The False Gospel of Alcoholics Anonymous & The Truth About Alcohol Treatment in the U.S.
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- Опубликовано: 10 дек 2022
- Gabrielle Glaser, author of "Her Best-Kept Secret," offers insights from her Atlantic piece about the failings of the famous support group, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and the truth about mainstream alcohol treatment in the U.S. and how it pales in comparison to Finland's science-based medical interventions.
In this video, you'll learn about the very low success rates and thus very high failure rates of Alcoholics Anonymous and mainstream AA-based and abstinence-based rehab centers. Glaser provides compelling statistics in the U.S. and Finland as well as quotes from addiction professionals about AA and alcohol.
Mentioned: Alcoholics Anonymous, Harm Reduction, The Sinclair Method, Naltrexone, Alcohol Moderation, Alcohol Abstinence, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Addiction Medicine, Anti-Craving Medications, Alcohol Rehab, and more.
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Gabrielle Glaser, author of "Her Best-Kept Secret," offers insights from her Atlantic piece about the failings of the famous support group, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and the truth about mainstream alcohol treatment in the U.S. and how it pales in comparison to Finland's science-based medical interventions. In this video, you'll learn about the very low success rates and thus very high failure rates of Alcoholics Anonymous and mainstream AA-based and abstinence-based rehab centers. Glaser provides compelling statistics in the U.S. and Finland as well as quotes from addiction professionals about AA and alcohol.
Let’s all move to Finland!😅 research was not too credible and your resources lacked credibility.
Really wish you were an alcoholic Gabrielle.
Now I don’t know about you guys but I tried to control my drinking through multiple mischief reductions program wich are common every where with BT combine with medication. Never saw it work for any alcoholic lol. When I was relapsing no one in AA told me to do more meetings. They told me to do the work.
@@javierriosgarcia5446the research was not too Credible? Are you joking? It was very credible and it works quite well. Classic conditioning and operant conditioning are widely accepted. Neurotransmitters are real. Unlike Bill W, Dr. Sinclair used actual science to come up with a solution instead of just pulling one out of his butt.
Bill Wilson did not actually sober up in behavior. Bill was deified for getting dry and remaining in an alcoholic relationship with Lois and secretary. He stated publicly that he was cured by lsd treatment with DOCTOR Timothy Leary. Aa members convinced him that revenue was more important than honesty, like most modern religions/ cults.
I started drinking alcohol years ago as a teenage, got addicted to alcohol for so many years. Spent my whole life fighting alcohol addiction. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder, was actually diagnosed with cptsd. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.
Thanks for sharing your story. That's rough I sympathize. Save your health save your mind. Life is better without heroin, cocaine, alcohol and cigarettes. And you have more money in your pocket. God bless everyone who has rejected the devils intentions to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes etc which can cause so much damage to health. We all need a reset.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Australia don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
YES very sure of Dr.alishrooms. I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
Congrats! I'm really happy for you that your wife decided to help you. I always admire those who beat their addiction. Knowing it's possible to fix your life knowing there's people out there that have done what I thought was impossible gives me hope I will make it through as well. Those who share their experiences don't know how much it helps when you're about to give up, it gives you the strength knowing somone who actully know what it's like to go through this tell you it's possible, it's not the same somone telling you you can do it when they have no idea what it's like, but hearing somone who knows what it's like that helps a lot since you understand it firsthand and made it out gives so much hope. so thanks for sharing.
How do I reach out to him? Is he on insta
I found the rooms of AA while I was in rehab. I wanted to stay in rehab forever because I was scared I would relapse if I left. Strangely enough, my friends in AA encouraged me to leave rehab as soon as I could and just stay in alcoholics anonymous and just work the steps. I took their advice and moved out on my own, staying in alcoholics anonymous ever since. I've been sober since July 4th 2020, and have found a new life so awesome I couldn't have imagined it before. I don't know why AA works, and that's fine with me. I was strung out and in and out of shelters before this program and now I am sober and my career is in full flight. So glad those people found me and were willing to help. Much love ❤️😊👍
AA does not work! The only thing that works is you not drinking.
Same thing is happening with me bro. My whole life is changing so fast, I almost feel guilty. What outsiders like this speaker don't get is that the crux of the programs success is the spiritual connectedness that is necessary for AA to work. Those who truly work the program that success rate is 100%. Those that do not and are not willing to believe in a higher power of their own understanding (not mine, or his, or hers) will never find success in AA. It works if u work it. It doesn't if you don't
That's what is not communicated. She cannot measure and give us factual data of a person's commitment to a program. Taking people's word at face value is not an accurate depiction of AA's efficacy
AA program is created by Alistair Crowley the anti christ..the first three steps are a soul trap. The AA symbols come from a cult called thelematic cult. The triangle in a circle is for conjuring demons. Bill Wilson who wrote the big book is known for witchcraft using Ouija boards. Spook sessions with his wife
WELL SAID
@@ShannonFreng don't see your comment posted for some reason. oginial comment was to this OP
@Michael-ws7fi Be well Shannon.
Ive been sober in AA for over 25 years, For a real Alcoholic there is no such thing as Moderation.....Total Abstainance and AA works
It’s a better life for sure.
AA, and Al-Anon save my family.
I did attend a few AA meetings but it wasn't
what kept me from drinking I am over 71/2
yrs sober, I had just reduced my consumption of alcohol and had decided
I didn't want drinking in my life I give the
credit to my faith in Jesus for helping me
and keeping me from relapse
Nice. Me too.
Classic definition of a problem drinker
I'm glad you got it with just jesus. apparently jesus didn't see fit for me to get sober with just him so it took AA for me.
There is a good chance you are not an alcoholic , you may have had real problems with alcohol just not an alcoholic.
I have been in AA since 1981. I don't know if it saved my life, but it is where I learned that the answer to my drinking problem was to not drink.
it took you going to AA to figure that out ??
@@royharper2003 Yup. I guess I'm a bit slow.
Then you missed the boat buddy. The whole point off AA is to help you find God. Don’t believe me? Read the chapter we agnostics and it’ll explicitly tell you exactly what I just told you.
@@fittyleben7571 I didn't miss the boat. I just got on a different boat than you.
@@fittyleben7571 Somebody missed the boat but it wasn't kazkaz. You don't find God, you find out that you aren't God. Try reading it again with an open mind.
Its this simple............a non alcoholic woman writes a book about alcoholism with no real life experience of being an alcoholic, well you are never going to truly understand alcoholism when that is all you can bring to the table........The reason why AA works is because one alcoholic can readily identify with another in a heart beat ...this is something this woman could never be able to grasp no matter how many graphs and statistics she could devour....In fact she is doing a dis service to potential newcomers....she is clueless.
I have just discovered she was also served a cease and desist order.........good..silly girl.
AA doesn'ty work for everybody. Every meeting I ever went to made me want to get drunk
@@royharper2003 Your not despite enough yet then, its that simple.
desparate
@@KScan-cj5wi I'm soberee, no thanks to AA
I never resonated with AA and I really tried to.
Yeah, people who aren't willing to believe in a higher power of their own understanding usually don't resonate with the program.
