All I know is that I used to be a problem drinker, but managed to quit without any such program. Moreover, in complete violation of AA dogma, I can drink in moderation no problem.
--- John Thornton <jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Can anyone offer any suggested reading for a decent
> critique of 12 step
> recovery programs?
> I went to a few within the last two weeks and was
> really freaked out.
> I have a hard time imagining such a program being
> helpful to someone.
> I'm really confused how one can be powerless over
> their addiction and
> yet still held completely responsible for making bad
> choices.
> Doesn't powerlessness imply an inability to choose?
> When I think of
> things over which I am powerless I cannot choose to
> make them different.
> The constant going on about powerlessness and giving
> over to a higher
> power (either a deity or the group of addicts
> themselves) really gave me
> a bad vibe.
> I'd heard from some people there was a cult-like
> atmosphere to NA and AA
> meetings but never knew much about such programs.
> The meetings I attended were at a medical rehab
> clinic and they struck
> me as deeply weird and very unhealthy. They were
> very cult-like to me
> but my experiences with cults is zero. I've read
> very little about cults
> since the subject hasn't ever really interested me.
> The clinicians tell the addicts they are powerless
> to control their own
> addiction and then treat them with Suboxone, a
> powerfully addictive
> partial opioid agonist.
> You're then faced with either compliance with their
> program to continue
> taking their addictive agent, going cold turkey and
> risking relapse, or
> trying to taper yourself off whatever opioids were
> taken.
> Putting large numbers of addicts together seems to
> me to widen their
> circle of known abusers and offer additional
> opportunities for drug
> purchasing by increasing contacts.
> One-on-one counseling rather than group counseling
> would on the surface
> of it seem more helpful.
> Listening to the various addicts "war stories" you
> could see many in the
> room absolutely jonesing. How could that be helpful?
> Firsthand knowledge of rehab centers is also
> welcome.
>
> John Thornton
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