Why It’s Okay To HATE Alcoholic’s Anonymous (2023)

FAQs

What are the problems with AA? ›

Among the issues identified as limiting AA's effectiveness are the movement's preoccupation with drinking and sobriety and lack of concern for other problems. Also, the possibility is raised that AA's insistence that its members are but "one drink away from a drunk" can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Alcoholics Anonymous is not a selfish program. At it's core, it is quite the opposite. Selfishness is the root of our troubles, and we must be rid of it and practice selflessness at every opportunity if we are to remain happy, joyous, and free in sobriety.

Problem #1 — The Success Rate of AA Is Low Because the Wrong People Are Forced to Go. This is the biggest problem affecting the success rate of AA — people are forced to go who shouldn't be there. Look, AA is for people who are bottom-of-the-barrel drunks and drug addicts.

Although AA has been criticized by some sources for having a low success rate, the rate likely isn't 5% like some say it is. Addiction specialists cite success rates slightly higher, between 8% and 12%. A New York Times article stated that AA claims that up to 75% of its members stay abstinent.

AA Amyloidosis Life Expectancy

The average life expectancy after diagnosis is 11 years.

Americans and AA members have maintained the same pace over the last 31 years (AAs being 32% older that the average American in both 1983 and 2014).

It is absolutely okay to leave AA. That is your right as a person in recovery, and no one has the right to direct you otherwise.

In one excerpt from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, the mental obsession is described as being when alcoholic “at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink,” meaning that will-power, consequences, emotional appeals of loved ones and any other hundreds of reasons that make sense not to ...

Who are the enemies of AA? ›

The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resent ment, jealousy, envy, frustration, and fear.

Going to an AA meeting can be an emotional rollercoaster for all those involved. It's not uncommon to see the group laughing hysterically, only for this mood to turn into tears.

Those who subscribe to the 12 steps of AA recognize that for most addicts, step one is usually the hardest. Admitting you are powerless over alcohol requires a tremendous amount of courage, humility and even fear. It can bring on a flood of powerful emotions including shame, anger and grief.

The average time of sobriety of successful AA members, as reported by AA, is more than five years.

So then, why does AA work for some people and not others? People have different beliefs and different needs, and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) just doesn't fit everyone. Some people love the camaraderie that AA offers and believe that their long-term sobriety depends on going to AA meetings for the rest of their life.

As said before, research shows that more than one-third of alcoholics recover within the first year. So, when it comes to what percentage of alcoholics recover, it's 36%. This percentage increases as recovering alcoholics maintain their sobriety or a low level of drinking.

AA shines. Most of the studies that measured abstinence found AA was significantly better than other interventions or no intervention. In one study, it was found to be 60% more effective.

James H. is truly a unique individual. He is ninety-five years old, sixty-six years sober, and one of the greatest "life-changers" of the past one hundred years.

Doctors guess that chronic alcohol abuse will lower a person's life expectancy by as many as twelve years. Though many people are aware that alcohol improves the likelihood of liver complications and heart disease, many people do not realize how many other risks alcohol poses.

Unfortunately relapse rates for individuals who enter recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction are quite high. Studies reflect that about 40-60% of individuals relapse within 30 days of leaving an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center, and up to 85% relapse within the first year.

How long does it take to recover from AA? ›

Different for Each Individual

Some of the steps involve making amends to those you may have hurt as a result of your alcoholism. For some people, that may take a day or two. For others, it may be a longer process that requires months or even years.

Rules of Alcoholics Anonymous: Well maybe one rule:

The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. This is contained in the preamble.

These rules are: Don't talk, don't trust, and don't feel. People within the system follow these rules to maintain the status quo. “Everyone in the system often begins to believe that their needs no longer matter,” says Rachel Evans, Family Therapist at the Center for Recovering Families.

Fortunately, AA welcomes new members whether they are drunk, high, or sober. However, individual AA groups may have their own traditions regarding attending meetings under the influence.

Momentarily we did—then would come oblivion and the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen—Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair. Unhappy drinkers who read this page will understand!

Women are statistically underrepresented, making up only 38 percent of the AA population. 32 percent of all modern AA members are introduced to the program by a friend.

Only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings or become AA members. People with problems other than alcoholism are eligible for AA membership only if they have a drinking problem, too. 3 According to AA traditions, the only qualification for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

We are powerless over most things and the sooner we admit it, the sooner we can reach the state of serenity necessary to stay sober. So, the best thing to do is to let go of trying to control everything and put it in God's hands. Let go.

The official policy of Alcoholics Anonymous (as laid out in the Big Book) does not specifically close the door to dating in the early period of sobriety, but abstaining from relationships is an integral part of the conversation.