@@gospelslang9027 or maybe they just see AA as a bunch of BS like I did
@@royharper2003 yeah, maybe
@@royharper2003 peole see what they want to see. You're living proof. Unless you're dead. Then you're even better proof.
@@gospelslang9027 Your comment establishes my point. I love God and always believed.
Usually when people “fail” they don’t come back to meetings. No one is referring people to go try something else, we aren’t doctors. I work a program that works if I work it. Some people don’t get it, don’t know why, they just don’t. I can’t help them.
The number of success are low because a lot of people come in and don’t want to work the program. Some are forced to go through the courts and some just don’t want to do the work. I can’t get you sober, you have to do the work, the same work I did. BTW this is a free program, no one is getting paid. If you don’t like it, go drop $30k on rehab and they will send you to AA when you get out.
Or maybe they just don't see things the same way, which is not the same as not getting it.
It works if you work it sounds like it could be applied to anything, but you seem to be implying it's especially true for AA. If it's not and it's just people not doing the work then it doesn't matter what program anyways. But if it's specific to AA then why? Is it possible some people will work another program but not AA, and that program also works if you work it?
@@markc5960 If someone finds another way to stay sober, the AA position is, “our hats are off to [them]”. No one is forced into anything in AA. It’s a program for people who want it, not those who need it. Incidentally, since the advent of the AA program, there has been a revolution in recoveries. Prior to AA, the outlook for recovery from alcohol addicted people was very grim. The book “Alcoholics Anonymous”, written in 1939 by a group of recovering drunks, none of whom had been sober more than 4 years, has been the single most significant development in the history of alcohol addiction and is still being used to help people of all walks of life around the world escape the insanity of alcohol addiction. No matter what one thinks about AA it is hard to deny its significance to the birth and growth of the recovery industry.
5 percent of the people who do the work in aa stay sober... maybe it's time to work something different, something that works?!
Sadly, many of the programs she mentions have come and gone over the last 50 years that I've been around.
Lots of ways to get sober. Do what works for you. AA worked for me and I love my life. The rooms are there for anyone who thinks they might have a problem with alcohol- if it’s not for you that’s fine. The door swings both ways
You got that right💯
"Lots of ways to get sober". Unfortunately, most of them involve death. Regardless of the path, there is one common, and absolutely crucial aspect.
...and THAT is to "LIVE DIFFERENTLY"! I mean literally how you move your feet. We have a saying in sobriety, "Bring the body, and the mind will follow". If a person is constantly missing class, they probably won't do well on tests. If a person only works 20 hours a week, should they expect a check for 40 hours? Hell NO!
Sobriety is no different. It requires "showing up". Simple as that!
There is no solution in this message, just defamation of one that has saved countless lives.
Whenever I here stories about AA I just think these people change in one addiction for another. It is a crutch. Nothing wrong with that if it works for you, but still, I want to be in charge of my own destiny, and I just do not believe in a higher power. I couldn't if I tried.
Even if what you are saying is true, isn’t the crutch of AA so much better than crippling alcohol addiction.
The worst thing I ever heard in AA is a guy who decided that he could experiment again with alcohol and got in his car and drive over his 3 year old son and killed him. This kind of horror is common in alcoholism. Of those who go to rehab, a third are dead within r years and 50% of those die violent deaths. This women talks crap. She is right that AA has a low success rate but so does all the other treatments which are just as useless. The reality is that those who do not die over the long term just end up numbed out on prescription drugs which is all she advocates. My guess is she is an alcoholic and is too weak to do what AA asks.
I do believe in the high power what the mindset then higher power meaning you're higher power is your mindset ,if you're want to stop doing it then you're mindset to do it and you're can use you're higher power to stop it that what I think higher power is mindset to stop 💯 percent think about it 😊
@@IAmChadBroseph I said "nothing wrong with that" it just wouldn't be for me.
@@rogerconnolly3688 What are we supposed to take away from this unobjective, highly amotional rant of yours? How does this woman talk crap, and how come the only explaination is she failed in AA? How is she advocating drug use? No argument, only angry projection. Someone critisized something that worked for you and you just go into aggressive defense mode? That is not how adults deal with critisism, that is how angry litte brats deal with it. Your emotional response only proves her point.
I was raised by my grandparents, who were recovering alcoholics, I've had it instilled in me my whole life..that being said I have 7 dui's been through treatment 9 times..what I've personally noticed is even if someone gets sober through the program , their basic personally and behavior doesn't. I'm sober today. I don't count my sober day's. I don't rehash my past or make amends. And I believe I'm the only one in control of my destiny. A.A has worked for alot of people, but there is a few of us ..a minority that has to seek out our own way. I'm one of those people. My motto live every day like it's your last..and I don't need to be drunk to have an adventure.
Well said done I bend sober it's going to be 4 years December 31,2023 I am happy person without alcohol and weed ,I proud of you saying that that what I'do😊❤❤🎉🎉🎉our own way of healing our self ❤️ 😊
I lasted 3 years on this method, but I hope it works for you.
Again, not for everyone. However, when an individual who fails to mature very often will fail to stay sober.
"If you sober up a horse thief...you've just got a sober horse thief". Anyone can get sober. I got sober every monday (or tuesday if monday was a holiday) for 20+ years. Working and INTERNALYZING the steps made changes to both my personality and my behaviors. I had to leave my drinking buddies and selfish thinking and behaviors behind in order to make any real progress in the program. The program is simple but is very hard to work 100 percent of the time. I've been sober for 24 years and have watched hundreds of people cycle in and out of AA. I suspect most of them failed to completely understand the steps and failed to attempt to work them in their everyday lives. The AA program has changed how I see the world and how I think the world sees me, and THAT has made all the difference in my long term sobriety.
I'm a serious chronic alcoholic and aa works.
40 years on that poison.
Now I don't think of drinking a day at a time
Yep
I stopped thinking about alcohol the day I made the decision to go to rehab. The program helped me tremendously. Today i find it to be a giant social circle of gossip and judgment and I still don't think about drinking.
There are many different ways to get sober. AA worked for me. I was an alcoholic for many years when i joined. I recently celebrated 10 years of continuous sobriety. Dont listen to the naysayers.
You mean naysayers about AA? It seems plenty accept being a naysayer if it's about other programs, as in those in AA saying it's the only thing that works.
@@markc5960 doctors and science will never be able to FIX addiction
Like she is trying to claim. U can't walk in someone's shoes if u never walked it. Science wont help
Only thing thats helped is God, the miracle i received when fhe obsession was lifted and the 12 steps. Taking God out of the rooms will be a big mistake for the future of AA. This is basically trying to prove people wrong because its 80yrs old. Its insane that the world we live in is going backwards. There is so much medical malpractice nowadays. Ppl in the 1930s had more wisdom than the sciencetism religion finatics due today
@@markc5960misguided and misrepresentation of the truth
12 years sober thanks 🙏🏾
Sober for ten years. I don't think AA worked. They convinced you that you can never drink moderately. The video even mentions treatments that can make that happen. AA is just a crutch that doesn't heal the actual problem.
