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No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking

nytimes.com

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Re: No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking

#11

Post by vernie »

throwaway999777 wrote: post #6
tossit123 wrote: post #4

weird that she just flat breaks AA tradition 11 "we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.” The reason this is so important is that should this woman have a "slip" - which LOTS of alcoholics do - now the world, and needy alcoholics, have one more reason to dismiss AA. Try it before you judge it. AA finds u when u need it, not to be traded for a drunkalog to generate page view…

> The reason this is so important is that should this woman have a "slip" - which LOTS of alcoholics do - now the world, and needy alcoholics, have one more reason to dismiss AA. > Try it before you judge it. An organization that tries to inflate its own public success rate, and then asks people to keep an open mind towards it rather than dismiss it. Ok.

Yea, better to do nothing, I'm sure it'll sort itself out.

Re: No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking

#12

Post by RockyMcNuts »

Animats wrote: post #8

Note the total lack of self-blame, or taking responsibility for one's own problems. Even the title, "No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking", puts the blame on someone, anyone, else.

I could never be an alcoholic, alcohol does nothing for me except dulling the senses. But there were kids I knew, from the first drink of their lives, it made them a different, less stressed, happier person. It was like heroin (I imagine, never tried it). Point is, some people genetically have an alcohol problem. And this person is writing about it, exposing themself to potential criticism like this, and taking action about it. Does judging this person make you feel like a better person? Because it's not helpful in any way. If you've avoided problems, good for you. If you haven't, and you've had struggles, it doesn't make you a hero, and it doesn't make you a bad person, it makes you a human being.

Re: No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking

#13

Post by throwaway999777 »

vernie wrote: post #11
throwaway999777 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The reason this is so important is that should this woman have a "slip" - which LOTS of alcoholics do - now the world, and needy alcoholics, have one more reason to dismiss AA. > Try it before you judge it. An organization that tries to inflate its own public success rate, and then asks people to keep an open mind towards it rather than dismiss it. Ok.

Yea, better to do nothing, I'm sure it'll sort itself out.

Yes. You can either do AA or do nothing with your problem. That's the only two options in the world.

Jeez these AA PR snippets are just stellar.

Re: No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking

#14

Post by beachstartup »

Animats wrote: post #8

Note the total lack of self-blame, or taking responsibility for one's own problems. Even the title, "No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking", puts the blame on someone, anyone, else.

i think that's the point the author was trying to make. when you're a drunk, you're incapable of those things.

Re: No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking

#16

Post by trowawee »

Animats wrote: post #8

Note the total lack of self-blame, or taking responsibility for one's own problems. Even the title, "No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking", puts the blame on someone, anyone, else.

Except for when she checked herself in to AA, and then publicly wrote a piece calling herself a drunk, and admitting she'd let a disordered relationship to booze screw up her life for years.

Jesus. Empathy is dead here.

Re: No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking

#17

Post by swagv »

Animats wrote: post #8

Note the total lack of self-blame, or taking responsibility for one's own problems. Even the title, "No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking", puts the blame on someone, anyone, else.

I just question why the NY Times classifies a story about alcoholism as "Fashion & Style".

Re: No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking

#19

Post by cloakandswagger »

Animats wrote: post #8

Note the total lack of self-blame, or taking responsibility for one's own problems. Even the title, "No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking", puts the blame on someone, anyone, else.

That's the first thing that struck me too. Total abdication of personal responsibility, and her self-important, solipsistic attitude is found all throughout her writing.

Re: No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking

#20

Post by MaulingMonkey »

trowawee wrote: post #16
Animats wrote: post #8

Note the total lack of self-blame, or taking responsibility for one's own problems. Even the title, "No One to Rescue Me from My Drinking", puts the blame on someone, anyone, else.

Except for when she checked herself in to AA, and then publicly wrote a piece calling herself a drunk, and admitting she'd let a disordered relationship to booze screw up her life for years. Jesus. Empathy is dead here.

And that "even if my ex had wanted to be the savior I was looking for, he couldn’t have rescued me from myself."
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