No, it is not AA policy. Doctors are the experts, that is the policy. The AA program shares experience on this subject, that has nothing to do with doctors. It is about how alcoholics like to mislead doctors. Honesty is the cornerstone of the AA program. This passage is about honesty with doctors.
"Psychologists are inclined to agree with us. We have spent thousands of dollars for examinations. We know but few instances where we have given these doctors a fair break. We have seldom told them the whole truth nor have we followed their advice. Unwilling to be honest with these sympathetic men, we were honest with no one else. Small wonder many in the medical profession have a low opinion of alcoholics and their chance for recovery!"
If medication is obtained dishonestly as described above, by telling part truth, misleading or ommitting, or exagerating, or out of fear, the even taking it as prescribed is still abuse.
I don't believe AA mebers should be telling people not to take meds. That is dangerous. I am quite incredulous that Tomsteve had members telling him not to take cancer medication. I have neever seen that happen myself.
In AA, we share experience. Quite a few members have experience with abusing other mind altering chemicals, and some may be inclined to share about that perhaps more forcefully than they should. Based on my experience, I can say I wasnt really sober while I was smoking cigarettes. I foundt that out when I stopped.
There are indeed many alcholics who need medication to stay alive. But it is not really acurate to put it that way. It paints a more acurate picture to say some of us within AA, need medication. Most of us don't.
My life was saved by a man who needed medication for life. In thirty something years I have only met a few others like him. JME