I questioned this exact thinking in Salvation Army 12 Step AA rehab I went to in 2019 but obviously got shut down , thank you for posting this and your channel it keeps me sane ❤️🙏🇳🇿🇳🇿
Remember AA's called a PROGRAM, like a computer program if you follow the suggestions you WILL get the desired outcome. HONESTY, OPEN-MINDED & WILLINGNESS is just part of that program, I'm now 7 years Sober, I tried everything and only when I made a decision to follow the SUGGESTED PROGRAM, I got the desired outcome. All love & peace❤✌️
Not everyone who works all 12 steps stay sober. The bigbook doesn't even claim 100% success rate. You should know this with 7 years sober.
The 12 steps are highly successful foe those who work them hard and consistently. There is no guarantee offered by Bill or the bigbook
That's just nonsense though isn't it, it's not possible for you to know what someone is or is not putting in to the program. I put very little tbh and stayed sober for 5 years, 2 of which I did on my own before being able to consume like a "normal" person. On the flipside I've seen people really really try and put there all in and most of them are dead now. AAs fundamental flaws (other than the religious nonsense) are that it fails to recognise that addiction exists on a spectrum, and that its based on an ideological contradiction of selflessness while working an incredibly selfish program. You might get clean but you'll stay sick
They’re not open-minded. They want you closed-minded while purporting themselves to be the opposite. “Open-minded” in AA = only being open-minded towards accepting the program, and closed off towards any other path towards recovery. Any disagreement with what would work best in your personal situation is met with dissent if it doesn’t 100% adhere to the program.
edit: All that being said, I’m glad that it was what worked for you. I’m not being disingenuous, 7 years is amazing and you should be proud.
When people usually come into AA or NA it’s usually there last choice and nothing else has worked. But when entering the rooms of AA the big book teaches you saying this program is only for the real alcoholics and says if you think you can moderately drink or you don’t think your a alcoholic go out and try other methods but if you try everything else and your life continues to get worse and I mean a lot worse then AA is probably what you need . And then you need to surrender to this program and do everything and I mean everything that your sponsor suggests that you do and it takes a lot of action surrender sponsor steps service spirituality and once your sober you continue to do more work because it’s not about you anymore but helping the next alcoholic helping at home helping out at work helping in the community 🙏🏽❤️
Hahah no. REAL alcoholics are FAILED by AA. AA is awful.
You're a cult member.
@@marksierra3522 well I’m clean and sober so yep I’ll take that. I’m a Christian too so that’s another cult and I’m a massive fan of my football 🏉 team so another cult lol 😂 I’m all about the life I live today and the cults that I’m apart of 🙏🏽❤️☝🏾✝️🚫🍺 💉🚫🏉😁
@@marksierra3522
I have to say, it's may be a cult but it's not a very good one.
No guru getting girls and money. Just service work, bad coffee and stale cookies.....
Please explain to me how many other choices individuals have and availability. AA has been around for 90 years so they can head start I think the 12 steps are bogus there's a few things relating to intersection but that's it 6:09
If it doesnt work, youre told you were not listening, you werent practising the steps right. Heres their solution for feeling anger or fear. We ask God to remove our anger or fear. We think of how we might help the person who has offended us. We think of him/her as spiritually sick and we try treating them as one would treat a person with an illness. The implication is with compassion and empathy disregarding any offensive behaviour on their part.
Go to more meetings, this is wrong
Poor understanding of dealing with a resentment.
Nonsense!
Do what you want then. Good luck. Don't die on the way
Sounds spot on to me!
Believe me , SMART recovery has equally as depressing as AA . The medications prescribed for A U D equally as underwheling .
I totally disagree I've been to many AA meetings and life ring meanings and life ring is far superior to anything that AA has to offer. It's community that is the glue that keeps us together.
She got the fellowship mixed with the program, the people staying sober have done all 12 steps and sponsor people through the 12 steps. Going to a meetings doesnt mean your doing the program ... thats just a meeting.
Yep AA works for 100% of the people it works for. Of course that's only about 5% of the people who try it, but who cares right?
That's BS. Why tell people to go to a meeting?
@@Fo-Flats to hopefully meet someone that will sponsor you, thats it. its not to vent or get hugs.
Go to meetings to help the newcomer.
Period.
Facts
Is this information available in book format? I would like to send it to a friend, currently incarcerated, on domestic violence offenses that were directly tied to over drinking.
I found being in AA made me extremely completely. I checked it out and been to many different meetings. Never worked for me. I find Smart recovery is much better.
Going to many meetings is not working aa you have to do everything that is suggested in aa work the book and go through steps never seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path
@@killacambuckets4236 I've seen plenty fail, repeatedly
I only wish Smart Recovery was as widely available. Unfortunately it isn’t
Smart recovery is literally the same exact thing for people that are afraid of the word god, and are not mature enough to understand what god really means in aa.
@@Tk-di5vd Not mature enough… And you are. Oh, so full of pride.
I quit drinking after heavy drinking for 15 years. I did it on my own. When I was about 90 days sober I walked into AA. Got a sponser and did the 12 steps. I didn’t like the fear mongering you hear. My sponser was a great man and taught me a lot he passed away when I was about 2 years sober. To this day i have not gone to meeting in years (despite what they told me about how I was sure to fail). I give all credit to Jesus. He took that urge from me and I have never looked back. Also active in my church and that helps.
Happy that worked for you, but will not work for someone who is truly alcoholic. I've known a few over the decades that have been at least drink-free, but few of them find much distance from the rest of what ails them. For me, I'm not willing to gamble my life for ego strokes. And hearing "fear-mongering" is, in my experience over decades, is a matter of the ears we hear with- to paraphrase my Irish grandmother:)
@@danielle92118oh wow so you are saying I was not an “true alcoholic”? You are exactly like the Program you preach. Extra judgy and discredit my success because it is outside of your program. Seems as tho you still have a problem if I don’t say so myself.
Do you hear yourself this is nonsense that Jesus help you through it.
He did. Still sober today. 💪
I been sober happy and free sense 12/27/1982 works for me, Grace of God, and the fellowship about the alcoholics anonymous
Our own literature tells us to seek other avenues of help if needed...we do not tell people to stay in rehab longer....we do not tell people to "just go to more AA"
I stopped drinking 5 years ago but it wasn’t because of AA ! I am an atheist so the ideology of the AA would have been useless for me
Stop drinking for the good reasons (mental/physical/fiancial health,etc) ! Is it easy ? Not at all ! Everyday counts but you always have to keep in your mind that alcoholism is a disease
Her best kept secret is from 2013. Did someone write a strong book on the subject recently that anyone’s aware of?
the sober truth
Sending someone to AA is like prescribing leeches for an infection instead of antibiotics.
Well I’ve been registered Nurse 38 years and we use it sometimes instead of anabiotic so you don’t know what you’re talking about.
@Americanpatriot-zo2tk no you're aren't and no you don't. If you were an RN you'd know that in the very rare circumstances leeches might be used (reattachment of severed fingers for example) it is not instead of antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics must be given at the same time to prevent potential infection from the leeches. You AA Cu1tists will say anything to protect the cu1t.
