Side effects of AA

[TracyA]

Side effects of AA

Ukblonde;1081290 wrote: I've sat in meetings were the topic of discussion have been things such as the 12- month rule for not doing anything 'major', starting relationships in new found sobriety, supportive or enabling partners.

That's one of the cases where 12-step treatment center ideas became meshed with AA/NA. It's really not AA. Another example is say "I'm so-and-so and I'm an alcoholic." That's treatment center stuff and was not part of AA prior to the treatment center explosion. Another example is how "cross talk" got mutated. In meetings today, generally one member will have a problem and the rest of the group spends their speaking time addressing that person. In the original AA meetings, no one addressed anything anyone had said during the meeting. Each person addressed only their own stuff and their own issues - nothing else. That would make a whole different meeting, IMO.

[Kimberley]

Side effects of AA

TracyA;1081291 wrote: From this point on, I will ignore any further posts which seek to debate the goodness of AA. No one is going to change my mind. If AA is working for some people, I have no desire to change their minds. That does not mean that I will stop posting my own experience, opinions and ideas and what I have learned after having done extensive research on AA. It simply means that I will not engage people who wish to discuss anything except "side effects" - unwanted consequences - of AA. I've done my share of debating AA'rs here. It is a waste of my MWO time.

Carry on.

I am not debating the goodness - I am trying to debate the misrepresentation I see going on here. Stating the facts.

If I may say so, your statement here is kind of akin to sticking your fingers in your ears and singing 'nanananana, i'm not listening'....

If you are so stuck in your thinking about AA and the harms of it and will not consider anyone else's experiences or point of view, why engage in any debate on a forum at all. Why not just KNOW that you know the truth and that's enough.

I am reading and responding to this because I am interested in all points of view, whether I agree with them or not. Because it is only by listening to others and sharing experiences and challenging our own beliefs and thoughts that we learn.

[TracyA]

Side effects of AA

Kimberley;1081301 wrote: If I may say so, your statement here is kind of akin to sticking your fingers in your ears and singing 'nanananana, i'm not listening'.

Kimberley, post whatever you please. Repeatedly returning to debate this stuff is a waste of my time - MY time. I think I've said pretty much everything I can possibly say on the subject, and have repeatedly stated that my interest on this thread is in helping people who have been harmed by AA. I have misrepresented nothing. Feel free to post your own experiences and ideas as you like. I am not obligated to respond.

[Kimberley]

Side effects of AA

OK well I didn't plan on responding to this thread at all - but when I see something which jars so much with my own experience, I could not help but open my big mouth Part of my personality.

All I can say to you personally Tracy is that I am very sorry that your experience of AA has not been like mine. I hope your meds work out for you and that you can help others who have had bad experiences of AA.

K x

[gratitude]

Side effects of AA

Tracy,
I'm glad you didn't go away. I'm learning quite a lot from this thread.
unfortunately or not otter started this thread with the title " side effects of AA".
I see from earlier posts you like definitions. I do too.
according to the McGraw-Hill concise dictionary of modern medicine:
side effects;
therapeutics any result of a drug or therapy that occurs in addition to the intended effect, regardless if it is beneficial or undesirable
perhaps he should have titled it adverse effects of AA. grat.

[PbarE]

Side effects of AA

TracyA;1081276 wrote: If "the program" in the UK is not shame-based religiosity, then, yes, it is very different. Do meetings in the UK begin with reading, "Rarely have we seen a person fail . . . " and end with "The Lord's Prayer"? If so, then it is the same program.

I have breakfast once a week with an 81 year old gent with over 50 years of sobriety. I called him last night and asked him about this, since it seems to bother so many people.

The Lord's Prayer is used quite frequently to close meetings throughout the USA. The reason for this is simple - before the Big Book was written, the pioneers used Emmet Fox's Sermon on the Mount as their basic text. In that book, Dr. Fox gives a beautiful metaphysical interpretation of The Lord's Prayer.

Anyone who has ever read this book knows it is about as far away from "shame-based religiosity" as you can get. Fox was a "New Thought" philosopher, and most Christians consider him a heretic. Personally, I love this book and feel it contains the rulebook for living an unselfish, successful life. For those who are dealing with their addiction by walking a spiritual path. it is a "must read" IMO.

So as Paul Harvey would say, "That is the rest of the story....."

[TracyA]

Side effects of AA

PbarE;1081620 wrote:
Anyone who has ever read this book knows it is about as far away from "shame-based religiosity" as you can get.

I have read it, a couple decades ago. From what I remember, it's about as far away from "surrendering your will and life to God" as you can get too!

[Chi]

Side effects of AA

missyabby1;1081268 wrote: Tracy, as far as I can see, we all arrive at this forum with the hope of getting some help to get sober. I was amazed to see you have been around since 2006. Is that really you?

It truly spun me out to see how long you have been here.

Are you sober? Please tell me that after 5 years you are. Thats all I came here for, to give me help in how to be sober. I truly don't want to know your views on anything else, just how you got and stayed sober. I really just want to know how you have achieved sobriety?? End of story.

