Wow, uhhh...this thread got a bit derailed I guess!
Anyway I wanted to let ya know I read it all, I just choose to react to one thing that caught me:
BSP -- Sheesh, sorry -- I can't remember why you started this thread -- as long as you are sober today, though... that's what counts. I think you made reference to 'why the courts send folks to AA in the states.' I think, and again -- this is my opinion -- because it's a program that can be monitored, and at least these folks will do SOMETHING about their drinking. Yes, it's true that many of the people who are in the rooms to get their paper signed don't WANT to be there, but at least there is the possibility they will get sober. I've seen some of them really come around and WANT to stay sober -- that's a magical thing! I believe in God, and I truly believe those are the miracles of AA. If a judge ordered someone to pick up a book on SMART, and do some work on their own, how many drunks would actually follow through? AA signs the paper, doesn't cost the 'system' any money to put these people through a 'program,' and if we're all lucky the person will sober up and not drive drunk any more, risking lives...
That's all well and good a judge wants to help fighting drinking problems and all but uhhh...imo it's wrong to not recognize SMART Recovery as a valid method to stay sober. They, too, got face to face meetings, they got online meetings like daily even and they can send you a verification email if you need it for any judge or justice entity.
This being said, let's move on: I didn't start this thread to go AA bashing, I'm glad many of you had good experiences (even as atheists/agnostics) in the meetings, perhaps it depends on the group and meeting you're attending too. I'm not gonna say I'll never ever attend a meeting again, I mean if the urges are bad and I get in an 'whatever may work' mood, I might, who knows, eh? I created this thread cuz I do enjoy a bit of debate. Stay open minded, all of you.
What also gets to me at times is that NA/AA tends to label ppl as 'stupid' drunks/addicts who have to 'keep it simple'. Scientifically proven psychology concepts are sometimes deemed as 'too complicated', while I been at SMART and I can tell you: if I understand it, everybody's able to. What's your take on this labeling?