Gal220

That wasn't my experience, so I guess you're wrong. But it fits your experience and understanding of the program, so you're right. That's the problem with making judgmental generalizations (which ironically is your complaint about AA).

Yes, there are judgmental, "my way or the high way" type people in AA. But that's just some people. The program itself simply says, "This is what worked for us." It's a spiritual solution in which people are encouraged to bring their own individual understandings of spirituality into play. The steps are suggested as an example of what we did. AA helped me put my past in the past. I couldn't do that until I looked at it first and made amends. Maybe others can just forget about it and move on. I couldn't. When I read the Big Book, I read a lot of hope, not a lot of negativity.

So I guess if by "one size fits all" you mean that it requires a potential for belief in some sort of spirituality, sure. Although I do know several agnostics and atheists who follow the program. So I guess I'm just trying to say, probably badly, that AA fits for some and not others. It never claims to be all things to all people. That would be impossible! If it were possible, there would be one awesome program out there that everyone would flock to and it would work for everyone. As far as I know, there is no program like that. Everyone on SR has their own individual path. Mine includes AA, and I don't find it negative or judgmental or stifling or demoralizing at all. I find it empowering.

That doesn't mean I believe everyone has the same experience. So your experience is valid, but so is mine. I don't usually respond to stuff like this, and I'll probably regret it later. But oh well.