As far as I'm aware, here in the UK rehab centres (seen as centres offering private treatment) have no connection either formally or informally with AA. AA stands alone as AA with its format. Rehab centres stand alone as rehab centres with their format. If there is any overlap it isn't formal as such. Therefore any relapse rates from rehab centres stand separate to relapse rates from AA.
Fair point but in many treatment centers it is mandatory to comply with aa beliefs. Patients are also told if they don't go to aa after treatment they will die. So in a way aa starts in most treatment centers. Especially the state run facilities.
Because ongoing group support is a fundamental core of any addiction recovery, making the difference in maintaining quality of life. In my experience, there is a profound difference between heavy drinkers - even lifelong heavy drinkers - and true alcoholics. And a profound difference between those who can survive and those who can't. I know which camp I belong in.
So. ...whats your solution? I use it all. All the tools i can pik up. And still im not perfect. And. Aa states that...we practice progress not perfection.
New effective treatments? Treatment happens usually in a rehab...
There is little "new" in effective treatments, at least as I've seen up close over the last 50 years.
MISQUOTE I often ear repeated.....the book actually says "Spiritual Progress rather than Spiritual Perfection." AA works for me 25 years sober. I drank alcoholically for 27 years till 10/1/1999
She said it right in the talk - CBT - Motivational one on one pep talks and meds. That’s the treatment oh and if you want to drink - walk your dog instead… She is clearly not an alcoholic or ever was or even close to it ! Sad to think how many will die from alcoholism because of these kinds of protocols.
When these things don"t "work", it's because nobody "worked" for it.
Yes, people have ripped my lines again and again. I’m not a transformer, I’m a rocker that got clean years ago.
My father got sober . Never drank again. I’m sober 42 years. My brother just passed away with 42 years. I agree about rehabs. Never went to rehab myself. Neither did my father or brother. But before AA nobody got sober . A few got sober through religious conversions . Naltrexone was being used in American rehabs back in the seventies. My friend was on it . Never got clean and sober . Moderation didn’t work for me . Or for most real alcoholics. Read the forward to the second edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Recovery rate of 75%. Of people who come to AA and really try, meetings , steps, sponsor most stay sober . These stats are from rehabs where many don’t want to get sober. Court orders or family etc….
Chris R, Myers R. Say the success rate was so great back in the day because everybody was sponsoring each other. If you were new coming in you were immediately brought through the steps in 4 hours. The spiritual experience was the aim.
They were all hanging out at each others houses. AA today has become watered down. Self-reliance avails us nothing.
@@jkls36912excellent point
BOOM! I was quite peeved when I discovered that there were places you could go where they'd feed you and give you a bed while you got sober! 48 years ago, I vaguely remember thinking that I was going to probably die if I kept it up, most likely quite by accident:)
Alcoholics helping other alcoholics works. When they tell you they need help you build their trust and tell them what is work for you, what it was like what happened and what it's like now
AA does not endorse rehab. AA is not synonymous with rehab. In fact, most AA old-timers will tell you rehab is a waste of money. If AA doesn't work for you, or you don't want to go to AA, then don't. Find the cure for whatever ails you. From the big book of AA: "If a man can drink like a gentleman, our hats are off to him." This video is a huge mis-characterization of AA.
I agree man!
My experience was that I was drinking every day and smoking coke. I did not go to rehab or detox ( not suggesting it, just my story) Just hit the ground running with the AA steps with a sponsor and my desire for boose, coke you name it has been lifted. Sorry scientist it's going to he hard to explain that one.
Why do I have to be a science experiment!
In the early days of alcoholics anonymous we had a 75% success rate on the first time threw the steps and the rest got it in some time afterwards.
My problem is not alcohol
My solution is Alcohol (and drugs)
I spent 12 years in therapy (all different types) and it never solved the problem!
No it's right on. I say if one wants to be in a cult, my hats off to you.
@@doctorbob8220 Doc its not a cult the door swings both ways!
AA is a 'Religion'.It has a Doctrine(Big Book+ 12&12 & Constitution (Steps & Traditions). Communism & National Socialism are Religions to.Fuck AA.
@@KScan-cj5wi Like the majority of cults
AA isn't for everyone, but I think to criticise it for not 'referring elsewhere' misunderstand that is it's totally non-professional and non-hierarchical - it's literally just individuals who have found a solution that works for them and share that with others who may wish to do the same. There are no clinicians making assessments and referring into different treatment pathways, and it would be inappropriate to for members to 'play doctor' by doing so - they are qualified (through lived experience) only in advising how AA works, nothing else. I've found whilst you might get some big book thumpers who are adamant this is the only thing that can work for anyone, in general most people only encourage you to try this and see rather than forcing it on you. If you want to try something different (or get additional outside help for other problems) you're at complete liberty to do so, it's just that AA members can't themselves advise on that. I think it gets tricky though when courts mandate people to go, as I think it needs to be something chosen voluntarily
Speaking for myself here, and I have been to several meetings. AA is the worlds way! If i depended soley on AA I would have never gotten sober. Jesus Christ is the only way!! I cannot tell you how many times I've heard someone in a meeting give God credit lastly. AA is always first. Thats so wrong, God deserves all the praise and Glory!! Oh and I'm not an alcohol or drug attic, I was in my past! God does not want anyone to continually call themselves those things after he brought you out!! I've been redeemed and to God be the glory!!
He turned the water into wine amen bro
I totally agree.l have been sober since September 1997.but all the credit goes to Jesus.Our lady of Lourdes & the Angel's without them.l wouldn't be sober.l enjoy my life today.
He turned my wine into water 🤷 since 12/01/95
This is the problem with people who let "god" go to their heads. They just can't help but degrade others, people they never met, whose stories they don't deserve to hear. They wind up abusing others and they just can't see or care because they think some superhuman force is working through them. You have a sickness.
If the God of your organised religion works for you then fine. But don't expect that any young boys who have been sodomised by Catholic priests to agree.
AA is separate from rehabs. Who is this person? I wouldn’t doubt she’s trying to sell something. Do more research! This is why one alcoholic talking to another is so vital because people like her think they have the cure to alcoholism without doing proper research. I have seen amazing displays of humanity and love in the rooms, humanity and love I fail to find else where so you’re really trying to argue with that? Good luck. This is why I love the comments section. Most people commenting are saying she’s doesn’t have a full comprehension of what she’s claims. My heart goes out to you lady! ❤
talking to other alchis never helped me. Everybody drinks for different reasons.
Agreed 💯
Not my experience.
You nailed it!
Agreed...I'm 25 years sober in AA. I go to lots of meetings and I sponsor people. I love sobriety.
Its a simple program. Its nothing like what people make it to be. The only requirement to join AA is a desire to stop drinking. Its your will to stop and stay stopped coupled with honesty and a receptive mind and heart because theres a spiritual side to it which is the back bone of the program.
