Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12 Steps

[Jimmy Coonan]

Originally Posted by Jakeisuseless

For the most part, NA says that pot won't fuck up your life, but it may make you really really want a beer or a crack hit. These are associated things to an addict. You smoke some pot. Your judgement is impaired. You were probably having really bad cravings anyway. You are more likely to go out and get that crack hit.

Interesting that you'd say that. It's just the opposite for me--when I smoke pot, I don't really want much else drugwise. That's how I quit drinking last year, I just smoked hash every day and I didn't want to get drunk anymore. The only times I can quit cigarettes, too, are when I'm blazed all the time. Drinking is the real drug trigger for me: when I've had a few drinks I'll smoke, sniff or swallow whatever the fuck is available. When I do other things, it sometimes makes me want to smoke weed, but it never works the other way for me.

[Kindbuddy]

alcohal just isnt fun for me, i had felt the effects of alocohal in 3 months untill this weekend were i ended up being the most drunk i have ever been acomplnied by the worst hang over i have ever had. alcohal just dosnt do it for me, when i drink I want to feel the euphoria that accompanys most other drugs I have tried or do.

whos with me fuck alcohal give me green, pills, mushrooms and thing but fuck alcohal!

[Jakeisuseless]

Originally Posted by lillarry518

Interesting that you'd say that. It's just the opposite for me--when I smoke pot, I don't really want much else drugwise. That's how I quit drinking last year, I just smoked hash every day and I didn't want to get drunk anymore. The only times I can quit cigarettes, too, are when I'm blazed all the time. Drinking is the real drug trigger for me: when I've had a few drinks I'll smoke, sniff or swallow whatever the fuck is available. When I do other things, it sometimes makes me want to smoke weed, but it never works the other way for me.

Depends on the person. It works both ways.

[ozone]

I was in A.A. for 16 years through their brain washing program. I quit though, thankfully because there are way too many scum bags in there that come from courts and hospitals. They can try to flower it up however they want, but its a watering hole where the weak go to get help and expose themselves to major predators. I knocked the teeth out of a few of em ... couldn't help it, they were registered sex offenders and started getting froggy with me so I jumped... them!

Furthermore, what happens to those who are in for the long haul? They become Institutionalised. What a bummer that would be huh... to be in denial of having to have something that does not allow you to be free. Ouch. More members should bongsmilie and stop

I'm much happier since I quit... life is back to normal now and my family is much safer.

[spicoli]

i was ordered to go to 6 meetings when i got my dui years ago, and i got the whole cult vibe, for sure. when i had to stand up to introduce myself, i said, hi, my name is ________ and i'm just visiting. they all waited what seemed like minutes for me to just come clean and admit that i'm an alcoholic. i swear they had looks on their faces like aw, she's still in denial. needless to say, i forged the fuck out of my court papers, and only went to 2 meetings.
on a side note, i gotta say, there is more cig smoking and coffee drinking going on there than just about anywhere in the damn world!

[chilam6886]

Hi everyone, first time poster, long time reader

I was smoking pot realy heavily for two years to the point of irrationality. I mean, picking out tiny biyts of shake from your carpet because you're broke is not exactly the picture of the model responsible soker isn't it? That being said I had a lot of depressiona nd sel esteem problems. When i didn't have pot I bought 40's cuz alcohol's cheaper, but bad stuff happenned. Now I'm on probation, but really my life couldn't be better. i actually go to school and am closer to my family and alla that good stuff. Most of the people I hung out with are the steryotyopical losers who you DON'T want to represent the cannabis using society. I'm not going to say "I owe it all to Alcoholics ANonymous", but it did help. That being said, it does have it's cult-ish thing. it addresses none of the socio-economic reasons for alcohol abuse, and the wall street banker that founded it is treated with a reverence ordinarily reserved for deities, even the "Big Book" of A.A is treated like it came straight from God's mouth tio Bill Wilson's hand. I think that it's detrimental to some people by putting the idea that they are "powerless" in their heads. For my own part, there are days that i don't think about drinking or doing derugs but then I have to go to a meeting to get my card signed and what do i do? I sit around and hear about drinking and drugging for a friggin hour! Anyway, there are some good alternatives, I reccommend the work of Dr. Stanton Peele. A.A does help a lot when you take it in stride and take what you need, some of the steps are good for improving yourself as a person, which is what you need to do to beat addiction anyway. But when you ask how many of them are going to die from emphysema and have horrible coffee breath they get uncomfortable. Me? I don't know if i'll go back to doing drugs (I really miss my bong some days) but that's why A.A says to live "one day at a time" and whatever I'll do I'm a better person than I was. It's like anything else really, it's not black and white, good and bad. but you do get a little sick of the catch phrases. It's like attending a Maoist rally sometimes.

[Jimmy Coonan]

The only people I know who are in AA are people who had to go because of court orders. I know plenty of alcoholics who gave it up, but they did it on their own or with the support of friends and family, not via AA.

I used to think I was an alcoholic. Not sure anymore, I drink a lot more than I probably should but I balance it with other activities now. My life was pretty much just doing coke before, and that goes quite well with the booze. I'm rediscovering my interest in other things now--reading books, taking care of lizards, writing, making pasta sauce, sampling new and exotic beers, exploring weird-looking little shops off back alleys and hunting for bargains on clothes.

[chilam6886]

Well, from an A.A standpoint you're an alcoholic who is in denial and you haven't hit your "bottom". From a non-A.A standpoint, getting involved in activities that are not related to your addiction of choice is crucial to getting a life back on track. I myself got into martial arts and finally fixed the electric guitar in my closet. Either point of view will tell you, if you feel like "using" do something else, A.A says go to a meeting, call another alcoholic or your sponsor, and then the rest of the suggestions are common sense, like take a walk, jog, cook something, jack off, etc etc. Like I said, I highly reccomend Stanton Peele's work, google his name, he has a website.

[delmar]

How bout this- if you haven't been to mtgs or studied/experienced what the 12 step program of recovery is prescribed by AA, then SHUT THE FUCK UP.

There are so many misperceptions posted here- and perpetuated by ignorance- they have been repeated so many times by the ignorant that the uninformed accept them as valid, re post them and the vicous cycle continues. In reality, these misperceptions are utter bullshit.

I'm not going to take the time to clarify- not my yawb... or defend, or otherwise... just wanted to say if you don't have genuine knowledge of the 12 step program, KEEP YOUR FUCKING MOUTH SHUT or post your bullshit for what it is: UNINFORMED, SPECULATIVE OPINION... which as we all know is just like an asshole... everyone's got one.

[NaiveMelody420]

both my dad and stepmom are in AA they are fucking CONVINCED that I am a drug addict. It's fucking annoying. Ive been to a lot of meetings, AA and NA. Because I was forced to go by them. I understand it does help some people, but really I get this creepy cultish vibe when I'm there. Especially all the weird shit they do like the "Hi I'm ____ and I'm an alcoholic". Like why do they have to reinforce it every time they speak? And the holding hands thing at the end? that always kind of made me uncomfortable haha.