Side effects of AA

[coalfire]

Side effects of AA

Otter;1082554 wrote: I am glad to see this thread has finally found its focus.

Sorry Otter. It just kind of grew legs.!

[TracyA]

Side effects of AA

coalfire;1082559 wrote: Sorry Otter. It just kind of grew legs!

That's another SE of baclofen - legs spontaneously growing.

[coalfire]

Side effects of AA

Thats it! Its not my fault Otter-it was the baclofen wot dun it.

[spacebebe01]

Side effects of AA

Its my faulty laptop thats to blame

[Cassander]

Side effects of AA

one2many;1076653 wrote: DRINK kills people...AA does NOT kill people. What a completely ridiculous statement.

I can't agree with this. If you went to a licensed and qualified doctor for pneumonia and she prescribed 2 aspirin and bed rest (and not an appropriate antibiotic) and you, predictably, died, I would blame the "treatment", not the disease.

AA is hugely handicapped by reason of its treatment modality reflecting the knowledge of the 1930's without incorporating the huge amount of understanding of the brain and the science of addiction since then.

AA is like that football team in the Marx Brothers movie (I forget the title -- Groucho is the coach) going out on the field today with no helmets and little cardboard shoulder pads to play the Green Bay Packers. Its no contest. AA needs to seriously regroup and enter the 21st Century with all of the tools available to treat alcohol dependence that are available to the rest of us.

[Cassander]

Side effects of AA

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[Cassander]

Side effects of AA

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[Cassander]

Side effects of AA

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[Cassander]

Side effects of AA

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[Doggygirl]

Side effects of AA

Cassander, AA is not "treatment." AA is a support group of fellow problem drinkers. There are over 2 million members, so many different philosophies and experiences are represented with respect to old ways and new ways.

Sadly, the medical community did not know what to do with alcohol dependent people, so unfortunately "treatment" became "go to 90 meetings in 90 days and if you don't, you are in denial."

Blaming AA for bad medical treatment is definitely like blaming the patient for the doctor's mistakes.

Just my humble opinion - AA has not helped everyone recover just like MWO has not, Baclofen has not, Rational Recovery has not, 28 days inpatient has not, etc. etc. But it HAS helped many people - I am one of them. I can't speak for every AA group - only the ones I actively participate in. There is nothing going on in those groups that would preclude someone from incorporating other treatment modalities (counseling, meds, etc.) along with participation in AA.

That is my experience with it anyway.

Respectfully,

DG

[Nelz]

Side effects of AA

Doggygirl;1228107 wrote: Cassander, AA is not "treatment." AA is a support group of fellow problem drinkers. There are over 2 million members, so many different philosophies and experiences are represented with respect to old ways and new ways.

Sadly, the medical community did not know what to do with alcohol dependent people, so unfortunately "treatment" became "go to 90 meetings in 90 days and if you don't, you are in denial."

Blaming AA for bad medical treatment is definitely like blaming the patient for the doctor's mistakes.

Just my humble opinion - AA has not helped everyone recover just like MWO has not, Baclofen has not, Rational Recovery has not, 28 days inpatient has not, etc. etc. But it HAS helped many people - I am one of them. I can't speak for every AA group - only the ones I actively participate in. There is nothing going on in those groups that would preclude someone from incorporating other treatment modalities (counseling, meds, etc.) along with participation in AA.

That is my experience with it anyway.

Respectfully,

DG

Wish more people would think like this, if it works for you GREAT, if not, move on and try something else. My cousin SWEARS by AA, keeps trying to get me to go...but so far, hanging out here and willpower are working Attached files [img]/converted_files/1733129=6450-attachment.jpg[/img]

[Supercrew]

Side effects of AA

I had to attend a year of AA, (court ordered) 10 years ago, and I realized it wasn't for me. That being said after doing alot of research over the last year I have seen that AA helps many people, and there are scientific reasons why it does as far as group support with like people helping to emit certain chemicals in the brain. I think the key to any recovery method is the willingness to believe in the program and to take daily action towards the goal.