Too much control with there program in there…
“If you leave AA you will drink” being one quote…
I went there for years but never got to grips with it and saw more relapses in there than people outside of it and people still get obsessed with drink even though they dont drink…
13th stepping as well i saw alot of…
Glad im shot of it now and feel free again…
It worke for some but not everyone
Funny-I see much more serenity then relapse, but that's based only on my 48 years of sobriety:). Guess we see what we're looking at-
@@danielle92118 i seen 13th stepping and people being manipulated in there and gossiping and breaking the yellow card..
Also people being told not too take medication they actually need….
But i was told AA is for sick people so i guess sick behaviour comes with it…
Not everybody though
@@danielle92118 i saw more sickness than serenity
@@danielle92118I have been going to home group meeting here over the last 20 years I got 40 years under my belt not drinking and I've seen thousands of individuals coming through and never seeing them again after 3 weeks or 3 days or 3 years. So I wouldn't be so quick to get on your high horse and say how effective AA without realizing that they got a foothold in the system.
I’m an atheist who is currently attending AA meetings. It’s doubtful that I’ll walk away from it believing in the biblical god or any other immaterial cosmos being that supposedly exists outside of space and time.
My efforts to stop in the past came up nil. I did the “75 day hard” challenge and completed it in one round and started back drinking on day 76.
I tried the Sinclair method and the naltrexone made me sick to my stomach; so far, AA or rather going to meetings has helped me get to 24 days of sobriety at the time of this post. If there’s a non theistic recovery program that I can try that works, then I’m all for it.
As a chronic Alcoholic, I tried it all for over 15 yrs from cushy fancy rehabs with chefs and top paid certified professionals to a homeless shelter that had AA meetings, to jails to the street. I say that to say this. I tried it all for 15yrs. Destroying my life. Nothing had worked for me until I actually put some work into the suggestions that were given to me in the rooms of AA. Clean and sober now for a few years and my life has been better than ever before. People are lazy and yes we all will try to find it easier softer way who wants to put in work into anything worthwhile. People run from that word God I know I did. It is not a religious program and it does not tell you that AA is the only thing that works. So if you think you're not an alcoholic and you can manage your drinking Go ahead give it a shot pain is a gray motivator. Thank God I found the rooms of AA and for those 12 steps
Worked great for me and if it wasn’t for my rehab giving me A.A. to take away with me after a 28 day program… god bless and I hope whatever way you are able to recover from your disease… you are able to thrive and live an amazing life like I am due to A.A. 🙏🏼♥️
Sounds like the issue is with rehab centers. AA does one thing well but it's not for everyone. They don’t claim to have the last word and encourage people to get additional help.
Exactly, and there's one strong reason that most treatment centers encourage graduates to continue on attending meetings - it works.
There is a great video by a psychologist citing a study that long-term AA people have changed brains when it comes to triggers to drinking. That shows that the program works. There are a lot of people that are stuck in the program that don't really belong there, people that have been pigeonholed as dual diagnosis, half mental illness with half a enjoyment of intoxicants. The human race enjoys intoxicants in many different lands and to do that does not necessarily mean one is an addict. Real alcoholics are different than real marijuana addicts or real hard drug addicts. When alcoholics relapse it can often be a deadly thing, but when a marijuana addict relapses on alcohol thinking that he is an alcoholic because he goes to aa, he probably ends up having a different experience with the relapse.
“Take what you want and leave the rest.” That’s what I learned in AA. It’s an amazing program.
If you don’t believe in God, it can stand for Good Orderly Direction.
There are no dues or fees and no one is in charge. It’s the purest form of democracy I’ve ever encountered.
If you don’t like it, don’t go. But don’t put it down for the people it does help.
I was told that saying is something selfish people say and that it's practically a death sentence.
Addicts. Talking about god. It goes to their heads sometimes.
I agree with you but I see how society is behaving now at the polarization and that's directly related to giving up on critical thinking and skepticism and that is something that AA discourages. This utter nonsense that you have to have a God to make sure that your life has any f****** values ridiculous.
I am currently celebrating-16 years clean and sober thanks to A.A and the twelve steps and 12 traditions. Once I became ready and willing to work on myself I realized how beautiful life is and how to prepare for cravings with a great sponsor and support group. It works it really does. Read preface number two and you’ll see the statistics of this program
I remember a line I heard in an old medical show, maybe Ben Casey. The older doctor told Casey that the success rate with addiction is about 2%. I now wonder how true that statistic is.
Love it when someone who isnt an addict or alcoholic thinks they know what they are talking about.
Exactly
You must feel som😊eone who has been trained and educated in addiction therapy is not more qualified to mentor an alcoholic than a person who is a hardcore AAer. What's your feelings of not using the advice of an Oncologist if you had cancer but to defer to a hospital orderly for the proper treatment of your cancer?
@davemccall1134 proof is in the actions, ur example is not the same, absolutely the degree will save no one from this, the ideas principles and experience of someone that REALLY lived it will trump all that every single time, in any field, so matter fact yes with the cancer field the student fresh out of school will do NOTHING that the doctor who actually lived it for many years can do
@@davemccall1134 two totally different extremes
@@JJ-qq2sofalse. Personal experience with something has nothing to do with outcomes based on scientific evidence. Just stop.
AA saved my life when nothing else could. I was drunk for 27 years. I needed to surrender to my higher power before the drinking obsession was lifted. God bless AA!
Addiction is a mental
Health issue not a spiritual issue. That’s medical malpractice
@@user-ml9rs8kr4wmy drinking problem brought me to the doors of AA and once input down drink i had painful road of realising I have a living problem and eventually again it always came back until I was shown I had a spiritual problem , once I attain to the spiritual issue it rests my living problem and then drink does not even come into the equation anymore , however this is what the alcoholism really is , and AA and it's good members are the only one to date who showed me this as I tried all professional services and they didn't know what to do with me , look it up Carl Jung didn't even know what to do with the alcoholic he was treating and that was Carl Jung , but the guy got sober using a spiritual sober which he wrote later to Carl Jung
@@user-ml9rs8kr4w the 5% who do succeed call it god’s work, the other 95% get told they just didn’t follow the program properly. I guess god has a checklist and if you don’t meet it he doesn’t help 😂.
Use of the addictive substance isn't the problem, it's what people turn to when it seems to be the only answer to the real problem they're dealing with. Address the problem, not the symptom.
That is exactly what AA tries to address. NOT drinking is only part of it
What's the difference between seeking rehab and not when quitting drinking? This time, no rehab. Just me. Longest time sober yet. I am not in the clear by no means. But I am thinking clearer
I never found quitting to be a problem-it was staying quit that deviled me:)
I was in and out of rehabs and AA for many years. I finally got sober outside of AA. I've not drank in 9 years somehow. I do feel that AA planted some seeds. I don't know how long you got, but I hope you're still holding on. Take it day by day. It can be done.
