Alcoholics Anonymous (and NA)

[Eleftherios]

I quit drugs around May of this year, and lately I've been thinking about alcoholics anonymous and narcotics anonymous meetings because I know they have helped me a lot in the past (as they say, nothing can help an addict more than someone who's been through the same thing). When I quit before, I always felt good about going to those and I really do think they helped me in the short run.

Problem is, as some of you probably already know, those programs are very "religion" oriented. Not that the groups are associated with any specific religion, but the main focus of the twelve step programs is giving yourself over to a "higher power" (which obviously means some supernatural deity, whether you want to call is God, Allah, or Zeus). No in the past I've always tried to ignore that aspect of the group, but since I've been going lately I realized that the whole program depends on it. For example, step 2 of the program is " We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity", step 3 is "We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God", step 5 is " We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings", etc'. Basically, the success of the program (they think) is to live your life as you can and let God take care of the rest.

Now I would try to find some other support group that isn't religion oriented, but the problem is that there aren't any. So I'm pretty much either stuck going through them or sitting at home (or talking to some other people who don't know anything about addiction

Oh yeah, and psychiatrists are out of the question, I hate going to them

Has any other former addict experienced this issue? Or does anyone else care to comment?

[piet11111]

Ever thought about asking the AA guys about a secular program ?
If they really want to help instead of push religion they would be able to help you out.

Good luck though :thumbup1:

[Aurora]

perhaps this should be moved to non-political?

Even with the religion it's probably useful for learning from the mistakes of other addicts and developing a support network especially in regards to a sponsor.

[praxis1966]

perhaps this should be moved to non-political?

I agree. Moved.

[Os Cangaceiros]

well, I wouldn't really consider myself an "addict" necessarily, but The Man did make me go to court-ordered AA/NA meetings (for cannabinoid usage, ridiculously enough). The "higher power" part of AA doctrine is loosely defined enough that anyone who is even the slightest bit "spiritual" can accept it...for atheists it's a bit tougher, although I have met people in AA who say that they don't really believe in God. The fact that AA started out as a Christian-based group is still apparent in the fact that most AA members seem to identify this higher power as "God".

Some people are really really hardcore about AA and twelve stepping, though. Man. Some people can quote chapter and verse from the "big book". "In chapter 3, paragraph 2, sentence 5 of the Big Book..." AA is a little bit beneficial (for me at least) in that you get to meet people who've had serious problems with substance abuse, and have lived through overdoses, homelessness, poverty and prison. It gives you some perspective on your own problems.

Anyway, AA may help some people...I've met people who've said that AA has helped them, and I assume they're telling the truth. Most people will probably have to find their own paths to recovery. AA is definitely a good resource for people who want to find other addicts who've gone through the same kind of stuff they've gone through, though.

[citizen of industry]

Old thread I know but I thought I'd bump it. I've been giving the AA thing a go and I've been sober for three weeks. As the OP states, the big book is very religious oriented, but speaking with the people there some have used various things as a higher power, such as "GOD = group of drunks," a blade of grass, dead relatives, Garfield, etc. For myself I'm trying to use as a higher power the labor movement/solidarity/humanity. It is definitely a higher power than myself.

The chapter on agnostics doesn't really do much for me, because it is written for people who are jaded with religion, not materialists who take a scientific view of it.

Seeing my sponsor, going to meetings and doing the steps though does give me a sense of peace and helps me not to drink. And hearing people's stories serves as a good reminder of how shitty life can get after you've been sober for awhile and tend to forget and think it's okay to take that first drink, line, shot, etc.

If there are any recovering alcoholics/addicts on this site it would be great to start a discussion group or something, to work on getting through what is essentially a helpful religious program without the religion.

[Art Vandelay]

Well I cannot say that I have ever been to AA or that I plan on getting sober any time soon, but I have thought for a long time that I very well could be an alcoholic (or at least becoming one) and perhaps have some sort of substance issues as well. I would be willing to talk to anyone who wants to. Cannot say that I know much, but maybe I have felt the same way.

[MotherCossack]

well for my part..... i am very scared of 'evil potion' my adopted name for 'drink'
its hard to explain.... started when, as a little girl, i saw a dosser have a terrible fit in glasgow new street station.... he had a bottle of whatever and what seemed like 100's of fag butts spilled out from every pocket.
he had a blotchy purple face and swollen nose. what i remember most is that it went on and on.... nobody went near him.. i couldnt understand it....i got told off for not knowing the correct etiquette for strangers having fits in public....
living in the western highlands amongst a community of hard core fesharemen who were awn thay feschin bowts, och, mawst a thay time. aye an wen de bouyz getawf de bowts it bi strete tu public hoos fer a wee dram. och a wee dram dinna min a wee dram feshermen dinne stawp tewl tir weges es spient ... trouble is wages were very good and they were as a matter of course too drunk to comprehend for the rest of us....
it was quite common for the odd death from alchohol poisoning ...
being young it left a deeply ingrained horrible image that will never fade.
i used to drink... always destructively.... i had no concept of social drinking.... still dont.... i drank to be drunk, preferably unconscious.
i was often aggressive ,moody, stroppy and craved trouble and strife.
knowing how completely prone to addiction i am.... i regard it as a lucky escape that i never developed serious alchohol problems..........to be honest it was very likely because of the fact that i chose a different but equally potent substance in which to become infatuated and then embroiled.

[Prometeo liberado]

I have been clean of drugs and alcohol for 9 months this week :laugh:and at first I had many of the same issues about the whole higher power thing. The more I talked to others in the program the more I felt at ease with it. As one person told me "you idea of class consciousness can be your higher power". They will be the first to tell you that you only get what you put into it. You will find bible thumpers and atheist alike who don't give a shit about one's definition of higher power. So long as you truly want to stay clean almost any of them will gladly help you. I have come to truly like the fact that the comradery trumps the differences of peoples higher power.
If someone wants to start a revolutionary AA/NA group Im down.

[Art Vandelay]

I was just going to add, congratulations to all those who have embraced a life of sobriety! Keep living in line, maybe one day I will join you.

[Misanthrope]

Give yourself up to a better you. Check out buddhism..