Never worked a program. 4 years sober. There are plenty of paths
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I’m not a fan of aa. To me it’s just the same thing and talks over and over again. I enjoy online resources and motivational videos better. I will say that aa is cool though for meeting new people
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I suppose you’re asking a rhetorical question.
Yes I’ve been working on this since my 20s and several times in AA I have been hurt my sponsor hung her self after 25 years of sobriety and other sponsored borrow $400 for me and never paid me back. The endless man trying to pick you up. It was just ridiculous. And very shady. So I was in detox for four days and it was like jail coed jail. I had plenty of time to read the entire big book. I feel so much different about the whole mission of those two guys and how it all came about and you’re right just take what you need and leave the rest. So I decided to go to nothing but women’s meetings for the time being. This is my second day sober again. But I have a pinched nerve in my neck and I’m in a lot of pain but I didn’t go drink so that’s one good thing I called my daughter instead
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I push a program only because so many people have absolutely no support system that is sober. For me, it's all about the people. I don't believe in deity or higher power really. I hate the words "higher power" because religious types tell you "it can be whatever you want it to be" but they really mean "god" and "eventually you'll figure it out". The 12 steps are SUGGESTED. I'm cool with that. They aren't a bad blueprint or outline for getting yourself squared away if you have been a total mess. It's the people that make it, for me. The groups experience and support is the "power" to me. And being able to be helpful is also a power in itself. There have been so many people in this app who are literally sitting around in their apartments alone,trying to get sober. So yeah, I'll push AA to them. They might start in AA and end up in SMART or Dharma or whatever. But the only hope is that they find something to be a part of, so they can hopefully succeed. I hate the religious aspect of things because it basically tells you you're worthless and you don't deserve anything but because God is so graceful and merciful, he's gonna support you. Pretty sure if you are fed a steady diet of "you're worthless" it's gonna have a negative effect. That's just my rambling .02.
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Hey guess what?! Your sobriety is 1000% valid! Kudos to you. 
it can be done, it’s not one size fit all.
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The term rhetoric elicits an adherence to some form of Socratic conversation, to which I am open.
I can identify I make meetings in NA but I don’t make me in every day am clean 22 years and I’ve come to understand what I have to do to stay clean I have a sponsor that has 31 years clean I have a net work I go to conventions four times a year I just got back from the Houston Texas convention I enjoy life and stay clean but I can’t make meetings every day it gets to a point where I don’t wanna go anymore so I made 1-2 meetings a week and I travel to different states every month to make NA conventions
Same. I'm almost 3 years sober I guess. I don't keep track of days or dates with it either. I went to detox because I medically needed it to quit. Went straight to my local bar and drank mocktails as soon as I got out. I wanted to quit so I did. If y'all need AA or whatever to help you, use it. Just not anything I felt ever helped
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Oy vey
I’ve tried and that set up is extremely flawed for the type of addict I am. There is literally nothing I like about, I went and I went and honestly nobody there gave a s!$& if I went or not. They do not make it easy to find a sponsor (that part especially sucks), and I’ve never ever experienced a “fellowship.” They are cliquey and believe it or not, judgmental. They cannot read body language and do not seem to understand when they’re making someone uncomfortable. You like it? It works for you? Then by all means, enjoy!!
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Tried aa for years. Never really clicked with me. Disliked the "this is the only way you"ll ever stay sober mentality". And if you wish to alienate yourself from everyone else in the room. Mention that something aside from aa helped you get sober. They'll stare daggers. That being said, I don't hold a grudge against aa, just that they're are multiple paths to sobriety, for me it was yoga, meditation, and working on my lcdc to become a counselor. But I've met people who've used therapy, or buddhism, and "smart recovery" successfully for years of sobriety.
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If the person is in Denial and is a real Alcoholic; he or she will come to the place to admit the insanity of the first drink!! If its Gods grace he or she has the capacity to be honest!! That’s why recovery is not for everyone; they can’t be rigorously honest lifestyle!!!!
Also, just looked it up. AA has a 8-12% success rate, and AA adherents just come off as proselytizing evangelicals. I grew up in the church, it’s the constantly pushing the absolute truth of the big book that makes me really not trust any of it, and kills any curiosity in the program.
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I think everybody’s path to a sober life is different. I think the important thing is that you make the choice for yourself to walk away from chemicals. Once you’ve made that choice then you can figure out what tools work for you whether it’s AA or a church group or just on your own.
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I’m not a fan of some of the steps but that doesn’t invalidate the program. I went through the steps in my first year and now I mostly rely on AA because of the massive fellowship which is critical to my sobriety. I’m in I guess the 10, 11, 12 step loop. Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Stay committed to sobriety. Help others who want to get sober with encouragement and positivity. 20 months sober…
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Don’t involve yourself in it, period. You have a better shot away from 12-step programs than by being in them at all
Read the orange papers. Be open-minded
That’s a horribly dismissive way to speak of people who don’t fit in AA. Smacks of superiority.
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Simply to celebrate milestones, I get it. But every time I’ve been asked to speak and sing praises to AA for my recovery, I’ve thought it perverse
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