was the last time I drank. I have been sober since without AA and without the controlling people making my life miserable.
How can people say AA works when they have such a high suicide rate and the success rate is no more than those who quit on their own. In order for AA to work one is first forced into believing they are powerless and forced to believe AA is the only way then if they cannot get sober, they just did not get with the program.


AA kills people and needs to be exposed for what it is, a religious cult that controls every aspect of a person's life.

Answer 4

Let's avoid the emotive word 'bash', and use the word 'criticise'. People criticise AA because it is a human institution, and all human institutions - political parties, governments, churches, charities - must, in a free world, be open to criticism.

The really interesting question is why AA is so bad at responding to criticism and unwilling to admit where it goes wrong.

Answer 5

I personally am a recovering alcoholic. In the early stages of getting clean i went to AA and found them to be a bunch of self centered people trying to outdo each other. If someone truly wants to get sober they will do it with or without help.I was drunk for 25 years and quit cold turkey. It wasn't easy but i made it. Been sober for 12 years now, but i must admit, i am still tempted occasionally.

Answer 6

Manofnomeanz answer is probably the closest " bash " you will get. I, as a scientist, know that science is somewhat perturbed at AA, probably, because they find it hard to quantify. That never stopped me from going to meetings, though. The big difference between those that really " get " the program and people like manofnomeanz, is that those who are"getting it" do not have an urge to drink from time to time.

Answer 7

Jack, hunny, I see that you're gay - not that I have any problem with that - but it compels me to turn the tables & ask you a question.

When GLBT activists roundly criticize religious fundamentalists who want to deny us our civil liberties & insist there's only *one way* to salvation, do you consider that "bashing?"

(Btw, if you've ever been a victim of a violent hate crime, then you understand what's really "bashing.")

Answer 8

they just aint done worshiping the booze, or anything else including themselves, and as the process requires confession and restitution which coming from the oxford group were basic christian principles.they bash that add AA to their list Merry Christmas

Answer 9

Hi my name is Tracey and I have a problem with bashing alcoholics anonymous.

Answer 10

I didn't know people bash AA ..well i guess that shouldn't surprise me they bash everything else!
I haven't a clue why they'd bash AA. Seems like a program that's been tried and tested and works!