I believe that substance addiction is in fact a disease. If the medical world added addiction as a disease to the DMS-IV-TR so it would qualify for insurance claims, good for them. I am fairly sure that if the insurance industry could provide a strong argument against this assertion, they would have.

If you are addicted to a substance, fight like your life depends on it. It does! Consider all options, then choose the one you believe is best. Talk with people who have fought addiction, and are living sober lives. If you need help and can’t afford it, please consider downloading my workbook. It is FREE, and it just might help. Be strong. I wish you all the best.

Aside from all this, those in AA and certainly those not must truly understand “the solution” - it is clearly delineated in the Basic Text of Alcoholics Anonynmous when Dr. Carl Jung has his converstion with “the wealthy American businessman” (Roland H). The program is about PERSONALITY CHANGE. The steps are the guidelines, roadmap, catalyst…whatever you will to cause this “psychic change” (sometimes called the spiritual experience). The AA Group (my higher power) is the fantastic support to the newcomer until they can experience this. I have sponsored dozens in the program and know from empirical evidence that this works. By the way, I charge nothing.

No wonder you reject the twelve steps. You wouldn’t be able to hold on to your bitter, vitriolic (look it up, dude), inane, resentful, angry point of view.

I’d hate to see what your “founding fathers” look like!

Substance abuse is very often ’self medication’ for underlying psychological issues. None of us make it out of childhood with mental perfection, it is more a question of the degree of injury. Severe childhood input leaves severe issues and self-medication is one way of dealing with the pain whether it is consciously perceived or not.

With that in mind, the idea of treating the underlying causes for chemical abuse is a sound one, though I cannot speak to this particular program. I do not know them beyond their constant television ads.

I will say this, however. The television advertisements are very misleading in that they offer a permanent ‘cure’ for a long-term problem and suggest that it is a ‘one-shot’ thing. If there was, in actuality, a one-shot cure, there would be no substance abusers. That does not mean that the program is not effective. It does, however, mean that the ads for the book are definitely misleading.

The real bottom line of this discussion is that what ever system works for a particular individual is the system that should be followed. In any system the key is the determination of the person who enrolls in it, given that the system itself has a prior history of success. Whatever works for YOU is the best system for recovery.

First, powerlessness is twofold. An alcoholic loses the ability to say no after the first drink. Alcohol simply swindles the individual’s ability to make good decisions while under its influence. Thats the first level of powerlessness and has to do with one’s individual biological response. Real alcoholics in recovery should have no problem admitting to that. One cannot change this fact no matter how he tries or how long he remains dry. There is no cure for this powerlessness as their likewise is no cure for other diseases.

The second level of powerlessness is the inability to say no to the first drink. This is more subtle but without some conditioning to the truth about the disease and some new tools, it can remain a problem. This level of powerlessness has to do with attitude, emotional stability and growth, all of which are helped by the 12 steps process of AA. It ceases to be a problem when proper maintenance and growth of our thinking occurs. This is given a good boost through active participation in AA.

For some people in may be church and for others it may be something else. AA works for those who follow through. I say NO to alcohol today because I know better what will happen if I take the first drink. Where I was once powerless; I am now empowered by truth. AA helps me stay in that truth.

Truth allows me to make better decisions which are the exercise of my free will. Whoops, did I say free will. The opponents of AA would like to say that AA requires you to give up your will. This is not so. What the program really says is to turn my life and will over to the CARE OF GOD. I still make all of my own choices with my own volitional abilities but try to make the choices that God would want me to make. To make good decisions requires conditioning, in other words, learning more about God and His ways.

The difference between today and what I used to make choices on is the removal of lies and untruths that used to make me think I needed to drink. As I have gained a greater understanding of God, I simply find that his way works better than mine and therefore I freely choose to do it His way. An example is to practice honesty (God’s way) rather than dishonesty ( my old way). I have never lost my ability to choose, I simply choose better. I give thanks to AA for helping me remove the idea that I was the center of the universe and that it was all about me. I continue to go to AA to keep my thinking right.

