211–220 of 366 posts
Wow. It's really quite stark to see it in such austere terms.
The cost nature of this is quite exceptional if you think about this.
Without even unpacking anything to any degree, it would seem that dragging oneself to a meeting, socializing with others in the same plight, re-affirming one's commitment to 'getting better' probably really goes a long way to changing behavior.
I didn’t do AA but did AlAnon for children of alcoholics recovering from trauma. Despite what people think, the 12 step program is super light on the spirituality stuff and very atheist friendly. As a recovery group AlAnon was super useful for getting some closure on the hell my parents dragged me through and just leaving that stuff behind. Edit:I guess I should have qualified that I’ve only done support groups in SF…
My understanding is that they don't even need you to acknowledge a God, just that "there is cosmically something bigger than you and you have no power to govern it" Is that about what you experienced?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Prayer#Use_by_twelve-...
It's noteworthy that all but one of the studies quoted in that meta-review were conducted in the United States. The usual criticism levied against AA is that it takes a religious approach, but that's not even true, it it built on evangelicalism. If you are in the US, you are either evangelical or you at least understand evangelicalism because that's what your friends and colleagues profess. You wonder how AA would fa…
I felt like that joke from one of the more recent seasons of Silicon Valley, where the episode revolved around one of the characters "being outed" as a christian, was very on point, from what I have personally observed both in SF and Seattle. A bit of background on the episode: one of the CEOs of partnered companies owned a gay dating site. No one had any concerns or issues with that, but as soon as some people found out that the CEO was christian, all hell broke lose and the following quote was dropped "You can put micro doses of LSD in your cereal and people will call you a pioneer. But the one thing you cannot be is a Christian."
P.S. The show is obviously pretty tongue-in-cheek, no one seriously claims you cannot be Christian in those areas or that you would face hostility due to it. But people will definitely be questioning it a bit.
This is probably not going to be a popular thing to say but total abstinence isn't necessarily the goal that everyone who has a drinking problem is aiming for. Just as those who over eat want to control their appetite for food rather than simply stop eating so do some who have a drink or drugs problem. In many cases the drink is a symptom not a cause. Remove the cause and for some people at least the drink problem wi…
It is not at all true for a great many of them, and for them that is downright dangerous advice.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I had other experiences. The friendships I had in AA were superficial. Once, when I was struggling and needed help and people to talk to, I was completely ignored by the people around me. They didn't want to help the struggling - just to have this toxic positivity that nothing is wrong. I later moved out of state. I came back to visit family, and went back to a meeting to find out that there were rumors that I had re…
> When I moved, the meetings I encountered were extremely hostile to atheists. That's unfortunate, and mostly in line with other experiences I've heard from friends, etc. AA seems like just another bullshit Christian recruitment/retention facility, that sometimes accidentally helps people who buy into it recover from addiction. Too bad.
This is essentially false, and borderline bigotry.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I had other experiences. The friendships I had in AA were superficial. Once, when I was struggling and needed help and people to talk to, I was completely ignored by the people around me. They didn't want to help the struggling - just to have this toxic positivity that nothing is wrong. I later moved out of state. I came back to visit family, and went back to a meeting to find out that there were rumors that I had re…
> When I moved, the meetings I encountered were extremely hostile to atheists. In my experience there are two types of atheists who go to AA: those for whom religion “isn’t their thing” and those who are actively hostile to religion. I think the latter group should find an alternative to AA.
If you're one of those for whom AA didn't work I would encourage you to look at the The Sinclair Method. It has changed many lives for the better (including mine). https://www.reddit.com/r/Alcoholism_Medication/ https://cthreefoundation.org/
I googled it, seems to be you're supposed to take some drug that makes you stop drinking.
The "Sinclair Method" is, basically, to promise to take naltrexone (or similar) 30 minutes or so before you ever take a drink. That way, if/when you drink, you never feel the "drink" and your mind can return to normal.
No drug will "make you stop drinking" (though disulfiram may make you want to do so); the Sinclair Method attempts to remove your interest in drinking.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
After 15yrs of a-abuse, 4 bottles of alcover (sodium oxibate? i believe available - prescription only - only in one country) cured me. I bought 2 cases of xtra-strong beer 'just in case', have had 2 cans on my desk for months now. 0 interest in drinking.
Italy? Sodium Oxybate (ie: incredibly expensive GHB) is on the market elsewhere, but not indicated for alcohol abuse and usually heavily controlled (ie: special doctors and pharmacies only). The heavy control always surprised me while other powerful sedatives flow freely with little control.
recovering addict here. some words for those who may be struggling. i tried a number of things over many years (life coach, therapy, meditation retreats, ayahuasca, ibogaine, etc). i reached a bottom, and nothing i had tried really worked or stuck. kept relapsing after a few months of sobriety at most. ultimately it was going to AA that i largely credit to my successful transformation into a happy life of sobriety. i…
recovering addict here. some words for those who may be struggling. i tried a number of things over many years (life coach, therapy, meditation retreats, ayahuasca, ibogaine, etc). i reached a bottom, and nothing i had tried really worked or stuck. kept relapsing after a few months of sobriety at most. ultimately it was going to AA that i largely credit to my successful transformation into a happy life of sobriety. i…