As someone in recovery I was curious by the click-bait title of the video and hear what she had to say. Since AA owns no recovery centers, charges no membership fees, or meeting requirements to keep your membership I am unclear about the False Gospel aspect. For a program that has existed for 80 years, there is nothing in the literature that claims it is the only solution, and if better ways work I'm sure AA will have served its purpose. They were not the first attempt in history address alcoholism, but it seemed to work after many years of trial and error. To quote Ms Glaser, "the dozen or so people" she spoke to who couldn't stay sober, I hope she helped them, and they found a path to recovery with her direction in whatever new model she believes will work for them.
Americans certainly where not drinking more than ever before, a few years ago. In the 1820s the average Whiskey consumption per year per person was 80 Liters. Not including other alcoholic drinks. I'm not sure how much people drink now, but I am sure it is way less.
I have been sober for 26 years. I did try cognitive behavioral training which failed and my drinking escalated. Out of desperation I agreed to take antibuse, but the cravings were stronger and I figured out a way to drink while taking it. I did go to rehab, but didn't stay the entire time. When I discovered AA it was when all hope was lost and I had nothing left to lose. It was the first time that I had met people who actually understood what it felt like to be an alcoholic. That made a huge difference. I wasn't concerned about anything else but learning how to live without drinking and being accountable. It does work if you want it to.
❤
I could never believe that cbt works for more than 9 percent of people who try it. There is no way. She said they tell you stuff like instead of drinking alcohol, walk your dog. And she says we are supposed to trust their quallifications?
If a person has " a desire to stop drinking" and/or drugging, it is important to have a support network that can help you through some difficult times. If a person wants to use alcohol as way to cope with trauma or some other difficulty, it's their right. AA has given people a choice. People do find support in church groups, and other ways as well. AA may not be the only answer but it certainly the most available answer. It's not just about putting down the drink, that is the beginning, but it also about improving one's life to be fulfilling and joyful.
Unfortunately for many people they don't know options exist outside of AA.
Why can't someone in the severe range learn to drink in moderation using Naltrexone? Surely it would work the same way on them
It simply does not work over time, and gambling my life or anyone else's on that strategy seems like a very poor bet. According to a well-respected author on addiction, once we cross the threshold from pleasure to addiction, we haven't simply unlocked the door...we've kicked it off the hinges. There is no going back, "turning a raisin back into a grape".
Sad. There is no Right recovery just recovery. Thy Way, Not My Way and peace be to you.
I am so grateful for the Fellowship and new life!!
It works because I work the "program".
I wonder. Why are you confusing rehab with AA. They are not the same.
Rehab is a for-profit business.
There are NO DUES OR FEES in AA.
AA is not the ONLY path to recovery. However it is arguably the best path available today.
IMP addiction is a decease of isolation. There is non judge mental fellowship in AA. I hope those who are reading this will give it a try.
Thanks Tracy, you have made a good point. I got out of rehab a couple of months back and was able to stay sober. Then I relapsed. I blamed it all on AA and my sponsor for not wanting to take me through the steps too quickly. Then she said she thought I wasn't ready yet - she was right. I'm glad I have read this and sobered up now and just contacted my sponsor and will give AA another go. No-one in AA is perfect of course but there are plenty wonderful people all willing to give you support. Everyone's been there and being an alcoholic sucks. I tried everything else, including the Sinclair Method (used in Finland). Nothing worked. And it was all very expensive too.
I don't know why people continue to relate making money with an evil intent. After all Bill w way back in the 60s was paid $65,000 a year which is equivalent to half a million dollars today. I don't fault the man for that but let's not put them on a pedestal that we should worship as a saint. I also think that it was unconscionable that on his deathbed his last request was four fingers of bourbon and they didn't give it to him. That sucks!
Oh this is Glaser who has a big hatred for 12 step meetings. Making money off of being a pundit. No doubt that rehabs are a terrible choice for active addiction. She is way off with the counselors requirements. Peer support is fantastic and truly helps. As for 12 steps, it isnt the be all end all. It has its faults but at this point its one angle. Ive worked in the industry for 30 years and honestly addiction will morph into other addictions even with MAT. MH issues are what drives addiction. Ive worked in a dosing clinic for a few years and these antagonists only do so much.
It is not so much the drinking of alcohol in excees as the problem, but WHY does one want to do that? There are underlying psychological and mental conditions like severe anxiety, trauma and others. Most people who drink in excess want to escape from some pain that they are otherwise unable to face or make life changes so that pain is reduced. For this class of people, taking Naltrexone and CBT alone is not sufficient. The therpaist is not going to be with them 24/7/365.
I hope the place im going isnt lying to me they swore i do not haveta have anything with aa or na. They name is cliffside of Malibu should i trust them or another rehab money cash cow for insurance. They promise no aa but ive been told this before. Is there anywhere i can just go detox make sure i dont get the dts amd go home 3:51 and get
25 years in AA
I got 40 years and my observation is that there's some stuff that's just under bulshit especially with the steps
Mmmmm idk the AA program has its flaws but this just sounds like BS. This person was never an addict clearly lol
Even tho she's not an addict or alcoholic she's pretty spot on. I entered AA when I was in junior high after going to drug rehab. I sobered up for 8 yrs but could stay sober for very long through out my life because AA (the 12 steps) bypass original and ongoing life traumas. Also My dad entered AA after me and had 35 yrs of "sobriety" but had massive trauma from life, he watched his mom, my grandmother die in a house fire @ 9 yrs old and two yrs later his dad died in a car accident from a drunk driver, a few yrs later his brother committed suicide. The twelve steps like for sooo many myself included keeps people stuck in the trauma, it's way outdated. It bypasses the layers and layers of tauma, pain and suffering stored in the body and the unconscious mind witch controls 80% of how we live and what we do.I'm 55 yrs young now married with four children and had to unpack why a ton of people do not heal and become whole healthy person. Basically the 12 steps to me now are odd and even a bit suspect. The 4th step has you do a personal inventory and that's about the extent of healing from massive life's pain and traumas???!!! I feel AA and the 12 steps even kills people, one being my dad, because he never got the he needed he stayed super sick and ended up dying in a sexual addiction/assault near 80 yrs old all because he could claim 35 yrs of "sobriety" and stay secretly sick. I healed through psychedelics just like one of the founders of AA but AA doesn't talk about that. And also childhood regression, breathwork therapy, etc., etc. and alot of reading and studying current information of how to heal and unpack and release trauma. And basically the healing benefits of psychedelics got covered up. But now healing centers and retreats are on the rise to assist people to become whole and not rely on the 12 steps for the rest of their lives!❤❤❤
Could NOT stay sober(typo)🤦♂️😊
"Help he needed", nother typo
AA has really helped me. I started going to AA , when I was 24 years old. I had some long term sobriety, but returned to drinking and my problems got bigger. I am 61yo now and 15 years sober. AA really helps. I actually enjoy going to meetings.
I’m not saying that AA is the most effective way to get sober, but I am saying that it has really helped me.
I think AA can help one live sober, if that’s what they want to do. I don’t think AA is good at making people want to be sober.
I didn't listen to all the youtube, but flicked to the end to listen to the conclusion. The speaker's right, there's lots of other options. No-one has to go to AA. I didn't and I tried all different kinds of ways to keep off the booze such as the gym and counselling.
