Waterman

I don't mean this question to be against AA, but I have noticed something. As most alcoholics have found(including me), we are totally SHOCKED at the way our minds and bodies feel when we quit drinking. Just read all the posts on SR! "Why do I feel this way"...etc. There must not be enough general information available to the population to educate them of the effects of alcohol, IMHO. There should be more information available through the media. Since AA is the "main" source of recovery, it is often a little difficult to make that "connection". It is a fine thing, don't get me wrong, but the average person can tell by our posts here that most of us "had no clue" as to why we were feeling the way we were during sobriety. That TELLS me that there is not enough "exposure" available to the public. When you go into a doctor's office, there are informative brochures available on all sorts of diseases and ailments, alot of which we've never heard of. But in order to get info on alcoholism, you have to really do your homework. And alcoholism is much more prevalent than alot of other ailments. Anyway, just my thought for the morning......

jamdls

I only went to AA meetings for the first couple of months that I was sober and I found it anything BUT secretive. People talked about anything and everything and everyone including the first time attendee was encouraged to talk. Within 10 miles of where I live there were 6 different locations where meetings were held at all times of the day and night 7 days a week and the impression I got was the "door is always open". AA isn't for everyone (as it wasn't for me long term) but it's a great place at least to begin for everyone. I believe AA also has 24 hour hotline numbers and there is no 'pre-requisites' for getting in and it is free of charge. I am amazed that AA is as big as it is w/o charging and I think there aren't more avenues for alcoholics because running something w/o charging a fortune is a very difficult thing to do.

FightingIrish

The NIAAA is the primary source of medical/health information on alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

A.A. does not deal with medical aspects of alcoholism. They cooperate with allied institutions such as hospitals, etc. to bring A.A. programs into those places, but A.A.'s purpose is non-professional.

tommyk

Just my observation...

AA is almost always 'too something' for newcomers.

The disease is strong, the disease presents many lies about AA to the newcomer's mind.

I don't know anyone who ever came to AA doing cartwheels, laughing, and smiling.

Everyone I know 'resisted' in some fashion.

A lot of 'winners' stuck around though... to discover the truth...?

tomvlll

AA has a tradition that states:

11.) Our relations with the general public should be characterized by personal anonymity. We think A.A. ought to avoid sensational advertising. Our names and pictures as A.A. members ought not be broadcast, filmed, or publicly printed. Our public relations should be guided by the principle of attraction rather than promotion. There is never need to praise ourselves. We feel it better to let our friends recommend us.

If this tradition weren't there, you'd probably see more of AA than you could stomach!

Jehovah's Witness and Hare Krishna's are 2 groups that come to mind that have very negative public images because of the way they promote themselves.

I suppose it's very likely that in some areas and venues , the AA message might not be out there, bu this is one explanation for that.

laurie6781

Regardless of who is putting out the information .......................................... would you have listened or read it while you were drunk?

I doubt it ................................ I know I sure wouldn't have, I could have cared less. It was only when I became sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I 'knew' I was dying, I 'knew' I would die if I kept drinking and I 'knew' I would die if I tried to stop, that I decided I wanted to die sober.

That was my 'alcoholic' thinking.

J M H O

Love and hugs,

sfgirl

I have thought about this too. The anonymity thing with AA is so important in so many ways. However, I guess couple it with the 11th tradition and AA does not talk openly about recovery and alcoholism to the community at large. I wish this weren't so. I understand that is the way it is but I think one of the biggest barriers to alcoholism— certainly for me— was that I had no idea I had it. This is partly, a major part, due to denial. However, if I had heard any number of the stories or the symptoms that go around AA I probably would have put 2 and 2 together more quickly. I was at a point where I wanted to know what the hell was wrong with me, I was so miserable.

I think it is wonderful that AA is so open in many ways. The meetings are generally completely open— anyone can go. The problem is you have to know you have a problem to get there. I was at a meditation thing last night and a woman was talking about going to AA with her niece to save her and then realizing after hearing the stories that she was actually an alcoholic. I just wonder if there were meetings on TV (I know so against all rules— but ways to access the stories anonymously or through education) that more people would understand what alcoholism is and therefore be able to self-diagnose. I think I might have been one of those people.

I am not really calling for an overhaul of AA, that is inappropriate, probably a different (gov't) agency needs to do this now but I wonder the reasons that so little is talked about alcoholism in the general public has to do with the anonymity and traditions of AA.

CarolD

I know I did suggest you attend AA when you first joined us.
Have you actually attended any meetings?

AA groups have various community outreach programs.
Ever check with your county health department?
Ask your doctors?

My point is.....AA is never difficult to find.
On line or in person....it's certainlly no secret organization.

Our BB is printed in 53 languages
Phone books have listings in most places.

What did you do to find AA?

McGowdog

What did I do to find A.A.? Well... let me tell ya.

I found A.A. a few times at various points in my life in various different ways.

When I was 18, I got sent to this place, Washington House Detox. They said, at 8:00 every night, you go down that hall and it's the 3rd door on the left.

Then when I was 27ish, I had a probation officer tell me where some meetings were. I had already taken the initiative to find some on my own. I had been to a few meetings before I was actually "sentenced" to them that time... plus I had the Big Book that I got from the treatment center back when I was 18.

Ever since then, I have been pretty much a voluntary participant.

An A.A. meeting is kind of like my family room.

Rad44

I was surprised and sometimes annoyed by a few things in my earlier attempts at recovery:

1) Alcoholism is virtually non-existent in Movies and TV. Everyone drinks all the time...no one ever becomes an Alcoholic.

