JBhere,
I was very resistant to AA after I first went. I was suspicious of AA and thought everyone was trying to convince me of AA's methodology because they were really just trying to convince themselves. I thought the spirituality stuff was embarrassingly ridiculous. Of course that all changed when the impossible happened and I had a spiritual awakening myself in the middle of a nightshift at work. I'll spare you the details but at that moment I understood AA. Once the program clicks and the light comes on, you understand the genius behind the methodology. It's not about losing your identity, it's about becoming the person you always wanted and were meant to be. That's it. Good luck.

I can understand the original poster, JBHere's complaint to some degree because I experienced it in a very real way myself. When I was young I was once forced into an institution for a non-alcohol related psychological problems I was having. The entire time after that I was told by doctors and counselors that I needed to goto AA but I always resisted. It was frustrating that I drank all the more because of what an issue other's made my drinking with their spiritual AA bit. but these days I'm growing to see God as He relates to me and I still haven't experienced this beautiful quote from JustSam, but I hope to.

This is something I heard in NA when I first got in, as far as walking on eggshells lest we scare off a newcomer. In addiction we didn't let anything get between ourselves and our DOC. lack of money, lack of home, whatever. I expect some of us did and most of us would have walked into a church and spouted prayers if that is what it took to get our next fix. We were liars, operators, manipulators, street toughs, thieves, stealing food from our kids mouths and money from our mothers purses to continue using. Yet all of a sudden we get into recovery and we are fragile little flowers, so easily bruised, little timid rabbits, no one better nod in our direction or off we scurry.

When we want something, we know how to get it. If we want to recover, we won't let every little darn thing get in our way.

I bat my eyelashes and play this game with myself and others even now. "I can't recover because that butterfly pooped on my flower, boo hoo hoo"

I'm not suggesting that anyone go to AA if they have some issue with it. But if you don't recover it is not AA's fault or anyone who mentioned AA's fault.

^ Threshold...that was an awesome post. Good points.

The above posts are a case in point. The OP has stated explicitly [s]he's not interested and yet you're still trying to justify them going.

Please respect people's wishes and don't try recruiting them against their will.

Kanamit,
I dont speak for AA but I can tell you there's no recruiting and no forcing anyone or anything in AA. The program only works if you want to be there anyway. I only mentioned AA because I thought my perspective might clear up some misconceptions JBhere had. If it wasn't a life or death matter I wouldn't have said anything. Bottom line is, considering AA's influence and size, it's going to be impossible to have an open and inclusive conversation about alcoholism and recovery without AA coming up. It's like trying to write a book without using the letter "e".

Heaven forbid a non-spiritual person hear from SR's throng of athiests/agnostics who used AA to recover.

If the worst thing a desperate, hungry addict hears on SR is how AA has helped lead others so-inflicted out of the darkness, it'll all be OK.

im cracking up laughing about you calling him "the Dee" :laughing:
Becky

We strive for "progress not perfection" Well that quote is pretty damn close to perfection. 30 seconds sober and we are next in line for sainthood, been there done that. Oops. :herewego

When I first came here I also had some problems with AA posts. I'm actually reply spiritual but did not find the 12 step approach something that I was interested in trying. I spent a lot of time on the Secular forum and eventually unrealized that when people are posting things like "try AA" it is done out of their desire to help. They are sharing what worked for them. There is no malice or hurt intended. Once I realized that it became easier to let it slide:)

Welcome to SR. It is a wonderful open community:)

With all due respect, no this is not case and point. The OP (who has since moved on) requested that AA not be mentioned by anyone in this area of SR. They were subsequently corrected and told that that request would not be followed, as there are areas where AA is rarely mentioned if at all, and they are welcome to post there. However, people are free to post about AA, or other areas of Recovery in the ALCOHOLISM section.

Again, the OP has moved on. CLEARLY no one here is trying to recruit people. No one is telling the OP to go to AA. As happens in Threads, people post their opinions, and the conversation changes. Some are for AA, some are against, some in between, some something else. IMHO, that's really the point of the ALCOHOLISM area of SR, to talk about different paths of Recovery.