so, i am a cherry picker. i pick out parts of AA that i like, parts of recovery dharma, and a whole F*** ton of both the four agreements and the fifth agreement. i have the audiable version and i listen to it over and over. it’s read by peter coyote, who not only has the best voice ever, but is also one of us (addict/alcoholic) and a zen master!!
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it’s a different way to approach sobriety. i’ll get you the link
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AA can be extremely difficult to digest. The program is truly phenomenal. It’s the terminology used in the Big Book and the 12 steps that make it so hard to swallow. While it is a spiritual program, and says it says over and over again that rhetoric power greater than yourself is completely up to your own personal interpretation…it also has heavy religious undertones. It’s a complete mindf**k to a lot of us.
Personally, I needed to read and listen to other recovery methods to make AA work for me. After many years, I still have to constantly remind myself that I need to be tolerant of others views, and that my views are perfectly ok too. I’m fortunate to live in a fairly progressive location, and the meetings I attend are very open minded.
One thing about AA that is hard to beat is the fellowship. The fellowship has been life changing. Thanks for sharing
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i agree with you 100%. very well said!
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Thanks, but it felt like a lot of gibberish as I was writing it lol
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Same. My sponsor and a few brothers helped me a lot. My sponsor, the fellowship, the program and 12 steps, and my therapist are most certainly a power greater than myself. I get most of the insanity out of my head by talking to others and taking suggestions. I acknowledge I need help in many areas of my life, I ask for help, and I’m open and willing to taking suggestions (usually lol)
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i kind of have a bad taste in my mouth because a few of my AA friends are sponsors and share about what is said. i know it is up to me to not engage in godsip, but that’s one reason that i am open to recovery dharma. it is such a different program. although, i do really see value in the 12 steps
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The bottom line is that we find a solution to living a “good” life. “They” say that Bill W stated that we know very little, we should be open minded to other paths, and seek help from other sources. From my past experiences with addiction, I strongly suggest a daily program that emphasizes ego reduction, and finding a connection with a community of others in search of spiritual growth. Some people in AA (as in all walks of life) can misinterpret the program and be very difficult to deal with. Let’s keep searching…
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You can download the book as PDF for free there.
I love The Four. It's so succinct and deep. It's really very comprehensive as a lifestyle.
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Love the four agreements
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