Doogie92

Ok so I was doing some research on aa (I've never been) and I read some things saying its basically like a cult that brainwashes you into thinking you are powerless and will fail miserably if you don't keep attending aa everyday. I understand tht youu have to believe you are powerless over alcohol and im ok with that, but im not really ok with some group telling me i have no personal control and power over my own life it gives me the creeps. Also I've heard going to aa is like trading one addiction for another. Also what about other recovery programs? Aadac or anything else I could try?

Coldfusion

In my opinion you can make whatever you like out of AA. WHy not just go to a meeting and give it a try? If you don't like it, try NA--their literature is very different, and you'll find a different group of people from AA.

Bubovski

After numerous self help groups, new age systems, various religions, philosophy, agnosticism et al I find A.A. good for me both spiritually and physically.

I have read the cult accusations and don't agree.A.A. makes no claims as to perfection. Even if it was a cult I would prefer its directives to those I gained behind a bar or weeping over Hank William's music in a drunken stupor at home............................yuk those bad old days that went on for so long

Taking5

AA is anything but a cult. A cult typically demands large amounts of money, they have a charismatic leader and if you try to leave they go crazy trying to get you back. AA does none of these things.

Dee74

There's hundreds of AA members here - they can't all be brainwashed cult members, can they Doogie?

Do yourself a favour and check out a meeting if you're interested - get your info from your own eyes - not the internet

D

awuh1

If there is something you don't want to do you can find something on the internet that will support your decision. I think your risk (of brain washing) is minimal if you attend a few different meetings. Make up your own mind.

You might want to do a search of threads here with titles like "I went to my first AA meeting" and see what kind of experiences original posters had (look carefully for hints of cultism).

Carlotta

I am in AA and I am pretty content and not brainwashed yet.
All meetings are different, I love my home group. Yes there are some wack jobs and toxic groups out there but the majority of people in AA are just like you and me, normal folks who can t drink. Don't let the internet scare you and try it first hand rather than relying on hearsay. Remember there might be some crazies in AA (like everywhere else) but some anti AA crusaders are nuts and obsessive too.
No one will tie you up and force you to stay.
If you don t want to go, there are secular alternatives to AA such as lifering, SMART recovery etc. look into secular connections.
You might also want to check AVRT.
Some people rely solely on SR.
I use a combination of AA, SR and AVRT and so far, it has worked really well.

StevenT

In my experience and knowledge, AA is a spiritual program of living that gives you suggestions and personal members experience that you may apply to your life. The first step of the 12 steps is admitting that you are powerless over alcohol and that your life has become unmanageable. Meaning after you take the first drink you have little to no control over the second being put in your stomach, and as a result of the alcohol you do things that you wouldn't do sober. That's all that means.

By no means does AA try to control anyone, or dictate to anyone a way to live. It is a group of drunks that have found a way not to drink and try to carry that message to those who don't want to drink but find themselves unable to quit on their own power.

ElegantlyWasted

The meetings where I live have great coffee and donations are optional. I always throw in a buck and realize I'm actually saving a buck over Starbucks.
On a more serious note; AA works great for many people, but is not the only way. Try some different meetings (different home groups) if you can and see what you think, they all differ to a certain extent. If you want a more straight up Secular Approach, try SMART. The stuff I do is a hodge podge of different things and I personally have gotten a lot out of SMART's cbt work sheets, though I don't actively participate in their larger program. Hope this helps.

StevenT

^ lol, so true.... That first part

If you don't mind doing some reading, google AA big book online and read Bills story and There is a Solution to get the program right out of the horses mouth, as it were.

If you have questions about whether or not you are truly alcoholic, read the doctors opinion and more about alcoholism out of the Big Book.

least

There will always be conflicting opinions on AA. Go to a few meetings and see what you think about it.

Nighthawk8820

They are only one option available to you. AA does tend to be idealistic and see things from one side. That side isnt wrong, but it wasnt for me. There is no right way to get sober. You could try it, and if its not your thing, then try something else. They arent a cult, but they do have flaws like any organization. If it works for them, then that is AWESOME. I didnt care for their motto that their way is the ONLY way. I think it deters addicts from possibly seeking recovery as they feel their likelihood of failure if AA isnt there thing is definite. The thing is, its not. There are many stories of people getting sober other ways.

