jojoba

I'm sorry this happened to you, but it's understandable since many AAs consider this an outside isse. I don't know where you are located, but...have your heard of the rules of Fight Club?

Well, the first rule of Florida AA is you do not talk about drugs...the second rule of Florida AA is you do NOT talk about drugs...

Mark75

So I guess I will assume that no alcoholic in FL has drugs as part of their experience as they relate to their alcoholism.

jojoba

They do, but if it's mentioned at all at meetings here it's always to be referred to as dry goods, not drugs (and only mentioned briefly), and the specific drug(s) is not to be mentioned. To sit and talk about being an addict is a major social faux pas at meetings here.

Mark75

It is here too... and we refer to them as dry goods as well

jojoba

Actually it was Dr. Bob who was hooked on high-powered sedatives.

GrowingDaily

I always get a kick out of people who view alcohol & 'drugs' as two separate things.

I couldn't say what the numbers are, but I'd have to assume the majority of addicts - alcohol or otherwise - have had problems with multiple substances. Limiting one's conversation to one of those substances is ludicrous.

Mark75

But that is how it is in AA... it is what it is, ya know? It isn't that way in NA.

kanamit

Correct. Bill was more of an LSD man.

jojoba

Our program literature states that alcoholism is a unique malady and profoundly different from substance abuse.

Mark75

Yea, that's true, LOL

Pigtails

Yes, I've heard lots of people share about drug use in AA and no one has ever been told not to. I myself sometimes share about drugs when it has a connection to my former drinking... and I think often it does. For instance I did coke because then I felt more in control while drinking. It is all related to me so why not share about it when sharing about alcoholism and the solution.

Pigtails

That makes no sense to me. Alcohol is a drug and alcoholism is an addiction.

Then again, I don't believe everything I hear/read in AA, and just because AA literature says something's true doesn't mean it is. (I love AA and it has helped me a lot... I'm just saying that's my attitude on things. I take what works and leave the rest. There are many people in my homegroup who switched addictions from alcohol to weed to pills and then back again, rotated them all around and sometimes did all at once and they say there is no difference. From my personal experience, I used alcohol because I was empty and looking outside myself to fill myself up. That is the same exact reason I did coke, the same exact reason I went out all the time, the same exact reason I had too much sex with too many people, the same exact reason I did a lot of things. For me it's about the "ism" and the ism was there for me no matter whether I chose to 'deal with it' by drinking or doing coke etc.)

ETA -- I have never seen that in the literature. (But I haven't read all the literature.)

Sally1009

Also in the BB you have some of the life stories mentioning their problems with drugs.

Mark75

This gets tossed around pretty regularly on SR.

Sure, I believe that addiction is similar in terms of the dynamics and all... and I don't personally care if someone mentions dry goods, even if it is some specificity, but briefly please.

This is a "we program"... and one way to accomplish this, to achieve the goal of sobriety and to help others achieve sobriety, is to agree on our common problem and share our experience in the solution...

No one can object if we share our problems with alcohol, it is ALCOHOLICS anonymous after all... but if you share about cocaine and I share about ritalin and someone else shares about heroin... well then, it's not gonna work, because it becomes about MY problem, about ME and my special brand ... and someone may or may not be able to relate...

Simple really. Be a part of the solution, ya know?

jojoba

Agreed. That's why they have NA and Narcanon meetings.

ChickenStu

Bah, pay it no mind. If I was in your position, my sponsor would probably tell me to pray for that old timer. Patience, tolerance and acceptance my friend. It's the way forward.

PaperDolls

To the OP, pray for the dude. Sounds like he needs it. May be he's just having a bad day.

winslynn

In Alcoholics Anonymous we share about alcoholism and the 12 steps of recovery.Period.The meeting where anything goes,sooner or later no one goes.
Yes,many of us have drug histories nowadays but they are outside issues not to be brought into my meeting.
AA is a program that was designed by alcoholics for alcoholics.Our 3rd Tradition clearly states that we should be open to all who suffer from alcoholism.
Perhaps the old timer was teaching you the program?

SOBERINNEPA

Yes,many of us have drug histories nowadays but they are outside issues not to be brought into my meeting.

Oh, please. It's an hour meeting. I can spare 5 minutes to a kid trying to beat a heroin problem.

I, generally make six meetings a week, at three different groups. All make no distinction between alcohol and dry goods. In my home group, it was a matter of conscience. Addiction is addiction and we felt we couldn't deny fellowship to addicts who may not have access to an NA group.

Compassion before convention.

jojoba

This post is so right on.

I don't use any drugs--I'm high on life--but I tell my sponsees that I don't NEED to know, I don't WANT to know, if they're still using illegal drugs while I'm sponsoring them. They just need put the plug in the jug and give praise to His name.

Drugs are simply an outside issue in AA. They do not exist.