Arguments For and Against Alcoholics Anonymous

Self Help for Alcoholism
According to A. Orange, Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is not only a religion but a cult. Radio Icon Dr. Laura Schlessinger has stated that powerlessness, a basic A.A.concept, is the opposite of what young people who are drinking need to hear and that alcoholism is no more a disease than bad manners are.

Cult vs Spiritual Program

A.A. literature asks members to follow a spiritual program of recovery. God is mentioned twice in the 12 steps, the core suggestions that alcoholics are told to practice if they want to stay sober. The founders of A.A., Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob, are revered by followers, many of whom claim the basic text is "scripture."

But a cult entices members and there are grave consequences for those who try to break ranks. Alcoholics Anonymous traditions state their membership will only grow by "attraction, not promotion." While newcomers are welcomed energetically in many groups, no one knocks on doors or takes to the streets trying to convert new members. Proselytizing is not tolerated.

"Higher Power" is a term A.A. members use to refer to "God as we understood him," meaning that any deity in any form will do. The basic text of A.A. has a "chapter to the agnostic," which urges those who have no religious beliefs to find a power greater than themselves that can bestow the precious gift of the ability to stop drinking.

The Paradox of Powerlessness

The first step of 12-Step programs everywhere is admitting powerlessness. It is a humbling thing to do, to stop struggling to defeat alcohol even after it has ruined everything good about life. Some, like the Amazon.com reviewer of the A.A.basic text who wrote "...a book for cowards seeking an excuse...this book revels in powerlessness," see this as a fatal mistake, especially for young people who need to grasp their own power in life. A blog called Encyclopedia Dramatica points to A.A. members who seem to use powerlessness as an excuse to let things slide when they could be more productive. Since the Alcoholics Anonymous program insists that people cannot get sober unless they have the capacity to be honest and take personal responsibility for their own behavior, this first step is seen as just that--a beginning made by acknowledging that every effort made up to now has failed and that no amount of preoccupation or planning can loosen the grip of addiction to alcohol. Social drinking cannot be done by alcoholics and they are powerless to change that fact.

The Disease of Alcoholism

The Diagnosis and Statistical Manual (DSM IV) of the American Psychiatric Association lists the criteria that must be met before alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, can be diagnosed. According to A.A. members alcoholism is a progressive disease that gets worse without treatment. Most doctors agree not only that alcoholism is a disease but that it has a genetic component and that it affects the whole family. This concept has been a springboard for other 12-step programs for adult children and spouses of alcoholics.

Personal Investigation is the Key

Those who wonder about Alcoholics Anonymous are encouraged to read approved literature and to attend open meetings of A.A. Such personal investigation is the only unbiased way to assess the fellowship and its concepts. Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation programs that rely on 12-step participation can provide an even wider network of support for those seeking recovery.

References:

Alcoholics Anonymous as a Cult, A. Orange, www.orange-papers.org ,1989

Bad Childhood, Good Life: How to Blossom and Thrive in Spite of an Unhappy Childhood, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Harper Collins, 2006

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