Originally Posted by
LexieCat 
Um, Robert,
The thread is "what is recovery," not "what is AA". These forums include support for people not in AA or other twelve-step programs.
I'm in AA, myself, but I also like to take what's valuable to me from other approaches to recovery. That's my personal decision, and it works for ME.
There is a specific part of the forum for twelve-step recovery from alcoholism. You're certainly entitled to say what recovery means to you, as a member of AA, but it isn't really the place to argue with those who favor a different approach.
Understood, Lexie. I just want to be clear that, if you go by what the AA program is as outlined in our book, it is about the 12 steps. If you try some other method, it's not AA. It might be watered-down AA, self-help, etc. I used to "work my own program" until I nearly died.
In the early days of AA, they had 50-75% success in recovery. Interestingly, that's when they focused on the 12 steps. Nowadays, AA's success rate is in the single digits. And our meetings tend to be amalgamations of group therapy and pep rallies for sobriety without any focus on the solution.
I respect the right of anyone to recover in any way they want. If those methods don't work, however, I'd like for us not to blame AA.