When they failed my two options left were suicide or AA. Luckily enough I went to AA before the suicide route.
14 years sober now. Still going to AA; it's fun.
The suggestion often is to pretend a God exists, ask it for help, thank it for everything, ask its forgiveness, ask it to direct your thinking, ask it for intuitive ideas. So here you are talking to an imaginary being. They call that being open minded, being willing to believe. Some manage to brainwash themselves into faith that way. However youre told you have to face the fact thst God is everything or nothing. You have to accept spiritual help or go on to the bitter end ie die of alcoholism. Thats your choice.
I find it to be quite different. All that is required is willingness to believe, not a long jump! That's worked quite well for 48 years.
I got Sober 9/9/1997 through the 12 steps of AA, and remain sober by helping others and through my God (who is kind loving and understanding and forgiving. Not the punishing god I grew up with 🙄🤦♀️) No disrespect to anyone, I have a hard time with all organised religion. Maybe some day that will change 🤷♀️
AA ISNT for everyone ☺️ we all have our own path of recovery we need to travel. Just remember Alcoholism kills when untreated so please do whatever you need to do stay 6ft above ground ♥️ Sending much love and light to all ♥️🙏♥️
You have no freedom
@@rgb188 ?? I am not sure what you mean "you have no freedom"? I have freedom from the mental obsession for alcohol that used to consume my every waking moment. I no longer want to drink or do drugs today. I have freedom from self bondage, freedom,to go anywhere I want to in this life, without looking where and when my next drink or drug is coming from :) I have choices today, I choose to be free from the chains of addiction, it's freaking beautiful!!! I have peace in my ,mind and soul :) :)
Sending you much love and light!!
AA is a NUT house, thats the reality to it, there is nothing about a social club in Chapter 5. Keep a open mind.
Plenty of nuts, but without the beer batter:). And the other word for "clubhouse" is fellowship.
You have to Rock Bottom into the Fellowship, don't do club AA , you will end up in a Psychiatric mental home.@@danielle92118
I don’t about the other ones but NA has helped me get my life back..for no. Medicine could I find the solution..I am grateful for I came to na ..
AA was best in 1980's when the west coast movement was strongest. We had our 1939 Big Book's principles as well as the modern insights of the west coast movement i.e. DSMIII. We did not yet have SSDI's and were warned of valium. US culture had not yet become as essentially narcissistic as it is now. Narcissism was an issue to be inventoried, discussed openly and to laugh about. AA is now dominated by cliques of untreated narcissists. The openness of gender orientation of 1980's has been replaced by closeting of orientation issues, despite the BB p.360 Tightrope warning. Many AA's fell into the prescription drug epidemic, including SSDI's. I am grateful I experienced the AA culture of 1980's and feel horrible new members are subjected to the degraded culture we have now.
Soo take a pill and a drink and you'll be fine is your solution... well thought out.
A.A. does work, while it is not for everyone if you are desperate enough to follow it's simple suggestions or steps it can help you stop drinking.
It can be hard for some, it took me several times. I'm head strong and at times fight the higher power idea.
Go to meetings, get a sponsor you can respect and work the steps.
I find it very ironic that people who get into trouble with the law because of substance abuse have done this abuse, very often, because of financial difficulties. And that the answer to this is to continue their financial difficulties by monetarily enslaving them to a machine that capitalizes on their misery and does everything that it can to keep these people in this state of misery for an indefinite period of time, and all of this evil is being perpetrated upon them with the cover story that it is in order to help them, is a panacea that came straight from the very pit of hell itself. The very fact that most states in the US require that people who have gotten themselves into legal trouble because of substance abuse are required to enlist in this institutionalized enslavement, makes me want to vomit.
Ah yes, it's everyone's fault except the addict's choice to abuse drugs. *eye roll* It's big daddy government's fault. No it's because the sky was blue. No it's because you didn't get your way for 5 minutes of a 24-hour day...
1:15
I dunno anybody who says AA is a "sure fire fix". Mostly, it is the last refuge. Then it may "work", and often does. The desperation of the dying?
AA is a sham now
The rehab I'm in is transferring me because I don't believe in God basically. But they are saying it's because of my insurance. I called my insurance and they have no idea whats going on. The rehab is lying to me, and I've been tricked into going to another rehab that I had nothing to with deciding on! The rehab is not the best one for me. Do I have to go?
try to share in A.A. meetings that there are more effective ways to get sober and that when A.A. doesn't work for someone it is not the person's fault. It's just that a highly dependant program that adopts an authoritarian view on life, is not compatible with that person's core beliefs. A.A. Tells me that I suffer from a spiritual malady, a defect. That comes directly from the Oxford group, a cult like group that Bill W. was involved with when he started A.A. They believed that all people are products of sin, and for a person to make a righteous decision, it must be done by God's will.
They didn't believe in free will. The Oxford groups leader was once publicly heard saying that Adolph Hitler would have made a great member of the Oxford group. The 12 steps are directly from the Oxford group. I won't go to much into the history of A.A. but it's far from what we think today. I'm always bringing up in treatment that I don't feel spiritually flawed at all. I'm constantly having to tell them that I do not believe in God and that I can't give my "Will and power over to the care of God as you understand him" because I have no conception of him or her or it. I simply have no idea what God is. They then tell me it can be a door knob and I can't help but to think of that idea as ridiculous.
Every relapse I find myself in a "rehab" that is built on the A.A . model. And the science of A.A. Is bad science. The statistics show only 5-12% are successful in maintaining sobriety. It works if you work it I'm told. But the only way to work it is giving up your power, and your will. I can't do that! I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO!
I just quit smoking, almost 2 weeks without a cigarette... I did that with will power. I can't tell you how many times I've used willpower to not drink. This program tells me that I didn't do that that God did and to be grateful for it. I'm done. I'm done! A.A. Is not for everyone.
Every relapse I'm told to go to more meetings, go back to rehab. Then I'm treated with the same medicine, and the formula didn't work the last ten times, why now? They say it's because I didn't totally work the program.
I shouldn't start totally over with everything with a week of drinking! I still retain all of the wisdom and knowledge I've gained through the last ten years of recovery and trying to stay sober. THIS SYSTEM IS FATALLY FLAWED! And in a country where Opiate overdoses kill more than car accidents, it has to change.
I am being transferred to a rehab that I had no say so in because I can't grasp A.A. And I voice my concerns with rigorous honesty. Hell aa tells me to be honest. I am doing that part. But the people that are in recovery that run this program got sober in A.A. and they feel it's the only way, because it worked for them.
It's wrong. I deserve the same opportunity as any believer in a higher power.
There are people who will argue with me, saying it doesn't have to be "God in the Bible"!
My answer to them is that's exactly what they mean is God in the Bible. The steps are from the Bible and confessing your sins in order to get well. So here I am trying to get sober being tossed around rehabs. So if my insurance is paying them and I'm paying my insurance, I should have a say so in what type of treatment I receive. I'm getting text messages asking me to confirm my pick up time from a rehab the counselor and case manager recommended. I did not choose this one.