That’s what the steps of the program do; they empower me where before I was lacking in power. Hence the expression turning my life and will over to the care of God means seeking Him and His wisdom so that I will make better choices. God gives me full freedom to choose whereas the real culprit that swindles us of good choices is the effects of alcohol and wrong thinking. Consider how often we get angry and act wrongly. To remove anger requires a personality change.

AA’s process solves both of the powerlessness problems. If one slips in the program it has nothing to do with God, it was a choice made by the individual. Of course if a person comes into the program and fails to get it, it simply means he chooses to do it his own way instead of God’s way. Its not complicated but difficult for those that are steeped in selfishness, self-centeredness, and who operates on false beliefs and lies. If you think otherwise you are deceived.

AA itself is not a cure; it is a means to live life without alcohol with reasonable happiness. Happiness comes as a result of doing it God’s way. AA only promotes that thought, and does not offer religious practice. What it does offer is help with character such as honesty, unselfishness, unconditional love, purity, and other good moral principles that just so happen to be aligned with most religions. In fact, you are encouraged by AA to practice your own religion outside of AA. (Big Book Page 87)

I still have no opinion on the book. If someone wants to send me one free, I will be happy to offer an opinion.

I’ve been in the program for 7 years. I’ve not been brainwashed. I can come and go as I please. I am not forced into anything. I’m given suggestions which I’m allowed to take or not take. It is voluntary. It has nothing to do with a cult.

I would never suggest there is one way to become and stay clean and sober. I only know I have tried many other ways and, for me, the only one that has worked for any period of time is the 12 steps.

This book seems bothersome in that it will probably give a false sense of hope to people who don’t want to stop their behaviors. I can’t see how a book in and of itself could possibly cure someone of anything. It appears very irresponsible on the author’s part. I’ve not read it, don’t plan to, so this is all conjecture on my part.

Let it be understood that AA in its true form as laid out in the Book Alcoholics Anonymous is the only hope of returning to a useful and whole life that any Alcoholic has. Any deviation from this and one becomes another addition to the category of AA failure.

I personally would like to thank all that fail as you have helped me stay sober. A “true” alcoholic will only think one thing when hearing that there is a cure….” Where can I get the cure so I can drink again.” Anyone see anything wrong with that or see how deadly that is.

Sam C.
Raleigh, N.C.

Most people do not want to admit to their own flaws so they leave. Those that actually work the steps are helped, since their outlook and attitude upon life changes through self-examination, their awareness of shortcomings, and a continuing desire to change. These individals all experience a change in their character. They become less selfish and self-centered, more loving, gain in humility, grow in an awareness in a power greater than themselves, and help others. Is that so bad? Why criticize a program that accomplishes that.

You cannot measure AA’s success rate by including those who freely choose to not examine themselves. It’s not a failure of the program, raher its the failure of the individual to do the program. The individuals who walk away have chosen to not be willing to follow the directions. That’s not a failure of the program, it’s the failure of the individual.

AAA is a “program of attraction” which means individuals who have the improved character simply live life and this positive change in character is noticed by others. AA does not promote itself, nor does it need to. Institutions that refer individuals to AA, either mandentory or not, must see AA as a positive thing. What the courts have done when they decided to send offenders to AA is simply bring a lot of people, who do not want to be there, into a program designed for people who want to be there.

AA was not consulted nor did they want to be because a tradition exists within that we do not support or oppose any outside causes. I have seen some who get into long term recovery through court papers and I have seen many who don’t. The same with treatment centers. Insurance companies do not send people to AA. AA receives no money from any source and exists solely on self contributions.

Its not the AA program, its the individual desire to stay sober that makes any program a success or not. It comes down to personal accountability and a move away from the “victim” mentality.

As to the reason for this blog. I haven’t read the book nor do I want to but I can tell you that if its theme is to puff you up rather than involve the process of self-examination the individual is likely to waste his or her money. True self esteem comes from a character change. AA is one place to provide that transformation. Take it or leave it. My gut feel is that this book it is designed to make a profit like most things promoted.