2) The News Media treats Alcoholism like it's like getting your Car fixed. Go to Rehab. Come out x Days later and you are good as new. All fixed. No more work needed.

3) There are WAY, WAY more Alcoholics out there than I thought possible. I had always seen the Homeless Skid Row Bums but there was just a handful of them. In Orlando (800k-1M pop in Metro area) I was referred to my first AA meeting and I thought there would 12-15 people there for all of Central Florida. It was Pouring Rain on a Thursday Night and there were 75-100 people there Standing Room Only. That was the fifth meeting of the day at that location. Then I went online and saw that there were about 36 additional AA meetings in the area. Then add in Private Treatment Centers and 10+ people who NEED to be in treatment but aren't for every one trying to get sober and that is a HUGE number of Alcoholics.

Just some of my observations.

gravity

Before I attended my first AA meeting, here is what I thought of AA:

A bunch of old, down on their luck people who sat around drinking coffee & smoking cigarettes desperately trying not to run to the liquor store to buy a bottle. Bitching about life. Weak people. An antiquated program where everyone praised God (bumper stickers) & Bill Wilson.

Wow! Were my eyes opened!

So I do wonder if there is a better way to get the correct message out into the general public so that active alcoholics know that AA is a program of recovery, that it is there for anyone who wants it. I knew I had a big problem for a long time...but I really didn't know about this solution.

By the way, I do see alcoholism, addiction, AA/NA portrayed in many popular TV shows. Criminal Minds, 24, and Without a Trace come to mind. And in my opinion, they don't do a bad job!

Rad44

The only 2 shows that do Alcoholism any justice are Intervention and Cops.

Cops because virtually every single arrest is Drug or Alcohol related and you get to see in real life how messed up these people are. Plus, what's not to like about seeing the shirtless, tatooed, drunk guy with a Mullet getting a beat down from the Cops? Reminds me of what I just narrowly avoided.

Intervention I just fast forward over the obligatory tragic back story to get to where the camera follows the Alcoholic around and you can watch the pain and anguish they are causing themselves and others (and that I can personally relate to). Then I fast forward over the Intervention to get to the end part where they are playing the acoustic gituar and you can see them after 90 days in treatemnt. Just the difference in their face and eyes compared to the begining of the show is astonishing.

Waterman

I am now convinced that my MAIN problem has been OCD(obsessive complulsive disorder). I have been sober for months, and will continue to be sober. I drank to ease the symptoms. So, AA or not, it's a mental disorder. Sorry for creating this thread if it offended anyone.

Nevertheless

Most alcoholics don't want information. (were in denial). If you have alcoholism it's part of the disease to block all (or any) of the facts. I've known I was alcoholic for years, but the only time I ever read about it was drunk. I don't know how many times I've read the big book drunk.
But for the last 4 months I have been reading it sober, and I plan on keeping it that way.
Fred

joedris

The primary purpose of AA is to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. It doesn't have a secondary purpose. And this singleness of purpose is essential to the effective treatment of alcoholism. Unless alcoholism is kept relentlessly in the foreground, other issues will distract everybody's attention.

And in being with this singleness of purpose, there are a few things that AA does not do, It does not furnish initial motivation for alcoholics to recover. It does not solicit members, nor does it get involved with social agencies, research, or education programs. It does not provide counseling, accept any money for its services, or accept any contributions from non-AA members. In summary, AA is a singularly focused, self contained organization whose members are the leaders and whose individual groups are pretty autonomous. AA gains members by attraction rather than promotion. It is not a cult nor a religious organization. In fact it's traditions specifically prohibit affiliation with any politics, organization or institution. It's simply a bunch of drunks helping other drunks achieve sobriety.

You may come across an AA advertisement on occasion, but it's pretty rare. Mostly it's by word of mouth that people learn about the program. But if someone wants to quit drinking, they'll come across AA via their doctor, therapist, or other professional that they consult for help. There are a lot of meetings out there, you just have to look for them. When all else fails, call the AA hotline listed in the phone book. It's manned 24/7.

Waterman

I was "hungry" for alcoholic info. I was not in denial. I have been sober for over 3 months and will stay that way. I was just amazed at how "little" my doctor knew about alcoholism. Few people are educated to it........Where I live, it would be nice to have availability of literature without having to go to a meeting somewhere, but if that's what it takes, I guess we have to go. Gideon Bibles are abundant everywhere, for example..........that's kinda my point. There are probably more alcoholics sitting around in waiting rooms than there are people who read Gideon Bibles, and that's sad. Of course, I guess the Alcoholics can read the Gideon Bibles.......

Ago

This made my day and may have to be my new sig

matt88

This is true. There are few doctors who truly understand alcoholism on the level an alcoholic does. They will know to prescribe this and that for withdrawal, and maybe give a reccomendation to go to AA. I go to school with these types - the ones who are going to make it were the nerdiest types in high school who have never touched much alcohol or smoked anything in their lives, let alone would they know firsthand what withdrawal might feel like. More doctors should go into addiction related fields, but don't, as it's probably a speciality field of medicine considered about as desirable for doctors to go into as podiatrity. The recovery community needs more good doctors.

CarolD

How to get AA litature without attending a meeting?

Google for on line resources for alcoholism recovery literature.
Bookstores ... Hazelton and Amazon come first to my mind.

To read the book ...Alcoholics Anonymous click here

Big Book On Line

Hope this helps Waterman...

CD-RUN

I don't think AA is too secretive. I do believe the general public is uneducated and misinformed when it comes to alcoholism. If the majority of people suffering from the disease are in denial and down playing the situation, then it's not much of a surprise when nobody knows anything about something most people will deny having.

Withdrawal symptoms aren't usually good conversation starters.