My family and my grandchildren just want me to be a sober loving straight person...able to be here for them, not sitting in front of a computer banging on about AA or anything else.

After five years can you just please give me some advice as to how to achieve sobriety?

I find this post to be extremely arrogant and rude. Is there a bitch slap icon because I really hate a bully.

How dare you berate somebody with your passive aggressive BS about how long they have been here! How long did YOU, grandma, fight your addictions before seeking help here?

And how many people have you personally HELPED on this forum?? I can tell you for a FACT that Tracy's posts have helped me considerably, but yours? Not so much.

:finger:

[Murphyx]

Side effects of AA

Chi;1081686 wrote: I find this post to be extremely arrogant and rude. Is there a bitch slap icon because I really hate a bully.

How dare you berate somebody with your passive aggressive BS about how long they have been here! How long did YOU, grandma, fight your addictions before seeking help here?

And how many people have you personally HELPED on this forum?? I can tell you for a FACT that Tracy's posts have helped me considerably, but yours? Not so much.

:finger:

Chi, I think I love you.:goodjob:

[PbarE]

Side effects of AA

TracyA;1081682 wrote: I have read it, a couple decades ago. From what I remember, it's about as far away from "surrendering your will and life to God" as you can get too!

Here is a little taste if you are interested. THE GOLDEN KEY

I am going to try this on my mental obsession and see how it works.

[spacebebe01]

Side effects of AA

My pc will not let me use quotes, I am referring to an earlier post sent by Kimberley.

I am amazed at the arrogance used after pharb sent a reply to my post. I have come to MWO because I want and need help and support to not drink alcohol. I am a low bottom drunk as Kimberley calls it, I drink from when I wake up until I pass out and do nothing or think of nothing else apart from getting more drink, I have been hospitalised and in cells more times that I can remember, I have done irreversable physical damage to my body through drink, my son could not live with me, I have crossed so many moral and legal lines which I am not prepared to talk about on here, my family has nearly been ripped apart by my drinking, do I need to go on to explain to you that I went to AA because I was desparate for help and support and did not know of anywhere else to go. I was constantly told that AA is the only way, and I kept going back because I remained desparate and scared and killing myself with alcohol.

I did not go to AA because I had one glass of wine a night, why would I be on here if that was the case, I would not have a problem with alcohol. It does not shock me however, but will always horrify my that yourself Kimberly and other members talk about the women in your local meeting who does go for this reason that is exactly the sort of harmful, dangerous, gossiping cliques that seem to inhabit most AA meetings.

AA in the UK used to use the lords prayer to end meetings by the way I dont know when who or why it was changed to the serenity prayer.

The AA big book is what it is, I dont know of any other instruction manual or medical advice book that requires me to use my own discression when reading it. That is absoloutelly ridiculous.

[coalfire]

Side effects of AA

spacebebe01;1081915 wrote:

I did not go to AA because I had one glass of wine a night, why would I be on here if that was the case, I would not have a problem with alcohol. It does not shock me however, but will always horrify my that yourself Kimberly and other members talk about the women in your local meeting who does go for this reason that is exactly the sort of harmful, dangerous, gossiping cliques that seem to inhabit most AA meetings.

Aw come on spacebebe!!!! Im sorry but anybody who goes to AA because they have one glass of wine a night is nuts and seriously needs to get a life. Ok Kimberly is there room in your harmful dangerous gossiping clique for one more? Because when it comes to that lady Im in.Thats like going to the rape crisis center because a man squeezed your knee. I couldnt take someone like that seriously. Im sorry,but I have my patience limits and that 1 gass of red wine lady would cross them. She is making a mockery of all the real suffering us alkies go through. 1 glass of wine a night my foot. I only wish!

[coalfire]

Side effects of AA

spacebebe01;1081915 wrote:

I did not go to AA because I had one glass of wine a night, why would I be on here if that was the case, I would not have a problem with alcohol. It does not shock me however, but will always horrify my that yourself Kimberly and other members talk about the women in your local meeting who does go for this reason that is exactly the sort of harmful, dangerous, gossiping cliques that seem to inhabit most AA meetings.

Aw come on spacebebe!!!! Im sorry but anybody who goes to AA because they have one glass of wine a night is nuts and seriously needs to get a life. Ok Kimberly is there room in your harmful dangerous gossiping clique for one more? Because when it comes to that lady Im in.Thats like going to the rape crisis center because a man squeezed your knee. I couldnt take someone like that seriously. Im sorry,but I have my patience limits and that 1 gass of red wine lady would cross them. She is making a mockery of all the real suffering us alkies go through. 1 glass of wine a night my foot. I only wish! In Ireland she would be told to go and boil her head if she told people that.

[spacebebe01]

Side effects of AA

I dont know who has the 1 glass of wine a night coal ask Kimberly she seemed to think it appropriate to bring up

[coalfire]

Side effects of AA

I know spacebebe. I just dont think that kimberly and her friends can be blamed for saying wtf? when it comes to that woman. If kimberly didnt say wtf? then I would be more worried about kimberly if that makes any sense. Anyway Im interrupting a good debate here. Forget about me and the strange 1 glass woman and carry on!:H