Continuing to show up each day or week is necessary to overcome potential relapses. Since 90% of alcoholics are likely to relapse within the first four years of remission, a support system can improve your chances of continued sobriety.

What are the 3 parts of addiction? ›

Well-supported evidence suggests that the addiction process involves a three-stage cycle: binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/anticipation.

It simply means we are spiritually blocked off from the Power of God, which enables us to remain sober, happy, joyous, and free.

So how does AA define addiction? AA echoes the Disease Model in its definition of addiction. AA defines alcoholism as a “three-fold illness” consisting of a physical allergy, a mental obsession and a spiritual malady.

there are only two sins; the first is to interfere with the growth of another human being, and the second is to interfere with one's own growth. Happiness is such an elusive state.

God save me from being angry. Thy will be done." We avoid retaliation or argument. We wouldn't treat sick people that way.

A Program of Action

They contain no new ideas: surrender, self-inventory, confession to someone outside ourselves, and some form of prayer and meditation are concepts found in spiritual movements throughout the world for thousands of years.

Examples are “Keep it short and simple” and “Keep it simple and straightforward.” Though both phrases technically introduce an “A” into the acronym, they both deliver the same message as “Keep it simple, stupid.” The objective of any process is to deliver the simplest possible outcome.

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

Call it a cliché, an old saw, a euphemism or a witticism, it's still applicable in describing addiction and alcoholism: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Step 7 asks people to humble themselves and acknowledge that they are not perfect. This is accomplished by asking a higher power to help remove these shortcomings. It is important to remember that for some people, this may involve asking God, as they understand Him, for help.

What does Step 8 mean in AA? ›

Step 8: “Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.” The pathway toward renewal and personal growth in recovery is a gradual one. The 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous provides the framework to slowly but surely attain this new mindset.

Step 9 of AA: Be Willing to Make Amends

Step 9 requires one to be willing to go to any lengths to make amends, provided they don't end up causing somebody new or additional harm. The individual must be willing to take this step no matter how severe the personal consequences.

For many people, the first few weeks of sobriety are the hardest. You may have withdrawal symptoms that are physically and emotionally uncomfortable. Cravings are also common during this time, which can tempt you to relapse. Treatment can help you get through this challenging period.

The first few months of recovery from addiction are some of the most difficult. Insomnia, triggers, drug cravings, and the need to deal with emotions that were previously numbed with drugs make early recovery a period of enormous adjustment.

If you're wondering, “does one drink break sobriety?” Yes, it does! If you've been diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder (alcoholism) and have abstained from alcohol, even one drink can break your sobriety. With relapse, the risk of returning to active alcohol abuse is a real threat.

While it is true that AA does have a number of weaknesses most notably of which is the induction of feelings of guilt and to some extent helplessness in its members, even its critics acknowledge that AA does not manipulate its members for the personal advantage of any one person or group of people.

Among the issues identified as limiting AA's effectiveness are the movement's preoccupation with drinking and sobriety and lack of concern for other problems. Also, the possibility is raised that AA's insistence that its members are but "one drink away from a drunk" can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The short answer to whether or not the twelve steps are really effective is that they can be very helpful in aiding people on the road to recovery. The twelve step program not only helps people get sober in the first place, but also work as a great source of support for the long term.

The Big Book suffers from the theistic, Christian biases of the author (Bill Wilson) and the early members of AA. In practical terms, the Big Book perpetuates the biases against non-theists both in and outside AA. For more information about Not-God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous, by Ernie Kurtz, click on the cover.

Unrealistic expectations happen when you don't know what you're getting into or you expect recovery to turn out differently. Those expectations can be about the treatment process or life after treatment. Some common unrealistic expectations include: Expecting treatment and recovery to be easy.

What are the only two sins in AA Big Book? ›

there are only two sins; the first is to interfere with the growth of another human being, and the second is to interfere with one's own growth. Happiness is such an elusive state.

Consequently, the “official” AA program continues to rely on the divine, the sacred, the religious. The word “God”, or another version of “Him”, is found 281 times in the first 164 pages of the Big Book. The divine is addressed directly as “God” in four of the 12 steps and indirectly in two, as “Power” and “Him.”

But what about the real alcoholic? He may start off as a moderate drinker; he may or may not become a continuous hard drinker; but at some stage of his drinking career he begins to lose all control of his liquor consumption, once he starts to drink.

It is very easy to make new friends at AA because when you first get there a card is handed around and everyone puts their name and number on it so you can call people if you need help or even a friend.

As they wrote in the Big Book, AA's foundational text, “Resentment is the number-one offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else.” AA encourages participants to begin working through their resentments with Step 4, which is where you will make a “searching and fearless moral inventory” of yourself.