I don't consider myself religious or spiritual so AA did not resonate with me. But I know it does work for many if they embrace and believe in the message.

[one2many]

Side effects of AA

Doggygirl;1228107 wrote: Cassander, AA is not "treatment." AA is a support group of fellow problem drinkers. There are over 2 million members, so many different philosophies and experiences are represented with respect to old ways and new ways.

Sadly, the medical community did not know what to do with alcohol dependent people, so unfortunately "treatment" became "go to 90 meetings in 90 days and if you don't, you are in denial."

Blaming AA for bad medical treatment is definitely like blaming the patient for the doctor's mistakes.

Just my humble opinion - AA has not helped everyone recover just like MWO has not, Baclofen has not, Rational Recovery has not, 28 days inpatient has not, etc. etc. But it HAS helped many people - I am one of them. I can't speak for every AA group - only the ones I actively participate in. There is nothing going on in those groups that would preclude someone from incorporating other treatment modalities (counseling, meds, etc.) along with participation in AA.

That is my experience with it anyway.

Respectfully,

DG

WELL SAID DG!

[nancy]

Side effects of AA

options

It doesn't seem to me that medical treatment for alcoholism has progressed since the 1930s. People here are taking baclofen but evidence from randomized trials of the approach is lacking. The drug isn't approved for alcoholism. Naltrexone is an old generic that also might affect response to other pleasurable activities. Antabuse seems barbaric.

So for doctors who want to stick to the approved and proven routes, there isn't much. I think it could be irresponsible for a general doctor to prescribe high dose baclofen without enough evidence of safety/trials etc. and acceptance generally. It seems like it's appropriate for an addiction specialist of course.

I think that there's a big component here of a psychological problem that actually can be addressed with group therapy like AA. So I am sure that it will still have a place in the future but maybe more in combination with other treatments. People will always be looking for a natural option even if this whole field gets taken over by pharmaceuticals. I wish AA was less dogmatic and I do wonder whether the higher power aspect that turns so many people off will survive. I don't like AA myself but I don't think it's the same as taking an aspirin instead of an antibiotic.

[Supercrew]

Side effects of AA

I don't want to bash the idea of taking drugs to help with cravings, but it seems to me that if you have to take a prescribed drug to get yourself from taking another drug it kind of defeats the purpose. I think to beat alcoholism....after you safely detox if you were physically dependent, you need to change the way you think about alcohol. I know this is not easy, and it is why people will buy into AA and the notion of being powerless, and why people will use drugs like antibuse. I myself needed to to have a life changing epiphany to finally decide that I would never drink another drop of alcohol. But what helped me come to that final conclusion was something that AA is against, and that was learning why I react to alcohol the way I do, why I have always had problems with drinking, what exactly happens in my brain when I crave, and what has caused me to be physically dependent and mentally obsessed with alcohol. After months of research and hours upon hours of self introspection I unlearned drinking. When this happened and I realized I could function in real life without alcohol all of the time I felt as if a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, and a feeling of true relief happened to me. I learned after talking to many Big Book AA thumpers that this was the "spiritual awakening" that they had after doing the 12 steps and going to all the meetings. So it at least made me realize that once alcohol finally loses its grip it is a very strong experience.

Now I like to be able to explain why things happen and the explanation that I heard why AA works from the members didn't make any sense to me....but after researching it I realized that along with the scientific reasons, and the accountability of having a sponser and having a group to talk with and the daily action necessary for most of these people to quit, what I really found out was most of these people finally had enough, and the idea and the pain of quitting was finally less painful than the pain of drinking.

I quit for that exact same reason and it finally stuck because it was more painful for me to drink than it was to learn to live a happy sober life. If somewhere deep in your subconscious you still derive pleasure from drinking and you still romanticize the idea of drinking, the prescription drugs, and the programs of AA, and smart and RR probably won't stick to long if you don't find some sort of happiness in sobriety before that little idea that you believe is pleasure in a bottle will take you back to putting the bottle to your lips once more.