The cult of AA

After thinking about it, I'm not sure going to an AA meeting is the best way to blog about it. I do think that arranging some sort of interview over the phone might be good, but unless invited, I think I would refrain from attending out of respect for members in attendance.

I think the topic is quite provocative though. Certainly worth investigation. My mother used to do child services work as a social worker and I know she had many dealings with individuals (read: parents) who were in AA (either by their own choice, or by order of the court). I'll perhaps ask her for her observations.

A
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T

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@failures art,

ok, if you don't mind getting some sanitized, media approved version of it.

Here's the direct link to AA...

http://www.aa.org/?Media=PlayFlash

If you call the GSO (General Service Office) I'm sure they have information for the public all prepared for people just like you.

If you look up locations, and try to call, I have no idea what your results will be.

I'm not sure if you getting that most AA meetings are held in church basements, locations in a strip shopping center, all purpose rooms at community centers, etc.
If there's going to be a meeting at 6pm, someone who has a set of keys to the church basement shows up around 5:30pm to start some coffee, move some metal chairs into place, etc.
Chances are, someone else will already be hanging around outside the door, to help.

It's not like you can call a lot of these places, and they will even be open.

Places like a bay in a shopping center "a club" would be open all the time, because they have meetings at regular times during the day and evening. Also, there's always people who just want to hang out.

If you were to call one of them, it's not like there's a office there, with a designated person answering the phone, with a directory of people to help you.

If someone there, they'll go over and pick up the phone. Ususally it's someone asking for a meeting time, or directions. Of course they'll be people in distress calling, and they will be talked to, encouraging them to come over.

As far as calling and saying you'd like to interview someone....well, you're just talking to one individual guy or woman, which I'm sure as you can tell by now, could be anyone from soup to nuts.
Honestly?
I think if you were to call and ask someone for an interview, they would say something like "come over to a meeting" they might think you have problems, and are just using this as an excuse to talk to someone.

Ok, revising what I said about "going undercover"

Find a large place, where there's going to be a lot of people, and pick an open meeting.
Chances are, you'll be able to go in there without more than the designated greeter at the door introducing himself, asking your name, is this your first meeting, and so forth. If this happens, just tell them you're art, and this is your first meeting. That's the truth. It's no one's business why exactly your there.

If you wait to go in while other people are entering, you can get by the greeter with just saying "hi"

Then, you can just sit quietly and observe. Before launching in with interviewing and questions, just watch. You'll learn a lot.

You're not going to get anything much to blog about if you don't go.
Unless of course, you call a club, and some freaky person that's always hanging out there answers the phone.
That could be interesting.

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with out being antagonistic, 2 meanings of the word cult apply to na/aa

Quote:

4 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <health cults> ( AA claims addiction is a disease and they tell you that the only way to get over it is to accept a higher power aka dogma )

5 a : great devotion to a person, idea*, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b : the object of such devotion c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

not being nit picky, not being rude, but the technical definition of cult can apply to aa.
I am aware that the word was used a bit more slanderous but so what.

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@chai2,

A
R
Thanks for the advice.

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@chai2,

Quote:

ok, if you don't mind getting some sanitized, media approved version of it.

Kinda like the situation surrounding Black Like Me. John Griffin could never have pulled off what he did without actually coloring his skin. Excellent book, though I must say that I read it a long long time ago. Maybe I'll give it another read.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Black+Like+Me&x=16&y=20

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Is AA a cult? Well that depends on your perspective. For those who are already convinced of this, then they are entitled to their opinion, and they probably won't shift from this.

Is AA dangerous to women? Well one could ask the question - "Is the Roman Catholic Church dangerous for Choir Boys and vulnerable people from predatory Priest?"

AA is full of sick people trying to get well, and stay sober one day at a time. There are some folks in AA who are sicker than others. The AA membership is a whole cross section of society. Some folks in AA come across as 'Bible Bashers', others as 'Control Freaks' who deem it their business to insist folks "Do the 12 Step Program their way, or No way!"

AA probably has quite a few folks who are more than a bit cranky at times. But then the same can be said of any organization or even community outside the AA Fellowship. So, in that sense, AA is no different from any other community except what it is trying to do - to get the still suffering alcoholic sober.

I say this as a long time member of the AA Fellowship. It has kept me clean and sober for more than 20 years. As far as I am concerned going to AA Meeting 2 or 3 times a week is a far better choice than the old life I used to have (ER Rooms to be stitched up, one failed suicide attempt, being arrested by the local police on a number of occasions for public drunkeness).

Funny, I have not been arrested for more than 20 years now, nor have I ended up in an ER Room due to alcohol related incidents. If AA is a Cult, then so be it. I am a happy, satisfied customer.

I must be doing something right now!!!!

Costa Coffee Bob England UK (a Friend of Dr Bob and Bill W)

1 Reply

@CostaCoffeeBob,

CostaCoffeeBob wrote:

Is AA dangerous to women? Well one could ask the question - "Is the Roman Catholic Church dangerous for Choir Boys and vulnerable people from predatory Priest?"

One could ask this, and it would be pertinent, if one was discussing the Catholic Church.
One can ask anything they want, but it won't necessarily have anything to do with the subject at hand.
I once bought a really nice couch, on sale. Would you care to tell me how you purchased a wrist watch at 40% off?

I say this as a long time member of the AA Fellowship. It has kept me clean and sober for more than 20 years. As far as I am concerned going to AA Meeting 2 or 3 times a week is a far better choice than the old life I used to have (ER Rooms to be stitched up, one failed suicide attempt, being arrested by the local police on a number of occasions for public drunkeness).

