'Phoenix In a Bottle' - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

Coolmummy · 10-30-2009, 02:27 PM

Is a book I have just read as it was relevant to me and my current job - as well as my sobriety. Basically it is about two people who become homeless, hopeless alcoholics and end up in my town, accessing some of the services I work for! hence interesting for me! what is fascinating about it is the rest of it- they try AA, find it doesn't work for them and are subsequently 'cast out' by the AA leaders. I tried to read it dispassionately but fond myself horrified by the AA attitude described. Lots more to it - Anyone else read it?

ElegantlyWasted · 10-30-2009, 02:39 PM

Curious... What was the story behind the falling out w AA? Did the local social safety net help them rebuild their lives/ stay sober?

Coolmummy · 10-31-2009, 01:57 AM

They questioned some of what was written in the Big Book and various other things they were told about AA and were told to leave basically, then ignored by the 'leader'/members when out and about. then when they went to more meetings they were pretty much told to leave. It was horrible. I would recommend reading it with an openmind especially if you are a big AA fan - I have not used AA myself.

mikefreak · 11-14-2009, 06:29 PM

Want to read it. " A organization is only as good as it's people". There ARE such things as BAD AA groups- I should know. But AA is a sacred cow to a lot of it's members, & IS NOT to be questioned...........................

dgillz · 11-14-2009, 11:54 PM

From Amazon.com:

Quote:

Product Description
In 1994 as a result of their alcoholism, Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald were down and out, sleeping rough in the streets and parks of Cambridge, the English university town where, a quarter of a century before, Murdoch had studied for an honours degree. Refusing to accept what they consider to be the outmoded myths and dogma of Alcoholics Anonymous, Lilian and Murdoch set about searching for the underlying causes of their self-harming behaviour problem, which they discovered lay in childhood. Although Lilian and Murdoch's upbringing caused their problems, they themselves take full responsibility for their drinking, most importantly because taking responsibility for one's own actions is the starting point on the road to recovery. As a result of their endeavours, the couple are today back home in Ayrshire, Scotland, leading normal lives again, with their problems of alcoholism and Lilian's associated eating disorder well and truly behind them. Controversially, they are also now able to drink alcohol responsibly again, if and when they so wish.This book is the inspiring story of their journey.

So this sounds like a true story not fiction but I cannot tell for sure. I will say that at a price of $50 I will not be reading it soon.

Coolmummy · 11-22-2009, 08:14 AM

Love it Mike!!!

Yes, it is a true staory, I know people who have come across this couple. Can't belive it was that price. I borrowed it from the library.

10-30-2009, 02:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
Coolmummy Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: UK Posts: 333	'Phoenix In a Bottle' Is a book I have just read as it was relevant to me and my current job - as well as my sobriety. Basically it is about two people who become homeless, hopeless alcoholics and end up in my town, accessing some of the services I work for! hence interesting for me! what is fascinating about it is the rest of it- they try AA, find it doesn't work for them and are subsequently 'cast out' by the AA leaders. I tried to read it dispassionately but fond myself horrified by the AA attitude described. Lots more to it - Anyone else read it? __________________ *There's no future in the past..*

10-30-2009, 02:39 PM	#2 (permalink)
ElegantlyWasted Excellence... not Perfection Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: AZ Posts: 1,190 Blog Entries: 8	Curious... What was the story behind the falling out w AA? Did the local social safety net help them rebuild their lives/ stay sober? __________________ "We're all told at some point in time that we can no longer play the children's game, we just don't...we don't know when that's gonna be. Some of us are told at eighteen, some of us are told at forty, but we're all told."

10-31-2009, 01:57 AM	#3 (permalink)
Coolmummy Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: UK Posts: 333	They questioned some of what was written in the Big Book and various other things they were told about AA and were told to leave basically, then ignored by the 'leader'/members when out and about. then when they went to more meetings they were pretty much told to leave. It was horrible. I would recommend reading it with an openmind especially if you are a big AA fan - I have not used AA myself. __________________ *There's no future in the past..*

11-22-2009, 08:14 AM	#6 (permalink)
Coolmummy Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: UK Posts: 333	Love it Mike!!! Yes, it is a true staory, I know people who have come across this couple. Can't belive it was that price. I borrowed it from the library. __________________ *There's no future in the past..*

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11-14-2009, 06:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
mikefreak Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New Mexico Posts: 610 Blog Entries: 5	Want to read it. " A organization is only as good as it's people". There ARE such things as BAD AA groups- I should know. But AA is a sacred cow to a lot of it's members, & IS NOT to be questioned...........................

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