The director, counselor, and case manager all told me that my insurance is dropping me, and they recommended a place called windward way. This windward way place wants me to stop a medicine that works miracles in my life. I don't want to stop it. Why fix what isn't broken? Also they want me to pay rent. Well I haven't started work yet and my temp. disability insurance is still 2 weeks away. The director from the rehab I'm in told me that windward way was the same thing basically. It's clearly not!!! I don't know what to do! I can relapse and get into a good detox and not have to worry about shit!
But I owe myself better.
I owe myself much better than all of this!
Its just hard to get to where I deserve.
There is clearly more to this story than you are allowing yourself to accept. I have never heard of any rehab bouncing someone for a lack of faith in a divine God. But your rant about "authoritarian" whatever suggests that you've been more disruptive than helpful to others, and doing what's best for the greatest number of people currently in a rehab may be closer to a greater reality.
And if you're frequently relapsing, it might be useful to consider whether it's the fault of "the same old treatment" or the remedy lies with adjusting yourself to a greater reality. The universe doesn't revolve around our likes and dislikes.
Those who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves will not recover.
It works for me, thy will be done
I will never go near aa.Too many criminals
AA is bullshit. If you don't believe in God, it sucks. If this invisible being up in the sky can save you, then you can blame him when you fail. I took responsibility for myself and I blame myself. I also have saved myself with the help of friends and family. Ya gotta be sick and tired of being sick and tired. Rehabs are a laugh too. Take responsibility, find help whatever way you can. If you fall off the wagon, climb back on and you can do it! IWNDWYT 8/04/2016❤
What does IWNDWYT stand for? I will not drink with you today? Lol...help...
@@teresahunt5521 Yes 😁
@@robinsnest68 Love it!
People who run their mouth about stuff they don’t have an experience!
AA and court mandated counciling is a BUSINESS.... a business that employs many many people, and that many people rely on for income. That in my mind is a horrible horrible thing to prey upon people with an addiction. One of the first things they'll teach you is that you're helpless and you must turn to them(for a hefty fee) for help. It is completely false and I cannot think of a more evil thing than to prey upon people down on their luck and tell them it's for their own good
AA is absolutely not a business in any way shape or form.
I knew it was not me. I needed a mental health treatment.
Many of us needed both
Rick P dry date Jan 15/ 1995 , BRAMALEA . A daily reprieve CONTINGENT on my SPIRITUAL CONDITION. 😊👋 RIP Dr. Bob and Bill W.
I agree with everything she says. I feel like AA is very exclusive. He you don't believe in god or follow the steps you're excluded by the group. AA not being part of the scientific society and being part of modern methods of dealing with sobriety is a deal breaker for me. I got sober using medicine and therapy.
That’s not true. You can have any higher power you want, or none.
@@1DaTJo Who are you to tell me about my experience of AA? If you don't conform to the program 100% people will get annoyed at you.
And my experience is that both of you have a very poor understanding of AA. Being excluded because of not believing in God? Not my experience as an atheist. Modern methods of dealing with alcoholism? In my 48 years, I have seen most of the programs, the "better ideas", rise and fall like dominoes, over and over again. Don't take criticism of AA personally at all, but I do speak up when very inaccurate opinions based on poor information hold themselves out as fact.
@@danielle92118 A poor understanding? This is what i experienced. Just read the chapter about agnosticism. In that chapter it tries to convert you ^^ Also. At the end of each meeting holding hands and saying the lord's prayer as been done in my meetings. Me not doing this I'm suddently an outsider. AA excludes atheists. This is facts. But it's not the biggest problem with AA.
Never,never,never disclose your addiction to anyone who are not genuine trusted and qualified health care professionals ( v hard to find).Other than this THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ANONYMITY
I’m pretty sure you disclose it every time you stumble out of a bar 😂
AA has a higher success rate than most counseling services and rehab programs and it costs nothing.
Because of the community Spirit that's why. Any other organization that goes in and can offer community spirit would destroy AA.
Try listening to Bob D AA Speaker Tapes....
AA saved my life and I will always tell other alcoholics about my experience, strength, and hope.
It's not about quitting the drinking that brings people to this realization.
I'm Matt, and thanks to AA and the fellowship of other recovering alcoholics, I've been contributing to society without a single drink since 8-1-20.
I cannot speak for the other millions out there, but I can tell you that my wife and children do agree that AA saved our family and marriage while keeping me employed and helped me to become a better person.
It's not science, by the way, it's not a place to prove a thing ❤
Psychiatry and medicine could no nothing more for him and that his only hope would be to have what the psychiatrist called a "vital spiritual experience." Dr. Carl Jung
AA is not for me. Tried different groups , different countries… now I am Sober on my own
Treatment doesn’t work for those who are not ready to quit. No matter what it is. I am 5 years sober it’s not easy to deny ourselves and nobody can do it for you. AA is a support group and it works..
AA wasn't the problem it was the people I met there didn't work for me lot of 13 steppers there an they didn't like it if you were on matance meds made it 4 years sober relapsed after getting covid 4 times and gallbladder surgery and colitis all in one year and all the meetings shut down i drink less now get sober for a few weeks or month but relapsed few days ago after 18 days colitis pain got me down but im still trying to get sober
First of all, god is mentioned in AA but it's a good of YOUR understanding. It isnt actually religious. Here in the UK, yeah, go to rehab if you can afford the thousands of pounds for it, there is no dues or fees for AA other than the desire to stop drinking.
Even today though, if you're an alcoholic and go to a GP, you're actually encouraged to go to AA, and that's coming from qualified doctor's. In AA we speak about knowing If you think you're an alcoholic as it's up to the individual to realise that, can they just have one drink or regulate themselves once they start, if the answer is no then that's a big indicator.
In the USA it's more religious than church.
@@doctorbob8220 I disagree AA is a treatment
option and in no way resembles church there is no pastor, singing of hymns, or
taking of communion I think it's sad that
you have such a low view of Christianity
Yep-that's the crack the light shines through:)
Odd-absolutely NOT my experience I. Multiple states and over multiple decades. In fact, there strung sentiment and practice against allowing religioysity to infiltrate. The God off AA is merely a reflection of every single individual in any meeting.
Interesting comments! In the beginning of AA it had %75 success rate! Now it's %5! $$$$$$$ got in the way!!!!
In those days, most folks were WAY down and out, they did the Steps in 2weeks and immediately commenced to helping others. These days, it's a much softer landing with much more tolerance for the revolving doors. Forever grateful that I was too far gone by 25 to believe that I might get another chance.
Would you be so kind as to elaborate.
@@johnmccarthy7195 listen to joe and Charlie's big book study! RUclips
Weird that someone would make negative content about AA. Of all things. I guess I’ve seen it all now.
I believe there are such hypocrites!! They say it's not about religion it's about spirituality and whatever you believe in as a higher power that it could be a doorknob. But yet they hold hands and pray the Lord's Prayer at the end of a meeting. And you know what I pray with the rosary I believe in God, but I don't believe in God fixing my problem that I made for myself I believe in myself fixing it so screw AA and na, they're a bunch of damned hypocrites
Sounds like you really got a handle on it.