CharlieNoogan

Great, I might have to start flying to AZ for meetings now... I can almost see through to the bottom of a full cup at my meetings.

To the OP, I made the mistake of Googling AA and finding all the crap you are talking about. It kept me from going to a meeting for a long time. When I finally got there, I realized it was all wrong.

Far from being a cult, AA is a place where other alcoholics freely share their experience, strength, and hope with each other. Nothing more, nothing less. I've come to believe that most of the negative reviews of AA are from people who never really wanted to quit drinking to begin with.

coraltint

I've been active in AA for over 10 yrs, and would NEVER claim that it is the only way. It works for me. I have run into people who are a overzealous in AA, and steer clear of them. I'm pretty sure there are folks like that in every organization.

There are plenty of other programs of recovery, and many of them explained really well here at SR. First & foremost, click around and find one that appeals to you and give it an honest shot. You probably didn't end up here with a glamourous drinking career, so the sooner you give it up & start recovering, the sooner your life will get better.

Good luck, keep coming back here!!

hypochondriac

All of the negative scary things I heard about AA I heard about online. I went to meetings for months and found only decent people who wanted to help me and welcomed me unquestioningly and never pushed. I did have other issues with it, mainly people using the language of AA to justify relapsing and not examining why (mental blank spots) and I had my own problems with the language which I used to exclude myself. Sometimes it would help if they paraphrased Ultimately other methods were a better fit for me like AVRT and SMART recovery. One good thing about AA though is that it is one of the few places where you will come across people who have been sober for decades and that is a great thing to have in early sobriety. There is a wealth of experience there and I would recommend it to anyone. But there are plenty of other options if you don't like it x

LadyinBC

I use to think that that was what AA was about too. It's not a cult. I go to different recovery programs because I get something out of all of them. I take what I need and leave the rest behind.

I found for myself that a lot of times I would make excuses not to go or to question everything about it without really giving it a chance. But when it came to drinking if someone would have told me I had to go to this meeting to get my booze I would have gone without even questioning it. It's funny how our minds work sometimes.

I have to put as much effort into staying sober as I did into staying drunk.

MIRecovery

Even if AA was a cult, which it is not, I would join it in a second if it stopped me from drinking and made me happier than I had ever been before in my entire life. As with all things we can always find a reason not to do something we don't want to

aasharon90

I sometimes heard from those who
attended the rooms of recovery often
about how they needed some brain
washing to clean out all that stinkin
thinkin that when on inside their own
brains when it came to how they were
living and thinking before, during and
after their drinking careers.

I agreed as well and got some good
brain washing when I began living in
recovery and applying the tools and
knowledge of a recovery program in
my everyday life.

22yrs. of continued brain washing since
8-11-90 has allowed me to live an open,
honest and happy life for a many one
days at a time to get me where I am
today.

ersatzmatriarch

hey doogie...

i too had big reservations about AA, mostly because i am an atheist. i knew AA wasn't aligned with any specific religion, but i was uncomfortable anyway.

8 days ago (after the most painful 48 hours in my drinking career in which i actually drank significantly less than typical but finally completely surrendered to the truth that i am an alcoholic), i went to my first meeting.

i found nothing there but hope, understanding, fellowship, encouragement, shared desires and a sense of belonging. i was an alone drinker, so this was all brand new for me. and i loved every second of it (and all the meetings i have been to since.)

someone said in one of the meetings, "when you put your pain out on the table, it gets cut in half." i have found that while i sit among my fellow alcoholics, this is completely true. even if i'm not the one sharing that night, i feel the relief inside myself.

it may not be for you... but the fellowship alone may be something that can help you on this journey. give it an open chance... as many have said here, if it really isn't for you, nobody is going to force you to stay!

peace to you on your journey...

FeenixxRising

Doogie91, I've been somewhat critical of AA, and I was very reluctant to attend AA, but then I finally attended a few meetings. I enjoy the meetings and the group dynamic; although, I'm still not sure AA is a good fit for me.

IMO, most of the criticisms of AA are based on a few extreme examples. I suggest you ignore these criticisms (or take them with a huge grain of salt) and attend a number of different meetings and groups. You will then be able to form you own opinion. I think you will find that most of the groups and meetings are made up of regular folks from all walks of life, and that AA, while a spiritual program, is far from a cult.