Why AA Does Not Work Gets In The Way

[karma7171]

Why AA Does Not Work Gets In The Way

AA

I am not a fan of AA. But I am aware of some of the benefits from being a member for too long (not any more). Most with alcohol problems do not have access to the info that we have...and it is just sad. Even with the info we have in hand and experiences we get slapped with AA and the whole denial crap. But after a brief call from an ex I am rethinking a bit. He is now headed off to the state penn due to a his third DUI arrest (this one he rolled his car 3x). PA is the absolute worst for handing down sentences. He has been to rehab 4x now....and clearly AA has not worked for him. But what alternative does he have now? He does not have access to a computer so what does he have to go off of? Making a long story short....he has no alternative. He lost his nurse's cert. years ago, has worked odd jobs, had to live with his parents....and even I would say..."get your damn life together and stop drinking"....but I do believe there is a whole another level of this thing AA does serve. The person who has nothing, no health insurance and no options. He has quit drinking several times...like the rest of us...but his addiction takes him deeper...and because of that AA is the only place for him to turn to.


Do I think that this is right......no.....but it is our health system...not AA that is flawed. AA is flawed in its own sense...what is flawed is that it is the only option given to many. AA has been a scapegoat for the healthcare community...period....and that is who I am I pissed at. If they even remotely got it many of us would not be on this site....and even though he is an ex...he is a good guy...headed to state penn for a year. So as much as I really hate AA...it is misdirected...I hate our healthcare system for using it as a scapegoat.

Karma

[HopefulNow]

Why AA Does Not Work Gets In The Way

Karma,

Sorry to hear of the problems with your ex.

Sounds like so many of us, he/she is trapped in the vortex of no options, only dictates.

So very, very sad.

I hope help is on the way. For both of you.

And all of us.

-HopefulNow

[HopefulNow]

Why AA Does Not Work Gets In The Way

Karma,

Sorry -- just re-re-read more carefully, see that "ex" is definitely a "he" didn't mean to equivocate earlier with the whole he/she thing, but didn't want to offend.

Will read more carefully next time before I get trigger-happy with the "submit reply" button!

-HopefulNow

[beatle]

Why AA Does Not Work Gets In The Way

karma, that's an interesting point. For some people who have no options, AA is there. We are all getting down on AA because AA has monopolised rehab and many people who want to seek out other options are not allowed to, but also it is the fault of the health care system to not offer other options. (I think that is what you are saying?). Still, I don't think it changes the fact that AA is a cult that harms many people.

[Guest]

Why AA Does Not Work Gets In The Way

I tried it and things just got worse - but then again they said it would if I didn't stop and join the programme.

Quite of lot of the things they say ARE true though. The denial bit is definitely true. I have to remind myself everyday that my problems are caused by me and not other people - usually by my drinking too. I have a heavy drinking friend who blames everyone else for his problems and loneliness. All his problems and the fact I don't want him around is due to his drinking. I tried to tell him that the other day that I wanted a life and that didn't include drinking with him. He said I was being nasty.

I am not sure what the answer is. I have struggled for many years, AA works for some - not for others.

[karma7171]

Why AA Does Not Work Gets In The Way

Healthcare

I guess my point was that the healthcare system is what has failed us, not AA. With all the research and the failure rates of AA...I am downright shocked that the only rehab that will be covered by insurance is one that strictly enforces AA. And insurance these days does a poor job of covering someone who does go to rehab anyways that it basically inhibits many people from even going...even if they have insurance. My 4 hour stay at the hospital one night resulted in a $1500 bill for me to pay because my insurance covered so little of "rehab". I don't understand why with the solid research that has been done why this continues to be the thing that doctors reccomend. I don't get it.

The best thing about AA is that it is utlimately free. It does put you face to face with people who can relate. In my case...even though I now strongly disagree with the amends portion of AA...I do know that working with my sponsor, her sponsor and her husband that I was able to put a lot of past issues behind me, grow up and get over it. Saved me thousands in therapy.

I strongly disagree with "denial"...it is a scapegoat that they use when you don't want to follow their program to the t. Then they predict your doom and gloom. And having it hammered in my head that I was "incurable" and "different"....did a lot of damage. Some I am still working to overcome.

I am a reader by nature....and I have read ALOT of things. "The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure" was the first book to put into words what I felt and thought. It has changed my whole view and the options I have to out there.

For me when I went to my doc..he hesitantly gave me antabuse for one month and a whole AA speech (he was in Alanon). He never once took into account that he was overprescibing Zoloft to me, asked me how much I drank or why I drank. Once I was off of Zoloft things changed dramatically for me in more ways than just drinking...but I could no longer drink like there was no bottom. Still I knew I had some chemical issues and because of that book....I began to dig deep and went to see a doc. Now I feel like I am on the right med for me. My "need" to drink has vanished. I haven't been 100% AF...but now the drinking is minimal.

It is different for everyone. That book points out so many things that it can be that is causing your issue to get looked into. Out of all the books I read I would reccomend this one only. Then I would add in supplements...but which each of us needs is so different and can vary by day.

It been a long journey and at times very ugly. I am glad to be at this point, but I am sure there is more out there for me to learn and use.

Karma

[Guest]

Why AA Does Not Work Gets In The Way

BY denial I meant not realising that it is the drinking that is causing the problems. I used to blame everyone else - it was the taxi drivers fault for calling the police etc when actually it was my fault for being so drunk I couldn't find my purse to pay him, and who would believe a drunk person would remember to come to the office in the morning and pay the fare?

That sort of thing. My drunk friend says I am being nasty to him because I don't want him around in my life when I am trying to be sober. Blames it upon me, and says he goes out to the pub because he is lonely. It's his drinking that makes him lonely and drives other people away.

It's sad though that health provision for alcoholics/addicts is based around a free, voluntary organisation. Dr's get a few hours if anything during med training on the subject. A local guy died a few months ago after his GP prescribed him tranquilizers to help him reduce his drinking at home. Unsupervised he drank on the tranqs (think was temazepam or similar), then fell down the stairs and broke his neck.

[HopefulNow]

Why AA Does Not Work Gets In The Way

All,

I don't know what it's like in the UK, Australia, South America or elsewhere, but here in the US, I think a MAJOR failing in our health care system in general can be put down to one thing: BIG pharma and BIG insurance companies and the BIG lobbying groups who scrape and fight for them on Capitol Hill.

There's little to no incentive (financially, primarily) for otherwise well-meaning physicians to venture very far outside of "accepted" practices and/or "proven" therapies -- many of which are paid for and/or sponsored by...guess who...see above.

And so, sadly, there's little to no incentive for medical schools to train future doctors to do anything differently than current doctors are doing.

Now, I do think the tide might be turning a wee bit. There does seem to be a move afoot, an awakening, if you will, for more and more current and future medical professionals to look beyond traditional (READ: BIG pharma and BIG insurance company sanctioned) therapies, and I credit much of that to better informed patients (could be the magic of the internet, for one thing -- who's to say for sure). And there's no doubt, sites and programs like MWO are proof of that, and are just going to get bigger and more popular with time. And that's a GOOD thing.

So there IS hope. It's just going to be slow in coming, I think. In the meantime, we all must self-advocate, and refuse to "take the medicine" when we KNOW the medicine just isn't working for us.

-HopefulNow