Originally Posted by
Ken33xx 
I like Chris R. too and here's a link to where he talks about the problems in AA today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hiqf86SxE5Y
He talks about how one has no right to spew their problems at his AA. I agree AA is not group therapy and I too am not interested in hearing about someone crappy day.
The thing is though... it's not his AA meeting but our AA. So, I like meetings which fall somewhere in the middle. You don't have to pretend to be happy joyous and free all the time esp. when you're going through a rough patch. But AA and a possible solution back into the share. Don't just bitch and moan.
The area I take exception is where Chris goes on about statistics in AA. That somehow AA was better back in the day than it is today. Meaning a higher percentage of people got sober 60 years ago than they do today.
Imo, what we saw 60 years ago were people like myself who had an extensive track record with alcohol related issues as did everyone in the room.
Today AA is very well known in the U.S. You've got people court order to meetings, people in their early 20's and people who just want to check out the meetings but aren't sure if they want to stop drinking.
In other words there are a lot more people coming into the rooms of AA and at various stages of alcoholism than there were 60 years ago.
And that is a good thing.
People who are AA newcomers haven't yet learned that sharing the particular facts of each of their various problems and dramas aren't necessary, but I indulge them with my attention and thoughts when they do.
It took me a while to understand that I would do better, for example, to talk about anger than to give a blow-by-blow report of whatever argument(s) or incident that has disturbed me (e.g. the landlord, the banker, the boss, the spouse, the ex-, etc.).