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Is Alcoholics Anonymous a cult ?
Well it’s that time of year when people overdue the boozing then want to bitch up and check into rehab and Alcoholics Anonymous. In case you haven’t had the pleasure of listening to a bunch of drunks at a meeting here’s a little brake down of what Alcoholics Anonymous is and isn’t.
Alcoholics Anonymous or commonly known as AA is a program based on 12 Steps founded by two old dead dudes back in the 1930’s. They found that one drunk helping the other kept them sober. Both men lived many years and died sober, so we can see that they had something that worked.
AA meetings are usually one hour long and they are all over the world. The AA world convention will be held this year in San Antonio.
Alcoholics anonymous is supposed to be based on the 12 Steps which bring you through a way of looking at yourself, making amends for all the crap you did and a guideline on how you should live your life. The biggest tips would be to have a attitude of gratitude and acceptance is a big part, also it helps to get a HIGHER POWER of some kind but they leave all the God stuff up to you. During the meetings people share all kinds of things, the meetings are usually lead by an older member who may even share their own story then open the meeting up for others to speak.
So is AA a cult ? Well you have all kinds of people running around AA. Thank God most are genuinely helpful and want you to get sober. As a group AA has many rituals and customs that can be considered cult like but even with the group dynamics at hand you have to look past anything you might want to use as an excuse to go back to drinking.
Some members are going to ask you how long you been sober as if it’s some kind of rank system. For a program that advocates one day at time it seems silly to ask people HOW LONG you GOT ? then try to assume things about the person by how long they been sober. I think it’s good when your new to stick with some new people and to do what they suggest and get a sponsor. Sponsors are old timers who are going to school you about how they did it and sometimes dealing with a sponsor is a NIGHTMARE because they think they have all the answers and your DUMB.
So I wanted to share a little inside scoop of AA. I don’t drink or not to often, I went to AA for years on and off and I don’t go now because AA in San Antonio sucks and I don’t need it. But you may want to check it out if alcohol is kicking your ass. I just wanted to give a little heads up on what to expect. Like they say
It works if you work it.
Have you ever attended AA ? Do you have a family member who was successful in AA?
Do you really need to go but NOT YET LOL 
Happy Holidays and if you do get BOMBED don’t drive no matter what
I have met many great people in AA and I am still good friends with many. Try it if you need it It won’t kill you and may be a chance to start a new life For more information about Alcoholics Anonymous check their site.
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Okay, but then how or in what way could AA be considered a cult?
Hey John,
I have never been to AA but, I worked as a bartender & had a lot of the people stop in after the meetings. That same bar had the telephone number that was 1 digit different than the AA #. Oh man did that mess with people when they called at night. Normally when I answered the other end would be yelling that they really wanted a drink & needed help. For along time I had no idea they were calling for AA help & would tell them to come on down we were serving until 1:30am. Finally 1 night a guy from AA came in & told me that it was not funny that I was screwing up peoples lives. After him going off on me for a bit, I did finally get figured out he was talking about the phone calls & the issue with the number. Neither place would change their phone number so, I just figured if they called & got me then they were suppose to be “tested”. I did not have time to sit & chat to figure out if they had called the right number.
I will say that I did have customers that stopped drinking alcohol because of AA. They were my ‘Coke & a smile’ guys.
I’ve heard both good & bad about AA, it must just depend on the person that wants the help & the group that is helping them.
Sheryl Loch´s last blog ..Clearing Up a Link Diversity MisConception
Twitter: jsinkeywest
(517 comments) December 23, 2009 at 7:48 am
@Sheryl
Very cool and funny story. I actually don’t know why I even wrote about AA tonight.
Perhaps someone is in a bad spot and AA is a good place to take a breather to hopefully decide what to do. Thanks for commenting
Merry Christmas
I haven’t been to AA but know people who have been that did very well with it, I also know others that didn’t do so well with it. It’s like anything in life, you get out of it what you put into it.
Extreme John´s last blog ..10 Reasons I Wouldn’t Copy Your Article
Twitter: tycoonblogger
(5 comments) December 23, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I have been to some meetings for the first 6 months or so in my recovery but I have not been in the last 18 months and I am still sober..I think AA is cultish in many ways. For me, I took what I needed and let the rest. At this point, I don’t think I need it and will probably not go back.
Tycoon Blogger@promote your blog´s last blog ..My Blogging Routine for the holidays
Twitter: kbloemendaal
(15 comments) December 23, 2009 at 10:38 pm
I went to AA because a judge in Florida made me after I flew past a trooper doing 90 in 55 and was hammered. To me, I wanted to go have a drink after the meetings. I do know good people that still go to AA 7 days a week and it keeps them sober, which in some cases can mean living or dying.
So, I think it is good for those it helps. What I disagree with is court systems forcing people to go that don’t want to, it infects the “meeting” with an “I don’t want to be here just sign my slip so I don’t get violated” attitude. And some of the meetings have more of those than actual alcoholics that want to be there and are looking for help, which hurts the alcoholic that needs help.
If going to those meeting helps you stay sober and that is important to you, then I say DO IT! But I know from a long addiction with cocaine (clean for almost 3 years from cocaine) that if I don’t want to quit, I am not going to, so forcing people to go that the courts think needs it won’t do any good and in my opinion, harms the ones that actually want help. Maybe it would be better if it was a cult, then the courts would stay out of it….
Just my $.02
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Twitter: jsinkeywest
(517 comments) December 23, 2009 at 10:46 pm
@Dan I know there’s some cool people there but damn they have those that won’t shut up Like Big Book Nazi’s. Anyway for us it was prob the curse of the Irish. I don’t drink today because I don’t want to and I got tired of getting my ass kicked
My 12 step program:
1. Wake n Bake
2. eat some breakfast burritos at Mickey D’s.
3. have coffee
4. smoke another reefer
5. eat lunch at In N’ Out Burger
6. crack open a diet cola
7. its 4:20 pm, you know what to do
8. eat dinner
9. crack open another diet soda
10. smoke a big fat one!
11. Watch “Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle,” or “Dude, Where’s My Car?”
12. Go To Sleep
(repeat the next day)