Undoubtedly. It would have been a better choice to join a bridge club than to go to the ER or get arrested.

I must be doing something right now!!!!

I'm glad you're not doing something that was killing you.
With your big human brain, have you ever considered something else could have worked just as well?
Or that some very friendly, uncranky people may not find the same solution as you?

Or, what was making them cranky was some guy who can't hold a job, keep a marriage going, or clean his ears let's you know that you're not doing something right?

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AA was also the major promoter of the disease theory of alcoholism. And yes, of course, there were people and groups that had discussed alcoholism possibly being a disease before AA, but AA was the major promoter.

It never worked for me. Shame, guilt and remorse were always extremely high in me as a result of being told I was selfish, self-centered, angry, lustful, jealous, etc.... I would go through normal difficult life experiences and start to feel like my 'character defects' caused it to be difficult, when really everything was normal about the whole experience.

If you challenge 'any' of the written word of Bill Wilson, you are immediately looked at as in denial or wanting to find an excuse to leave the program and drink. Any critical thinking will result in you being called crazy. The amount of speaking up you do about your discomfort in AA will determine the amount of shunning that you receive. In AA, you are accepted based on the acceptance you have for the program.

It does seem to work for some, though. There is no denying that. Does it help more than it hurts? I'm not sure. I know it has definitely blocked me from growth in so many areas of my life. Self-awareness is a blessing!

Michael T. McComb

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@MeMay,

Out of the bushes and on your knees boy.

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@MeMay,

Quote:

If you challenge 'any' of the written word of Bill Wilson, you are immediately looked at as in denial or wanting to find an excuse to leave the program and drink. Any critical thinking will result in you being called crazy. The amount of speaking up you do about your discomfort in AA will determine the amount of shunning that you receive. In AA, you are accepted based on the acceptance you have for the program.

That sounds an awful lot like the Jehovah's Witness and I suppose some other religions too. I've just had the most "contact" with the JWs.

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bookmarking

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@Lash,

I think you stuck your bookmark after the last page, Lash. It's pretty much run its course. If you wanna know who did it, I can tell you that [shot rings out]akkkkkkkk,

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mebbe she just wanted to book mark it so she could read the whole thing later.

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@chai2,

That's likely the case, Chai. There aren't many who would want to miss a chai2 post.

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@MeMay,

MeMay wrote:

AA was also the major promoter of the disease theory of alcoholism. And yes, of course, there were people and groups that had discussed alcoholism possibly being a disease before AA, but AA was the major promoter.

It never worked for me. Shame, guilt and remorse were always extremely high in me as a result of being

told I was selfish, self-centered,

I 've always believed that we shoud ALL make a point of being selfish and self centered;
if u r not, then something is rong.

David

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@MeMay,

Self-awareness is a blessing. There is nothing that eases life more than knowing one's self.

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@plainoldme,

Addicted folks are usually self-centred and selfish. I used to be when I was an active alcoholic looking for my next drink. I didn't think about the consequences of my sprees, which often ended in ER Rooms or being arrested. Once I had a drink in me, I couldn't stop. That is an addiction. I couldn't care less what happened.

But then so are many non-addicted folks. The addicted person who is still in the midst of their addiction is usually focused on where their next drink/drug/Betting Shop/craps table/sex encounter or shopping spree. Yes, even shopping can be an addiction.

I know of many folks who have low self-esteem who get a buzz from shopping, usually stuff for themselves. I also know of many folks who have spent, spent, spent themselves into bankruptcy because of their addiction to Credit and Store Cards. Even to committing criminal offences to obtain cash to buy clothes, bags, designer clothes for themselves.

If that ain't and addiction, then I don't know what is.

As for AA. The AA fellowship has never, ever claimed a monopoly in getting sober. There are other ways to get sober. Read the AA Big Book, the book 'Alcoholics Anonymous'. It has never claimed a monopoly on sobriety.

As far as I am concerned. It is a case of choice. If an alky or junkie feels that a 12 Step Program of recovery ain't for them, then they can always go elsewhere. Nobody is going to stop them leaving. The alcohol is still out their in the bars down town. The drug dealers are still out there waiting for some desperate junkie to buy another fix.

It is down to the individual persons, if they want help then help is out there. If they don't want help, and think that organisations such as AA are a load of rubbish, then they are free to think this.

Sobriety really can be a matter of life or death for many addicted souls.

Oh dear, here I am having a bout of verbal diarrhea.......
"Self-awareness is a blessing. There is nothing that eases life more than knowing one's self". absolutley!!!

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@DrewDad,

I have to say from being a satellite of this organization - sexual victimization is rampant in those rooms. A lot of good happens there for many adherents, too. But, it is well known that most people who show up in the beginning are at their most vulnerable - and many have lost loved ones, friends...and are totally isolated. Ripe for the picking. Thankfully, there are many great people there watching for this type of thing for the newbies...but assuredly, it happens.

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I wonder if failure's art ever checked out a meeting.
I'd be curious to see his perspective.

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My acquaintance with my husband and another friend precipitated my attendance at AA for years - and the one thing that causes me more curiosity is the emotional state of the adherent that leads to drinking or drug use. The alcoholic drinks to self-medicate (it seems almost universal) because of either an intense social discomfort or a serious anger problem. Then, when they beat the alcohol, they have this raging anger or gaping void to deal with. Any conversation about that would be deeply interesting to me.

1 Reply

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