How do you feel about Alcoholics Anonymous?

Question

One of my College classes, we were assigned to attend 2 A.A meetings. I actually was only able to attend 1 A.A meeting because of the lack of programs in my area.

Anyway! I was just curious to know how you feel about Alcoholics Anonymous? Or the 12 step process? Or how do you feel about Alcoholism being a disese?

Sorry so many questions, it's for a paper!
Thanks bunches!
--Vae

Answer 1

I have researched AA, very thoroughly. I have gone to meeting and even entered their closed world pretending to be a "Alcoholic" I use the term very loosely as it is a social construct that has changed drastically in th past 70 years since the inception of AA by William G Wilson whose History any one studying AA sand it spin of should learn not just the AAWS or GSO approved version .

What AA will not tell you is that most people quit or moderate on their own it is called in non academic terms maturing out or , growing up .
A lot of Substance abuse problems can also be explained from a sociological perceptive. To make it simple a person uses a substance to escape From something in their life that they are for a myriad of reason unable to alter or change on their own.
Sometimes it is entirely possible that a person who can find themselves out of work, loose every thing and alcohol being cheap and readily available, becomes escapee. Given the chance and right help a person will not choose to drink to excess and want to be social
Please google Rat Park Experiment.
There is a rapidly growing number of Ex AA ?NA etc, members who are have a very loosely formed ?"Social movement " a few cult "experts are re examining AA at the urging of well educated people. I openly admit to being one of them . I am working on My PHd I have a MA, MS and JD
AA if examined closely has approximately a 1% success rate if 95 % leave in less than a year most we can not count as thy go ot one or two meetings leave . Most admit to relapse around 4 %


AA in my view is a religious cult. It has been found by the 7th and 2nd federal circuit courts to be either a religion or religious in nature .

http://www.law.duke.edu/shell/cite.pl?47+Duke+L.+J.+785

In my observations I found very disturbing issues such as members often are under the false belief that any thing they say in a meeting is confidential often in a closed meeting one will hear of horrific crimes and if a member does the right thing and contacts law enforcement that person
themsleves will be attcledand often find themselves facing false criminal chages . so as to protect the group and offender
Although it says it is a program of attraction is one of force usually by the state. Fully 40 % of its membership comes from courts this is from AA's triennial survey.

See this link on AA and courts
http://www.morerevealed.com/books/resist/r_chap_4.htm


This link is very telling if it fails Email me question asker only all other are deleted

http://www.aa.org/en_pdfs/mg-05_coopwithcourt.pdf

It is a stretch at best for AA to say it does not actively peruse judge probation offices and Parole officers in order to gain members who cannot leave and often must comply totally with AA and the local Guru

The recovery movement or 12 step movement as it now called that took hold in the 1970s and reached its Apex in the 1980saNDaearly 1990s is at a plateau due opt increasing knowledge about substance

use and litigation along with ex XA ( a generic term for all 12 step organizations )
There is even a Masturbators Anonymous. I think therapy and, cosmetic surgery probably solve that if attractiveness is an issue, exercise and even legalized prostitution. Is excessive masturbation a disease?
A bit radical but it isbetter than a person not socializing at all and delving deeper into a fantasy world,.

There is a lot to say about AA

One is that there is little if any real scientific evidence a disease exists. That is controversial. Does AA help absolutely not it is in fact a harmful organization

Often the alleged disease is used to evade incarceration and seek new victims in meetings or even Rehab!


PS Contact me if you want more info for your research and paper

Answer 2

After almost 20 years of believing that AA was the only way, bouncing in and out of the rooms, only managing months of sobriety at a time, I have a very low opinion of the program. They have a lousy success rate (5%, by their own figures) and many that go there looking for help end up worse:
http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-effectiveness.html
(See the Brandsma and Vaillant studies)

AA evolved from a Christian sect, the Oxford Group; its premise is that the only way to quit is by getting closer to God. http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-religiousroots.html

I got sober 5+ years ago by taking responsibility for my addiction and my recovery. Like half of all alcoholics (according to NIMH), I had an underlying mental health disorder. I kept quitting, but depression would always lead me back to the bottle. By getting decent mental health help, drinking became a non-issue. I now work with people who have substance abuse and mental health issues.

Answer 3

AA is a religious cult . The disease is a cop out as ananotherher person stated . go ot meetings and rehab spout some useless mind numbing thought stopping slogans and your off the hook for almost any thing .
Just look at all the celebrities from Limbaugh if most of us were to have that much Oxy - contin on us we would be in prison .
and each time the rich and famous get into trouble it is not that they are breaking the law or misbehaving NO they have a disease BS pathologiogizing every human behavior is a dangerous precedent
OH Billy Wilson lets start With ST Billy his philandering and nicotine addiction I guess the Vaunted 12 step were not much good BTW he died wanting a shot some program

Answer 4

I don't know if alcoholism is a disease, but i know its hard to break an addiction of any kind! I think if it helps people than yes it is good though.

Answer 5

A.A. has worked for alot of people and I think that alcoholism is a disease. I have a friend that is an alcoholic.

Answer 6

Its hard to argue against their sucess. & it is free whereas everything else costs so much & insurance don't pay much.

Answer 7

that is a great method that works for most of the subjects involved in!