Is long time Alcoholics Anonymous membership bad for your pshycological health?

Question

It seems like most people I come in contact with who have been members of AA over 5 years seem to have problems. Most have divorced since joining AA. There social life seems to be centered around AA meetings and other AA members. When you talk to them they seem to only espouse AA slogans. I've seen several that carry their AA reading material like most Christians treat the Bible.

tylerdur-----I just used the phrase Christian and Bible as a analogy to the AA member and their reading material. I did not mean it as a slam on Chirstians.

Answer 1

If AA isn't a cult, it's at least cult-like.

"About 25 percent of marriages break up within a year of one partner's joining AA, says Barbara McCrady, Ph.D., clinical director of the Rutgers Center for Alcohol Studies.":
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-19940901-000025&page=7

McCrady leaves out a very important reason, AA members are encouraged not to associate with non-members, who they call "normies" or "earth people".

AA isn't really about quitting drinking, it's about getting right with God; the literature is full of references to it. That's why people don't leave once they have gotten over the initial rough period of early sobriety.

AA is a splinter group that originated with the Oxford Group, also known as the First Century Christian Fellowship. The founder, Frank Buchman put the group in a very unflattering light when he said, "I thank Heaven for a man like Adolf Hitler, who built a front line of defense against the anti-Christ of Communism..." It was soon after that statement the group re-formed as "Moral Re-Armament".

It's a fear-based program: "Don't go to meetings and you'll end up dead, drunk in a gutter" is heard often.

Most studies, including those done by AA or its members, show AA has about a 5% success rate, the same as quitting on ones own. It takes a real true-believer to claim that it's the only way.

Answer 2

I've been going to AA for 18 months now and have seen alot of what you refer to. But I also see alot of people who are recovering, been sober many many years and living 'outside' of AA quite happily too. Social life tends to be centred around other alcoholics, not always in meetings, because for many alcoholics their previous friendships centred around drinking and previous friends are still drinking. I can assure you that once you get sober, drunks are the most boring people in the world. With regard to the cult status of AA mentioned here... I agree... AA is totally a cult! Any 'organisation' that responds to questions it doesn't like by pointing out that the person posing the question is not truly 'sober' merely 'dry' and is asking the question because they are 'sick', rather than having open minds and honest answers... well, it's a cult for sure. but, knowing that i am in a cult helps to protect me. and personally i try to avoid the slogans... ooh except for this one "a slogan a day keeps the thinking at bay"!!! I've been very lucky to find people in AA who have taught me to learn to live with AA in my life rather than my life in AA.

Answer 3

it takes that much dedication to get off drugs and alcohol. Most of their spouses have the same problems they are battling against, and so they break up because of the differences. AA is like a family, so it makes sense ppl get attached to each other i there.

Answer 4

member since 8/2000, sober since 3/1/2004.

Everybody has problems. AA members are more open about their problems. We have learned that we have to deal with reality. We also share our problems and solutions with others as a part of our recovery.

As for divorce: When someone who is married starts working a 12 step program, they change. It's inevitable. In most cases, the spouse doesn't know how to handle it. They met and married before or while the other person was drinking. Over time the spouse becomes the 'responsible' one, having to deal with the realities of life while the alcoholic was drunk and causing chaos. Often the spouse acted like a parent and had to control things like money, family, children, job. When the drunk gets sober, it causes a shift in the balance of things. Another reason is that when two people are together (one or both are active alcoholics), there is no relationship with the 'person'. The relationship is with the alcohol. After sobriety, many people find they have very little in common (except alcohol or activities that revolve around alcohol). If both people are drunks, and only one chooses to get sober, the one sober has to decide if being married to someone that still drinks is a threat to sobriety.

My social life is AA. Most of my friends are in AA. When I have a problem, and I don't want to drink-- they understand and can give me guidance on what to do. Those people saw me at my absolute worst and taught me to survive and be happy. We speak the same language (AA slogans).

Regarding the literature, we do carry it around. Usually not in public. We do keep it in our cars and (if appropriate and comfortable), at our jobs. It is classified as a text-book. There are instructions on how to handle many of life's daily situations in there. Many 'normal' people aren't aware that the literature contains MANY prayers that can be used through-out the day. AA is a spiritual program that encourages prayer and meditation for what ever God is to the individual. These books are very important, in that they contain the instructions on how to stay sober 'one day at a time'. We also keep them handy in case someone who knows we are in recovry wants to ask questions, or is interested in recovery.

Is AA a cult?? I guess that depends on if your an alcoholic or not. AA is the most successful and longest lasting program of recovery out there. AA teaches how to live life without alcohol, how to be honest with yourself about yourself, how to accept consequences for your actions, how to establish and maintain a relationship with a Higher Power, how to mend relationships that have been broken, and how to help others. If you want to call it brain-washing, fine. AA does not endorse hurting others, converting others, stealing, lying, or law-breaking. My experience is that AA teaches those who were unemployable thieves and liers to become productive members of society. If we are a cult, who are we hurting??

If you have never been to an AA meeting, or are uninformed about what AA is and what AA does--- how do you know??? My opinion is that those who insult AA by trying to convince others that AA is bad are people who are experiencing consequences of their own alcholism/addiction trying to rationalize their behavior or give excuses about getting sober.

Go to a few open meetings, or AlAnon. Become informed before offering an insulting opinion. Millions of people have turned their lives around using a 12 step program. When you insult AA, you are insulting me and the millions of people who have struggled to get better and become wonderful people.

Again I ask, who has AA hurt???

Answer 5

AA literature is way different from the Bible. I worked at a Residential Center for Substance abuse and was a big churchgoer, and my Bible thumping was far from welcome there -by anyone. It's non denominational and designed mainly to get them to stick together and help each other. It's either that or wind up back on skid row, or worse.

Answer 6

Some people need organizations like AA to help them get and stay clean, but in some cases, at some point it does become a crutch.
The purpose of such organizations should be to help people rid themselves of their addictions then help them to learn to live without them and without the support of such organizations.

Answer 7

look at my answer there.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AidZpL6sWZZeDhjr3M3eyxjty6IX?qid=20070529133843AAHAdM2&show=7#profile-info-32bf5ff9dc6163901de3ce7f6db38bc8aa